Thomas Moffatt

Thomas de Lacy Moffatt (17 April 1824 – 2 October 1864),^[1] was a politician in colonial Queensland, and a Treasurer of Queensland.^[2] His surname is also sometimes spelled "Moffat".

The Hon Thomas de Lacy Moffatt
2nd Treasurer of Queensland
In office 4 Aug 1862 – 2 Oct 1864
Preceded by	Robert Mackenzie
Succeeded by	Joshua Bell
Constituency	Western Downs
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Western Downs
In office 27 April 1860 – 2 October 1864 Serving with James Taylor
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	John Watts
Personal details
Born	(1824-04-17)17 April 1824 Athlone, Ireland
Died	2 October 1864(1864-10-02) (aged 40) Ipswich, Queensland
Spouse	Mary Isabella Bell
Occupation	Grazier, Squatter

Early life

Moffatt was born in 1824 in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, the son of James Moffatt, the rector of Athlone, and his wife Elizabeth née Kellett.^[3] He set out for Australia in 1844 and worked with his uncle, Captain R. G. Moffatt, a former magistrate and commander of the military police in Port Stephens^[4] who by that time had turned his attention to agriculture and sheep farming.^[5] He later moved north and became a squatter, establishing a station called "Callandoon" on the Darling Downs. He sold the station in 1849 and moved to the town of Drayton.^[2] In 1852, the pastoral run Woondul was transferred from Moffat to Henry Stuart Russell.^[6]

Political career

Moffatt was elected to the first Legislative Assembly of Queensland on 27 April 1860 for the district of Western Downs.^[2] Moffatt became Colonial Treasurer in the first Robert Herbert Ministry on 4 August 1862, and retained this post till his death on 2 October 1864.^[7]

References

1. Hon. Thomas de Lacy MOFFATT — Clan Moffat Genealogy. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
2. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Moffatt, Hon. Thomas de Lacy" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
3. Kingston, Beverley. "Moffatt, Thomas de Lacy (1826–1864)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
4. In the Service of the Company: Letters of Sir Edward Parry, Commissioner to the Australian Agricultural Company. December 1829 - June 1832, Volume 1. ANU Press. 2005. p. ix. ISBN 9781920942298.
5. "Australian Agricultural Company". Retrieved 16 January 2014.
6. "TRANSFER OF RUNS". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 73. New South Wales, Australia. 20 July 1852. p. 1115. Retrieved 28 July 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Moffatt, Thomas de Lacy". Former Members. Parliament of Queensland.

Political offices
Preceded by Robert Mackenzie	Treasurer of Queensland 1862–1864	Succeeded by Joshua Bell
Parliament of Queensland
New seat	Member for Western Downs 1860–1864 Served alongside: James Taylor	Succeeded by John Watts