23 Facts About James Boucaut

Sir James Penn Boucaut was a South Australian politician and Australian judge.

James Boucaut was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly on four occasions: from 1861 to 1862 for City of Adelaide, from 1865 to 1870 for West Adelaide and The Burra, from 1871 to 1878 for West Torrens and Encounter Bay, and a final stint in Encounter Bay in 1878.

At 34 years and 150 days of age, Boucaut was the youngest person to have been appointed Premier of South Australia.

James Boucaut was Premier three times: from 1866 to 1867, from 1875 to 1876, and from 1877 to 1878.

James Boucaut was Attorney-General of South Australia under Premiers John Hart and Henry Ayers, and served variously as Attorney-General, Treasurer, Commissioner of Public Works and Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration in his own ministries.

James Boucaut left politics in 1878 when he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia, serving until his retirement in 1905.

James Boucaut was educated at the Rev Mr Hayley's school at Saltash.

James Boucaut left with his parents for South Australia in 1846, and after some work as a stockman in the interior, returned to Adelaide and entered the legal profession.

James Boucaut was articled to Charles Fenn, and was admitted to the bar in November 1855, his career was a lawyer was successful.

James Boucaut first took over the practice of Josiah Partridge in partnership with one Herford, which dissolved around 1860.

In October he became Attorney-General in the first Hart ministry, and when the premier retired to go to England in February 1866, James Boucaut took his place in a reconstructed ministry which was in power until May 1867.

James Boucaut was narrowly defeated in the 1868 election for East Adelaide, but a few days later on 15 April he was returned unopposed for The Burra, where his father-in-law, Alexander McCulloch, stood down in his favour.

James Boucaut badly lost the 1869 election for The Burra but entered the house again as member for West Torrens in the by-election of 1871.

From 22 February 1875 to 25 September 1878 James Boucaut represented Encounter Bay, and on 3 June 1875 James Boucaut formed his second ministry, in which he was commissioner of crown lands and immigration.

James Boucaut formed his third ministry in October 1877 and became Treasurer of South Australia.

In September 1878, on the death of Justice Stow, James Boucaut was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

James Boucaut remained very attached to his roots in Cornwall, being active in the Adelaide Cornish Association, and he considered Cornwall to be a nation.

James Boucaut had an estate at the foot of Mount Barker, where he bred purebred Arabian horses.

James Boucaut's health improved with leisure and he lived until passing away at his home in Glenelg on 1 February 1916, aged 84.

James Boucaut was interred in the Boucault family vault at St Mary's on the Sturt.

James Boucaut married Janet, daughter of Alexander McCulloch, in 1864 who predeceased him.

James Boucaut was survived by five sons and a daughter.

James Boucaut published in London in 1905, his vigorously written The Arab, the Horse of the Future, and in the following year, Letters to My Boys, An Australian Judge and Ex-Premier on his Travels in Europe.