Sir Robert Officer M.A., (3 October 1800 – 8 July 1879) was an Australian politician and medical officer.

Early life

Officer was the son of Robert Officer, and was born in

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

, Forfarshire, Scotland, and graduated B.A., and subsequently M.A., at St. Andrews University. Having obtained his diploma as a member of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

, England, he 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 married Scotland-born Jemima Patterson in 1823 and was appointed Government medical officer for

New Norfolk New Norfolk ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#Big River, Leenowwenne/palawa kani: ''Wulawali'') is a river bank, riverside town located on the Derwent River (Tasmania), River Derwent in southeastern Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1807, it is Tasm ...

in 1824. He moved to nearby

Bothwell Bothwell () is a Protected area, conservation village in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland and part of the Greater Glasgow area. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, Scotland, Hamilton, ...

with his family, after receiving a land grant on the Clyde River in 1826. In 1835, the family moved to Hobart. He also acquired considerable private practice in partnership with Dr.

James Agnew Sir James Willson Agnew (2 October 1815 – 8 November 1901) was an Irish-born Australian politician, who was Premier of Tasmania from 1886 to 1887. Early life Agnew was born in Ballyclare, Ireland and educated at London, Paris and Glasgow; h ...

, who was later Premier of the colony. Sir Robert paid a brief visit to

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

whilst the gold fever was at its height; but ultimately returned to Tasmania, where, after filling the post of Assistant Colonial Surgeon, he retired from the medical profession, resigning his practice to Dr. Agnew.

Political career

In 1853 Officer was returned to the old

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 ...

, then the only Chamber, for Buckingham. In the following year the new Constitution Act was passed, and when the first election under the bi-cameral system took place, in September 1856, Sir Robert Officer was returned to the House of Assembly for the district of Glenorchy. He was at once chosen Chairman of Committees, and on the retirement of Mr. Fenton in August 1861, became

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

. This position he held uninterrupted until April 1877, having been four times re-elected in the interval, and having throughout the whole term of his Speakership been returned unopposed for Glenorchy.

Late life

Sir Robert was knighted in 1869; and after his resignation of the Speakership he retired to live at Hall Green, his residence near New Norfolk. There he occupied himself in hop cultivation and salmon acclimatization, industries in which he was greatly interested, and of which he was one of the leading pioneers. He died on 8 July 1879 in New Norfolk, Tasmania, Australia. A son,

Charles Myles Officer Charles Myles Officer (14 July 1827 – 1 February 1904) was an Australian grazier and politician, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Officer, born at New Norfolk, Tasmania, was the third son of Sir Robert Officer. In 1848 he went t ...

, became a politician in

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), ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Officer, Robert 1800 births 1879 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian politicians Politicians from Dundee