James Campbell

James Campbell (1830–1904) was a Scottish merchant of timber and other building products based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He founded the hardware firm James Campbell and Sons.

Early life James Campbell was born on 6 March 1830 at Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland. His parents had hoped he would become a Church of Scotland minister, but he apprenticed himself at an early age to a plasterer and worked at that trade for some years. Having decided to emigrate, he was influenced by John Dunmore Lang to travel to Queensland. He married Mary Isabella Mitchell at Callander, Perthshire, in February 1853 and they arrived in Moreton Bay on 23 June 1853 on the John Fielden.

Business In Brisbane, Campbell established a business in George Street initially selling building materials imported from Sydney. Although that first venture failed, he started a new business City Lime, Cement and Plaster Stores on the corner of Creek and Charlotte Streets. Eventually he was providing many of the materials needed for constructing buildings, including timber, bricks, cement and pottery which were made locally, along with imported items. The township of Campbellville of around 100 people developed around the sawmill. There was a wharf with cranes and a provisional school and cemetery. Campbellville lasted until 1890 when the mill closed down. By that time, the North Coast railway line had made it easier to transport logs and timber by rail than by ship.

Politics Campbell served as an alderman on the Brisbane Town Council and also as a council member of the Ithaca Shire. Although he did not serve in the Queensland Parliament, he took a strong interest in politics and was one of those who persuaded Charles Lilley to contest the seat of Fortitude Valley. His son John Dunmore Campbell served in the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Moreton. He had requested that there be no religious service. However, his employees decided to congregate at the Normanby Fiveways from where they joined with the funeral party to the cemetery, where his friend Samuel Wood Brooks, a journalist, delivered a eulogy at the graveside.

His wife Isabella died on 24 February 1918 and was buried with him on 25 February 1918.