25 Facts About Adye Douglas

Sir Adye Douglas was an Australian lawyer and politician, and first class cricket player, who played one match for Tasmania.

Adye Douglas was Premier of Tasmania from 15 August 1884 to 8 March 1886.

The son of Captain Henry Osborne Douglas, and his wife Eleanor, Douglas was born in Thorpe, Norfolk, England of Scottish descent.

Adye Douglas's father was an army officer, but his grandfather, Billy Douglas was an admiral and five uncles were post-captains.

Adye Douglas was educated in Hampshire and Caen, France, before doing his articles with a Southampton law firm.

Adye Douglas migrated to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Louisa Campbell in 1839.

Adye Douglas was admitted to the Supreme Court of Tasmania, but went to Victoria where he ran a sheep farm near Kilmore with his brother.

Adye Douglas was very interested in the development and welfare of the colony, and was a supporter of both the establishment of local responsible government and the name change from Van Diemens Land to Tasmania.

Adye Douglas was a strong advocate of the Anti-Transportation League.

Adye Douglas played his only first class cricket match at South Yarra Ground, Melbourne, on 29 and 30 March 1852 for Tasmania against Victoria.

Adye Douglas scored a duck in the first innings, and 6 in the second and did not take a wicket in his two overs in Victoria's second innings.

In 1856 Adye Douglas was one of the first representatives elected to Tasmania's new House of Assembly, but was frustrated by lack of support.

Adye Douglas resigned in 1857 to travel in North America, France, and England, before soon returning to Tasmania.

Whilst abroad, Adye Douglas had been impressed by the development of railways in those places, and felt strongly that Tasmania needed to develop its own railways.

Adye Douglas failed to gain support for the development of a Hobart to Launceston railway, but did push through a Launceston to Deloraine railway, the Launceston and Western Railway.

Adye Douglas was a major shareholder in the Ilfacombe Iron Company, a venture to smelt iron ore in Northern Tasmania in 1873, and after its failure was the buyer of its assets.

Adye Douglas was one of the buyers of the assets and iron ore mining leases of the Tamar Hematite Iron Company, in 1877, part of a highly unethical, though technically legal, ploy to obtain cheaply a pre-emptive right to a valuable gold mining lease.

Adye Douglas was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1862 until 1884, when he became a member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council instead.

Adye Douglas served as Premier of Tasmania from 1884 until 1886.

Adye Douglas represented Tasmania at the Federal Council of Australasia, and was elected as one of the ten Tasmanian delegates to the Federal Convention of Australasia.

Adye Douglas resigned as Premier in 1886 to take up a post as Tasmanian Agent-General in London, but was recalled due to problems with his railway associations in Tasmania.

Adye Douglas returned to the Tasmanian Legislative Council from 1890 to 1904, and was made a knight bachelor on 14 August 1902, being described as "The first amongst the Tasmanians", by then Governor of Tasmania, Captain Sir Arthur Havelock.

In 1836 Adye Douglas married Eliza Clarke and she died in 1839.

In 1858 Adye Douglas married Martha Matilda Collins and she died in 1872 in Launceston, Tasmania.

Sir Adye Douglas died on 10 April 1906 at Hobart, aged 90 years and 314 days.