Robert Thomas Jamison (1829 – 27 January 1878) was an Australian pastoralist and politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1856 until 1860.

Early life

Jamison was the grandson of Thomas Jamison a surgeon on the

First Fleet The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command ...

and was the son of Sir

John Jamison Sir John Jamison (1776 – 29 June 1844) was an Australian physician, pastoral farming, pastoralist, banker, politician, constitutional reformer and public figure. Family background John Jamison was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Kingdo ...

a prominent Sydney physician and one time member of the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...

. His mother Mary Griffiths, was one of John Jamison's mistresses with whom se had two sons and five daughters. John Jamison married Mary a few months before his death. Robert was born at the family's extensive estate on the Nepean River and was educated at Sydney College. He inherited a share of his father's estate in 1844 and worked for a short while as he Clerk of the Legislative Council. Jamison acquired extensive pastoral property on the Namoi River and by 1850 was independently wealthy. He was active on the bench of magistrates.

Colonial Parliament

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voyag ...

, at the first election held under responsible self-government, Jamison was elected as one of the two members in the Legislative Assembly for Cook and Westmoreland. He retained the seat unopposed at the next election in

1858 Events January–March * January – **Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. **William I of Prussia becomes regent f ...

and successfully contested the new seat of Nepean when Cook and Westmoreland was abolished at the

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final u ...

election. He was defeated in

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

and retired from public life. Jamison did not hold parliamentary or ministerial office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jamison, Robert 1829 births 1878 deaths Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 19th-century Australian politicians