Arthur Palmer

Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer (28 December 1819 – 20 March 1898) was an Australian politician who served as the fifth Premier of Queensland, in office from 1870 to 1874. He later held ministerial office in Thomas McIlwraith's ministry from 1879 to 1881, before serving as President of the Queensland Legislative Council from 1881 until his death in 1898.

Early life Palmer was born on 28 December 1819 in Armagh, Ireland. His parents were Lieutenant Arthur Palmer, RN, and his wife, Emily ( Hunter).

Palmer attended Youghal Grammar School and was taught by a private tutor in Dublin. in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.

Later life He died at Easton Gray, his home in Toowong, Queensland after a long illness and was buried in Toowong Cemetery.

Family

In 1865, Palmer married Miss Cecilia Jessie Mosman. Cecilia was the sister of Hugh Mosman who discovered gold in Charters Towers and of Harriette Mosman, the second wife of Queensland Premier Thomas McIlwraith. From 1872 to 1877, the Palmer family leased the house Fernberg in Paddington, which became Queensland's Government House in 1910. Cecilia died in 1885, and was survived by three sons and two daughters.

The family home, Easton Gray, was sold in 1944 for the construction of Toowong State High School, later Toowong College, and now the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology.

His grandson Beaufort Palmer was one of Australia's finest pilot instructors in World War II.

Honours Palmer was awarded a KCMG in 1881.