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John McWhae

1858 – 1927

Politician

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About John McWhae

Lived 1858 – 1927 (aged 69). John McWhae was a politician.

Sir John McWhae (22 June 1858 – 17 September 1927) was an Australian politician.

He was born in Ballarat to miner Peter McWhae and Grace Wilson. His father found success on the Ballarat goldfields and the family returned to Scotland for a time, returning to Victoria in 1871. McWhae worked as a bank clerk before becoming a sharebroker and a member of the Ballarat Stock Exchange. From around 1890 he worked on the Melbourne Stock Exchange, and he secured his own fortune speculating on the Kalgoorlie boom in 1899 (after early successes at Broken Hill and a setback at Coolgardie. In 1910 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for Melbourne Province. He was associated with the Economy Party in 1917 and was appointed Minister of Public Works; in 1918 he became a minister without portfolio focusing on combating the 1918 influenza epidemic. In 1921 he resigned from Parliament to accept an appointment as Victorian Agent-General, succeeding Peter McBride. He held this position until 1924, and was knighted on his retirement. McWhae died in Yokohama in Japan in 1927.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Positions held
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council
Awards
Knight Bachelor
Also known as
Sir John McWhae

People in John McWhae's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John McWhae's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John McWhae?

politician (1858-1927)

When was John McWhae born?

John McWhae was born on 22 June 1858.

When did John McWhae die?

John McWhae died on 17 September 1927.

What was John McWhae's occupation?

John McWhae was a politician.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John McWhae

· Wikidata: Q23617003

· DBpedia: John McWhae

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John McWhae. https://biography.guide/john-mcwhae/

MLA: "John McWhae." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-mcwhae/.

Chicago: "John McWhae." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-mcwhae/.

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