Sir James MacBain (19 April 1828 – 4 November 1892) was a politician in colonial

Victoria (Australia) Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a States and territories of Australia, state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), ...

, President of the Victorian Legislative Council. MacBain was the youngest son of Smith MacBain, of

Invergordon Invergordon (; or ) is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. It lies in the parish of Rosskeen. History The town built up around the harbour which was established in 1828. The area ...

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, Scotland, and was born at Kinrhive in that county in 1828. He served a business apprenticeship in Inverness. In 1853 he married Jessie Smith, youngest daughter of William Smith, of Forres, and sister of the late Duncan Smith, manager of the

Oriental Bank Corporation The Oriental Bank Corporation (), or "OBC", was a British imperial bank founded in India in 1842 which grew to be prominent throughout the Far East. As an Exchange bank, the OBC was primarily concerned with the finance of trade and exchanges of ...

at Bombay. Immediately afterwards MacBain came to

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, where he entered the service of the

Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia. It was established in 1817 in Sydney. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and New Zealand, expanding into Oceania ...

. He quit shortly after and became partner in Melbourne of the mercantile and squatting agency firm of Gibbs, Ronald & Co. In 1863 he became a partner in the Geelong and London business of that firm, and of Richard Gibbs & Co., of London. In 1865 Geelong and London was sold to the Australian Mortgage, Land and Finance Company, Limited, of the Australian Board of which Sir James was chairman. Sir James was a member of the Council, and a trustee of both the

Ormond College Ormond College is the largest of the residential colleges of the University of Melbourne located in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is home to around 350 undergraduates, 90 graduates and 35 professorial and academic residents. H ...

, affiliated to Melbourne University, and of the Working Men's College, Melbourne. He was also a trustee of the Scotch College and the Ladies' Presbyterian College, and of the Public Library and National Gallery in that city. Sir James represented the Wimmera district in the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the states and territories of Australia, state lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the state upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament H ...

from 1864 to 1880, and in 1880 was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...

for the Central province. He was a member of the

Bryan O'Loghlen Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, 3rd Baronet (pronounced and sometimes spelt Brian O'Lochlen; 27 June 1828 – 31 October 1905) was an Irish-born Australian colonial politician who was the 13th Premier of Victoria. Early life O'Loghlen was born in County ...

Government without portfolio from August 1881 to March 1883, in which year he visited Europe and acted as chairman of the Victorian Commission at the Amsterdam Exhibition. In the next year MacBain was elected for the South Yarra Province, and succeeded Sir

William Henry Fancourt Mitchell Sir William Henry Fancourt Mitchell (November 1811 – 24 November 1884) was a British-born Australian police commissioner and politician, President of the Victorian Legislative Council for fourteen years. Life Mitchell was the son of the Re ...

as President of the Victorian Legislative Council, from 27 November 1884 to 8 November 1892. He was knighted in May 1886, and having in the meantime acted as president or the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition, was created K.C.M.G. in 1889. MacBain died in

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, Melbourne on 4 November 1892.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacBain, James 1828 births 1892 deaths Australian Knights Bachelor Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Presidents of the Victorian Legislative Council Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Scottish emigrants to Australia 19th-century Australian politicians