THYNNE, Andrew Joseph (1847-1927)

politician

son of Edward Thynne, was born in County Clare, Ireland, on 30 October 1847. He was educated at the Christian Brothers' school, Ennistymon, by a private tutor, and at Queen's College, Galway, where he won a classical scholarship. He came to Brisbane with his parents in 1864, but the family soon after removed to Ipswich. Thynne entered the Queensland civil service, resigned later to take up the study of law, and was admitted as a solicitor in 1873. He prospered in his profession and in 1882 was appointed a member of the Queensland legislative council. He was minister for justice in the second McIlwraith (q.v.) ministry from June to Novembcr 1888 and held the same position when the ministry was reconstructed under Morehead (q.v.) until August 1890. He was honorary minister in the McIlwraith-Nelson (q.v.) ministry from May to October 1893, and minister for justice in the succeeding Nelson ministry from October 1893 to October 1894, then postmaster-general until March 1897, and from March 1896 to March 1898 minister for agriculture. He took a particular interest in agriculture, and was largely responsible for the founding of the agricultural college at Gatton and for the state experimental farms. During this busy period of Thynne's life he also represented Queensland at the 1891 federal convention, at the colonial conference held in Canada in 1894, at the postal conference at Hobart in 1895, and at the Pacific Cable conference in 1895-6. He was associated with the foundation of the university of Queensland, became a member of the first senate in 1910, vice-chancellor in 1916, and chancellor in 1926. During the 1914-18 war he worked with immense energy as chairman of the recruiting committee, resigning this post to carry on a campaign for conscription. He had joined the Queensland volunteer defence force when a young man in 1867 and had attained the rank of Lieutenant-colonel. He was a first-rate rifle-shot, having twice won the Queen's prize, and more than once captained the Queensland rifle team. His other interests may be suggested by the fact that at various times he was president of the Queensland ambulance brigade, the boy scouts association, the chamber of agriculture, the law association, and was chairman of the board of technical education. He retained his seat in the legislative council until his death on 27 February 1927. He was married twice, (1) to Mary, daughter of William Cairncross, and (2) to Mrs L. G. Corrie, who survived him with three sons and four daughters of the first marriage.

Thynne, who had a lovable personality, was a well-educated man, a persuasive speaker, a sound lawyer and a good soldier. As a politician he did excellent work for the dairying industry in Queensland, endeavoured to reform the legislative council from within, and when the first effort was made to abolish it fought in defence of it with great ability. He was strongly patriotic, and never spared himself during a long life devoted to working for his adopted country, for which he had much affection.

The Brisbane Courier, 28 February 1927; The Daily Mail, Brisbane, 28 February 1927; C. A. Bernays, Queensland Politics during Sixty Years.