Frederick Maitland Innes (11 August 1816 – 11 May 1882)C. M. Sullivan,

, ''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

'', Volume 4, MUP, 1972, pp 458–459. Retrieved 2009-08-15 was

Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the Government of Tasmania, executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the Tasmanian House of Assem ...

from 4 November 1872 to 4 August 1873. The son of Francis Innes, army officer, and his wife Prudence, ''née'' Edgerleyan, Innes was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland. Innes was educated at Heriot's, Edinburgh, and Kelso Grammar School in Kelso. On leaving school he was employed by his uncle, manager of estates for his relation, the Duke of Roxburghe. In 1836, Innes emigrated to

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

where he arrived in Hobart in 1837, joining the ''Hobart Town Courier''. A few years later he returned to Great Britain, and contributed to the press in London, and to the ''

Penny Cyclopaedia ''The Penny Cyclopædia'' published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was a multi-volume encyclopedia edited by George Long (scholar), George Long and published by Charles Knight (publisher), Charles Knight alongside the ''Penn ...

''. Innes again went to Tasmania in 1843 and was associated with the ''Observer'' and other papers at

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

. In about the year 1846 he was working as a journalist at Launceston and later took up farming. With the introduction of responsible government he was elected in September 1856 as the member for Morven in the

Tasmanian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Legislative Council or Upper House. It sits in Parliament House, Hobart, Parliament Hou ...

. He was colonial treasurer in four successive ministries, the first William Weston, the Francis Smith, the second Weston, and the Thomas Chapman, from 25 April 1857 to 1 November 1862, and colonial secretary from 1 November 1862 to 20 January 1863. He had now become a member of the

Tasmanian Legislative Council The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. It is one of the two Chambers of parliament, chambers of the Parliament, the other being the Tasmanian House of Assembly, House of Assembly. Both ho ...

, in 1864 was elected chairman of committees, and from 1868 to 1872 president of the council. He then resigned his seat and re-entered the house of assembly. On 4 November 1872, allying himself with some members he had previously opposed, Innes became premier and colonial secretary until 4 August 1873, when the Alfred Kennerley ministry came in and Innes found himself isolated. In March 1875 rather to the surprise of his former friends he joined this ministry as colonial treasurer, and held this position until July 1876. He then retired from the house of assembly, was elected to the legislative council in September 1877, and in 1880 was again made president of the council. He died at Launceston on 11 May 1882. In 1838, he married a Miss Sarah Elizabeth (‘Lysbeth’) Grey—the daughter of free settlers—who survived him with sons and daughters. Innes, an able man of moderate views, was an excellent treasurer. When he first took office the finances of the colony were in a very serious condition, and he carried a heavy burden during his five and a half years of office.

References

* * **'' The Mercury'', Hobart, 13 May 1882; **J. Fenton, ''A History of Tasmania''; **J. H. Heaton, Australian Dictionary of Dates. {{DEFAULTSORT:Innes, Frederick 1816 births 1882 deaths Premiers of Tasmania Colonial secretaries of Tasmania Presidents of the Tasmanian Legislative Council Leaders of the opposition in Tasmania Treasurers of Tasmania People educated at Kelso High School, Scotland 19th-century Australian politicians Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia