Jacob Low (squatter-legislator) explained

Jacob Low
Constituency Am:Balonne
Assembly:Queensland Legislative
Term Start:25 May 1874
Term End:5 October 1883
Predecessor:Adam Walker
Successor:Boyd Morehead
Birth Date:1807
Birth Place:Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland
Death Place:Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Restingplace:Toowong Cemetery
Birthname:Jacob Low
Nationality:Scottish Australian
Occupation:Articled clerk

Jacob Low (1807 – 14 September 1883) was an articled clerk turned pastoralist who served as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly in Australia.

Background

Born in 1807 in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Low became an articled clerk. In 1846, as a squatter he took up Welltown Station near Goondiwindi, and later acquired Glenearn Cattle Station in Maranoa.

Assembly

He represented the seat of Balonne from 25 May 1874 (the election of Adam Walker, the previous member for Balonne, was voided, and Low was appointed in his place) to 14 September, 1883, when he died in office. He declared no party affiliation.[1] During debates, Low said that while he had a reputation for protecting Aboriginal Australians from settler violence in the region, he had 'killed many blacks himself', but went on to assert that settlers' private vigilante raids on aboriginal encampments were responsible for 'more bloodshed' than the Native Police who were being blamed.[2]

Low died 14 September 1883 while up for re-election, and was buried in Toowong Cemetery.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Former Members. Parliament of Queensland. 2015. 23 February 2015.
  2. Low, Jacob. Queensland Parliamentary Debates 21 July 1875, quoted in: Collins, Patrick. Goodbye Bussamarai: The Mandandanji land war, Southern Queensland, 1842-1852 St. Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 2002; p. 52
  3. https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=143024 Low Jacob