Taylor, James

A squatter, investor and politician, James Taylor was elected Mayor of Toowoomba in 1890.

Taylor was born in London in 1820, the son of a merchant, John William Taylor and his wife Ann.

According to Professor Duncan Waterson, Taylor probably reached Sydney as an assisted migrant on the “James Pattison” on February 2, 1840, and in 1840-46 acquired pastoral experience.

James Taylor arrived on the Darling Downs in 1848 with sheep for the Dawson River district.

He became head stockman at H.S. Russell’s Cecil Plains property, and partner in 1856, and sole proprietor three years later.

Taylor entered Queensland politics as Member for the Legislative Assembly for Western Downs in 1860 and administered his office from Toowoomba.

Professor Duncan Waterson of Macquarie University claims James Taylor at times made decisions, which were without scruples or regard for the public good.

Huge areas of Cecil Plains were withheld from selection and suddenly sold off to Taylor himself in 1870. This action was one of the reasons for his resignation on May 3, 1870. Taylor lost the next election.

He was elevated to the Legislative Council in November 1871.

His attempt to re-capture Toowoomba was defeated by W. H. Groom in 1881, and Taylor subsequently concentrated on being director of the Queensland Brewing Company, the Queensland Mercantile and Agency Company and the Land Bank of Queensland.

He held much real estate in Toowoomba. He was intimately concerned with the School of Arts, the Queensland Turf Club, the Royal Agricultural Society and the Queensland Club.

In 1859, James Taylor made historic Clifford House in Russell Street his home and he lived there for the rest of his life.