Gilbert Eliott (Australian politician)

Gilbert Eliott CMG, JP
Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
In office 22 May 1860 – 13 July 1870
Preceded by	New title
Succeeded by	Arthur Macalister
Constituency	Wide Bay
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Burnett
In office 5 July 1859 – 10 December 1859
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Wide Bay
In office 4 May 1860 – 12 August 1870
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Henry King
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office 15 November 1870 – 30 June 1871
Personal details
Born	Gilbert Eliott 1796 Stobs Castle, Roxburghshire, England
Died	30 June 1871 Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery
Nationality	Scottish
Spouse(s)	Isabella Lucy Elliot
Relations	Sir William Eliott, 6th Baronet (father)
Occupation	Grazier, Magistrate
Religion	Church of England

Gilbert Eliott CMG (1796 – 30 June 1871), was a politician in colonial Queensland and a Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1][2]

Early life

Eliot was third son of Sir William Eliott, the 6th Bart. of that name, of Stobs, Roxburghshire. He was born in 1796, and married, in 1830, Isabella Lucy, daughter of the Rev. Robert Eliott, vicar of Askham (who died in 1871).

Politics

Eliott emigrated to Australia, and in July 1859 was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Burnett but had only served 5 months when the Colony of Queensland was created and his seat became redundant.^[3] He was then elected to the first Legislative Assembly of that colony in April 1860, as member for Wide Bay. On the meeting of the House in May he was elected the first Speaker, and, having been thrice successively re-elected in the next three Parliaments, voluntarily retired in Nov. 1870, when he was created C.M.G.

Later life

Eliott died on 30 June 1871^[1] and was buried in Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery.^[4]

Eliott's eldest son, Gilbert William, was a police magistrate in Queensland from 1865 to 1878; and, by his marriage with Jane Penelope, daughter of Thomas Thomson, of Tasmania, had a son, Gilbert Francis Eliott, born in 1859, who was Engineer of Harbours and Rivers for Northern Queensland.^[1]

References