John Malbon Thompson

John Thompson
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Town of Ipswich
In office 26 September 1868 – 14 November 1873 Serving with John Murphy, Benjamin Cribb, Henry Williams, John Johnston, Arthur Macalister
Preceded by	Henry Challinor
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
In office 15 November 1878 – 27 July 1881 Serving with John MacFarlane
Preceded by	George Thorn, Jr.
Succeeded by	Josiah Francis
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Bremer
In office 25 November 1873 – 15 November 1878
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	24 December 1830 Sydney, New South Wales
Died	30 May 1908 (aged 77) Neutral Bay, New South Wales
Resting place	Waverley Cemetery
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Clara Georgiana Bedwell (m.1863 d.1864) Louisa Gadsden (m.1867 d.?), Mary Harriett Montague Russell (m.1896)
Occupation	Solicitor, Barrister
Religion	Church of England

John Malbon Thompson (24 December 1830 – 30 May 1908) was an Australian lawyer and politician, member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Early life

Thompson was the son of John Thompson, sometime Deputy Surveyor-General for New South Wales, by his marriage with the daughter of Charles Windeyer.^[2] He was born in Sydney and educated at William Timothy Cape's Grammar School.

Career

Thompson was admitted an attorney and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1855, and removing to Queensland, where he was admitted to the Bar in June 1880, practised at Ipswich, Queensland, for which town he was returned to the Assembly in 1868.^[2] Whilst representing this constituency he was Chairman of Committees for two years, Secretary for Lands in the Arthur Palmer Ministry from May 1870 to July 1873, and Secretary for Public Works from the latter date till January 1874, when the Government retired. He was Minister of Justice and Queensland in the first Thomas McIlwraith ministry from January to May 1879. During his tenure of office as Minister of Lands he carried the Homestead Areas Bill, and did a good deal to stop the "dummying" of the State lands.^[2] Thompson wife's health worsened, he resigned from parliament on 27 August 1881^[1] and resumed the practice of his profession as a solicitor in Sydney.^[2] Thompson married Mary Harriett Montague Russell on 9 December 1896.^[1]

References

1. Gibbney, H. J. "Thompson, John Malbon (1830–1908)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
2. Mennell, Philip (1892). " Thompson, Hon. John Malbon". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource