13 Facts About Bryan O'Loghlen

Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, 3rd Baronet was an Irish-born Australian colonial politician who was the 13th Premier of Victoria.

Bryan O'Loghlen was a younger son of the distinguished Irish judge Sir Michael O'Loghlen, 1st Baronet, and his wife Bidelia Kelly, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and was admitted to the Irish Bar in 1856.

Bryan O'Loghlen succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1877 on the death of his brother, Colman, and in the same year he was elected, in absentia, to the British House of Commons for County Clare, replacing his brother, but did not take his seat.

Bryan O'Loghlen narrowly lost the election for the seat of North Melbourne in May 1877.

In February 1878 Bryan O'Loghlen, a recognised leader of the Irish Catholic community in Victoria, was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for West Melbourne in a by-election.

Bryan O'Loghlen was a radical liberal in Victorian politics: he favoured breaking up the estates of the landowning class to provide land for small farmers, and ending the power of the landowner-dominated Victorian Legislative Council.

Bryan O'Loghlen wanted government aid for Roman Catholic schools, but not if this meant government supervision of what they taught.

Bryan O'Loghlen served as Attorney-General in the reforming ministry of Graham Berry from 27 March 1878 to 1880, and was a loyal supporter of Berry in his struggles with the Council and the conservatives it represented.

Bryan O'Loghlen's government was described as "unspectacular", and "a collection of party rebels, Catholics and opportunists".

Much of the radical impetus of the Berry years had passed and Bryan O'Loghlen's government achieved little.

Bryan O'Loghlen was Attorney-General again, albeit only for one year, in the Patterson government.

Bryan O'Loghlen died aged 77 in 1905, and was buried at St Kilda Cemetery.

Bryan O'Loghlen was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son, Michael.