John McIntyre

Sir John McIntyre (24 April 1832 – 18 January 1904) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman. After emigrating to Australia during the Victorian gold rush, McIntyre became heavily involved in the mining industry around Bendigo in Victoria. Later as he began to rise in prominence he became involved in local politics, eventually becoming the first mayor of Bendigo, a post he held for five years before resigning. In the years following he became heavily involved in community work, serving as a territorial magistrate and children's guardian for the Bendigo district. In 1877 he was elected to the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Sandhurst. Although he later lost this seat in 1880, he re-entered parliament in 1881 after winning the seat of Maldon in a by-election. He held this seat until 1902, serving as a minister during James Patterson's premiership and as Leader of the Opposition from 1895 to 1898. In December 1903 he stood for the Australian Senate but narrowly failed to win a seat. Suffering from ill health, he died shortly afterwards.

Early and personal life McIntyre was born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland on 24 April 1832. He was the son of Malcolm McIntyre and his wife, Euphemia McGuinness. Educated at South End Academy, he began a medical course at the University of Glasgow but did not complete it, deciding instead to emigrate to Australia in 1852. In 1853 he married Jeanne Grant, sister-in-law of Dr James Eadie, his business partner. She died in 1861, leaving three sons—Alexander, John and James. In 1875 McIntyre married Jeanne's sister, Isabella, who died in 1902.

Mining and business interests in Victoria McIntyre came to Australia after reports of significant gold discoveries and in 1852 he arrived at Portland, Victoria aboard the Runnymede. His success in mining led him to pursue investment of foreign capital for Victorian mines. In 1887 he formed a company in London in order to introduce British capital into the Maldon mines. As a noted free trader, he actively opposed Protectionism which contributed to loss of his seat in June 1880, but early in 1881 he won Maldon He also served as a member of the royal commissions on tariffs in 1881 and gold-mining in 1889 and was a member of the railway standing committee in 1890. Following the death of Patterson, he was elected Leader of the Opposition at a meeting on 7 November 1895, a position he held until resigning on 31 August 1898 when the position passed to Duncan Gillies. He represented the Victorian Parliament at the opening of Federal Parliament on 9 May 1901 and was presented with a Gold Commonwealth medal. In September 1902, however, he lost his seat.

Community service In Bendigo, McIntyre took a special interest in the local hospital, serving as honorary secretary and later as a trustee. He also served as a territorial magistrate and a children's guardian for the Bendigo district. He was a founder and honorary colonel of the Victorian Scottish Regiment.

McIntyre's health broke down after his exhausting but ultimately unsuccessful Senate campaign. However, in this period, he still found time for involvement in "things Scottish", playing the role of Bailie Nicol Jarvie in the Royal Caledonian Society's October 1903 production of "Rob Roy". He died on 18 January 1904 and was buried at the Back Creek cemetery in Bendigo.