John Foster (Australian politician)

John Leslie Fitzgerald Vesey Foster (19 August 1818 – 3 January 1900), also known as John Leslie Foster-Vesey-Fitzgerald, was a politician in colonial New South Wales and Victoria (Australia).[1]

Background

Foster was the second son of the Hon. John Leslie Foster, Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, and sometime M.P. for County Louth and Dublin University, by his marriage with the Hon. Letitia Vesey Fitzgerald, sister of William, 2nd Baron Fitzgerald and Vesci. The families of Foster and Fitzgerald have been for generations distinguished in the Church and politics of Ireland, as well as at the bar and in the judicial arena; Mr. Foster's paternal grandfather having been Bishop of Clogher, and his great-grandfather the Right Hon. Anthony Foster, Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.[2]

Early life

Foster, was born in Dublin, Ireland, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin,[3] where he graduated B.A. in 1839 with honours, and became a student for the bar, but abandoned the legal profession in favour of a colonial career. The colony of Victoria, then only the Port Phillip District of New South Wales, was his choice, and he landed there on 28 March 1841. At first he devoted himself to pastoral and agricultural pursuits.[2]

Politics

In June 1846 Foster was elected as representative of Port Phillip in the New South Wales Legislative Council,[4] and in July 1848 again came forward for election as one of the six members allotted to Port Phillip. The feeling was, however, so strong that this so-called representation was a mere farce, that the majority were desirous not to elect any more members until separation was secured. In deference to the protests of this party Foster's nomination was withdrawn, but a few days later he was put up as a candidate for the Town of Melbourne, when the non-election party nominated Earl Grey, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in opposition to him, in the hope that his election would call public attention in England to the grievances of which the colonists complained. In the result Earl Grey was returned by a large majority, and Foster on a subsequent occasion declined to stand. Ultimately, however, he was elected on 1 June 1849,[4] to sit in the Sydney Parliament till he left for Ireland in 1850.[4]

In 1853 Foster returned, with the appointment of Colonial Secretary of the colony of Victoria, which had in the meantime been constituted. Foster held the post of Colonial secretary from 20 July 1853 to 4 December 1854, and was a nominated member of the Victorian Legislative Council from August 1853 to December 1854.[5] He was thus virtually Premier during the difficulties caused by the discovery of gold and the rigid enforcement (which he deprecated) of the unpopular diggers' licences. The troubles culminated in the Ballarat riots, of which Foster was made the scapegoat. Aware of the hostile feeling against him, he tendered his resignation to Sir Charles Hotham, by whom it was accepted on the ground that the Queen's government of the colony was endangered, and with the implied pledge that compensation should be given Mr. Foster for the pecuniary loss which he would sustain by his retirement from the public service. Mr. Foster, however, failed in all attempts to obtain any recognition of his claims to compensation. During his tenure of office he introduced and passed the measure which embodied the new constitution of Victoria, and which for the first time included the principle of an elective Upper House.[2]

In 1854 he turned the first sod at Williamstown, Victoria of the great system of railways which has since been developed, and was also instrumental in introducing telegraphs into the colony. Considerable difference of opinion existed as to some of the measures proposed by him; but it is remarkable that every one of them has since been adopted by subsequent legislative action under the new constitution—as, for instance, the abolition of the gold diggers' licence, and the appropriation of the Land Tax to purposes of general utility instead of expending it on immigration. The contracting of loans for public works, which he proposed as the necessary complement of his policy, has since been largely developed. When his conciliatory policy with reference to the diggers' licences was reversed by the Governor, Sir Charles Hotham, and unfortunate results ensued at Ballarat, he retired from office. Subsequent legislative inquiry proved that for such results he was in no way responsible. After the concession of responsible government he sat in the first Victorian Legislative Assembly as member for Williamstown, and acted as Treasurer of Victoria in the first Administration of Sir John O'Shanassy from 11 March to 29 April 1857[5] soon after which he returned to England, where he since resided.

Late life and legacy

From 1857, Foster lived in England.[1] In accordance with the will of his uncle, the last Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci, he assumed the name of Vesey and Fitzgerald in addition to his own name of Foster, by which latter he was known in Australia.[2]

Foster married in 1851 Emily, daughter of Rev. J. J. Fletcher, D.D., and administered the government of Victoria from May to June 1854, during the interval between the departure of Charles Latrobe and the arrival of Sir Charles Hotham. Several of his relatives achieved distinction in Australia, including his three first cousins—Sir William Foster Stawell, Justice Foster of New South Wales, and Charles Griffith of Victoria.[2]

References

  1. Malone, Betty. "Foster, John Leslie Fitzgerald Vesey (1818–1900)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 17 December 2013 via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  2. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Fitzgerald, Hon. John Foster Vesey" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co via Wikisource..
  3. Alumni dublinenses: a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity college in the University of Dublin (1593-1860), (Dublin, 1935), p. 302.
  4. "Mr John Leslie Fitzgerald Vesey Foster (1818-1900)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  5. "Foster [Fitzgerald], John Fitzgerald Leslie". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 20 April 2019.

 

New South Wales Legislative Council
Preceded by
Edward Curr
Member for Port Phillip
Jun 1846 – Jun 1848
With: Maurice O'Connell
John Airey, Charles Ebden
Charles Nicholson
Succeeded by
Lauchlan Mackinnon
James Williamson
John Dickson
Edward Curr
James Palmer
Preceded by
James Palmer
Member for Port Phillip
Jun 1849 – May 1850
With: William Macarthur
Henry Moor, John Dickson
Lauchlan Mackinnon
Succeeded by
William Mercer
Charles Ebden
Victorian Legislative Council
Preceded by
William Lonsdale
Nominated member
Aug 1853 – Dec 1854
Succeeded by
John Owens
Victorian Legislative Assembly
New creation Member for Williamstown
Nov 1856 – Nov 1857
Succeeded by
George Perry
Political offices
Preceded by
Charles Sladen  
Treasurer of Victoria
  11 Mar 1857 – 29 Apr 1857  
Succeeded by
 Charles Ebden
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