The New International Encyclopædia/Dickson, James Robert

​DICK′SON, Sir James Robert (1832–1901). An Australian statesman. He was born at Plymouth, England, and was educated in Glasgow, Scotland, where he began his business career in a bank. He emigrated to Australia in 1854 and settled first in Victoria, whence he removed to New South Wales, and afterwards, in 1862, to Queensland. His political career began in 1872, when he was elected to the Queensland House of Assembly. In 1876 he entered the Cabinet of Arthur Macalester, as Minister of Public Works. He held the position of Treasurer of the colony in various cabinets from 1876 to 1879, and 1883 to 1887. From 1889 to 1892 he lived in Europe, returning in the latter year to conduct a campaign in favor of introducing Polynesian labor in the Queensland sugar plantations. In 1897 he entered the Nelson Cabinet as Secretary for Railways. In March, 1898, he became Secretary for Home Affairs, and in October following he succeeded Thomas J. Byrnes as Premier. In this position, in the face of a hostile majority in the Assembly, he threw himself into the fight for an Australian Commonwealth, secured the passage of a measure providing for the submission of the question to the people, and after an active campaign obtained a good majority at the polls in favor of federation. He resigned the Premiership in November, 1899, and early in 1900 visited London as a delegate from Queensland to discuss the affairs of the proposed Commonwealth. On his return to Australia he was selected Minister of Defense of the first Federal Cabinet, but died suddenly ten days after the inauguration of the new Government.