Sir Charles Lilley | |
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| 4thPremier of Queensland | |
| In office 25 November 1868 – 2 May 1870 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Mackenzie |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Hunter Palmer |
| Constituency | Hamlet of Fortitude Valley |
| Member of theQueensland Legislative Assembly forHamlet of Fortitude Valley | |
| In office 1 May 1860 – 25 November 1873 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Seat renamed toFortitude Valley |
| Member of theQueensland Legislative Assembly forFortitude Valley | |
| In office 25 November 1873 – 14 February 1874 | |
| Preceded by | Seat renamed fromHamlet of Fortitude Valley |
| Succeeded by | Francis Beattie |
| 2nd Chief Justice of Queensland | |
| In office 25 June 1879 – 13 March 1893 | |
| Preceded by | James Cockle |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Griffith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1827-08-27)27 August 1827 Newcastle upon Tyne,England |
| Died | 20 August 1897(1897-08-20) (aged 71) Brisbane,Queensland |
| Resting place | Toowong Cemetery |
| Spouse | Sarah Jane Jeays |
| Relations | Joshua Jeays (father-in-law) |
| Occupation | Barrister,Judge |
Sir Charles Lilley (27 August 1827 – 20 August 1897) was aPremier and Chief Justice of theSupreme Court of Queensland. He had a significant influence on the form and spirit of state education in colonialQueensland which lasted well into the 20th century.
Lilley was born inNewcastle upon Tyne, England, the son of Thomas Lilley and his wife Jane,née Shipley.[1] Lilley was raised by his maternal grandfather and was educated atSt Nicholas Parish School. Intending to study law, Lilley became articled to Newcastle solicitor, William Lockey Harle. Lilley was sent to the London office and studied atUniversity College, London for two years. He gave this up, enlisted in the army and, while stationed atPreston, Lancashire, lectured ontemperance and industry. This brought him into disfavour with his superior officers. Lilley spent 28 days in cells on a charge of being absence without leave. Friends purchased his honourable discharge. He remained at Preston and worked on the committee that established thePreston Free Library.
Lilley arrived atSydney on 6 July 1856.[1] Soon afterwards he travelled toBrisbane, joined the Crown Solicitor's Office, and finished his law degree. Thereafter, he took up journalism, acquired an interest in theMoreton Bay Courier (later theBrisbane Courier), and for two years was its editor.
Lilley was prominent in the movement for separation fromNew South Wales. AfterQueensland separated, Lilley was elected by a majority of only three votes as the Member forHamlet of Fortitude Valley to that state's firstLegislative Assembly. At the time, Lilley had formed theQueensland Liberal Association in an attempt to introducepolitical parties to the Legislative Assembly.[2][3] Lilley held the seat of Fortitude Valley to February 1874, and was then returned for the seat of North Brisbane.
Lilley was called to the bar in 1861. In September 1865 he succeeded John Bramston asAttorney-General in the firstHerbert ministry, and held the same position in theMacalister ministry which succeeded it. On 7 August 1866 he was again appointed Attorney-General for a second term before the ministry was defeated in August 1867. On 25 November 1868 Lilley becamePremier of Queensland and served concurrently as Attorney-General, and then Colonial Secretary, for part of his premiership. His most important work as Premier was the introduction of free education in January 1870. Queensland was the first of the Australian colonies to adopt this principle.
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As a protest against the monopoly of the A.S.N. Company Lilley ordered three vessels to be constructed for the Queensland government atSydney. One, the shipSS Governor Blackall, designed byNorman Selfe, was built and as a result the A.S.N. Company reduced its charges. Lilley, however, had acted without reference to his colleagues and was censured by all but one of his followers. In May 1870 his party was defeated at the polls, thePalmer ministry succeeding Lilley's government. He was elected leader of the opposition. In January 1874, Macalister carried a vote of no confidence in the Government, and offered to stand aside so that Lilley could become Premier. He declined office of any kind, but shortly afterwards accepted the position of acting judge of theSupreme Court of Queensland. He became a puisne judge on 4 July 1874; on 24 June 1879, he succeeded SirJames Cockle as Chief Justice, a position he held until 13 March 1893.
Lilley's strong interest in education was a significant factor in the establishment ofBrisbane Grammar School where the Lilley Gold Medal and the Lilley Silver Medal are named in his honour. The Lilley Centre opened in 2010 is also named after him. In 1891 he was chairman of a commission investigating the establishment of a university inBrisbane. In 1893, Lilley resigned his position as Chief Justice after Sir Thomas McIlwraith questioned publicly some of Lilley's financial transactions, and stood unsuccessfully against McIlwraith in the electorate of Brisbane North.
In January 1881 he was elected president of Brisbane'sJohnsonian Club. He wasknighted in May 1881 and after first declining the honor, he reconsidered and accepted the honour later that year.[4][5]
Lilley had a severe illness in 1896 and died in 1897.
TheFederal electorate of Lilley is named after him.
There is astatue of Sir Charles Lilley at the Speakers' Corner inKing George Square inBrisbane.
Lilley married Sarah Jane Jeays in 1858 and was survived by a large family including:
Sir Charles Lilley is the Great Great Grandfather of Comedian and TV ProducerChris Lilley (Summer Heights High, Angry Boys). Christopher Daniel Lilley's (1974–) father Ian Hugh Arthur Lilley (1939–1997) was the son of Ian Penfold Lilley (1916–1980) and Grandson of Arthur Shipley Lilley. (1866–1948)
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Premier of Queensland 1868–1870 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Queensland | ||
| New seat | Hamlet of Fortitude Valley 1860–1873 | Succeeded by Seat renamed to Fortitude Valley |
| Preceded by Seat renamed from Hamlet of Fortitude Valley | Fortitude Valley 1873–1874 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief Justice of Queensland 1879–1893 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
