Bowie Wilson

Wilson was born at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, the third son of Rev. John Wilson, DD.{{cite Australasia|Wilson, Hon. John Bowie}} Wilson was educated at Irvine and at the Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities. He arrived in Australia in June 1840, leaving in 1848, before returning in 1854. He tried gold mining at Araluen but was not successful. He began practising hydrotherapy and calling himself doctor. He married Julie {{nee}} Bell on 9 July 1859; their children included Julia "Dollie" Bowie Wilson, who married Francis Alfred Allison Russell on 18 April 1899{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article239525167 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) |issue=6208 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=6 May 1899 |access-date=27 July 2022 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}} and died on 24 March 1900.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9054612 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne) |issue=16,765 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=31 March 1900 |access-date=22 July 2022 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In July 1859 was elected to the New South Wales Parliament for the Goldfields South, retaining it until 1864.{{cite NSW election|title=Elections for the District of Goldfields South|year=DistrictIndexes|district=Goldfields South|access-date=2021-01-15}} His biographer describes Wilson as an ultra-radical who was obsessed with abolishing state-aid to religion, opposing Charles Cowper's bill because it did not go far enough. Wilson was Secretary for Lands in the conservative first Martin ministry from October 1863 to February 1865, also serving as Secretary for Lands in the second Martin Ministry from January 1866 to October 1868, and third Martin Ministry from December 1870 to May 1872.{{cite NSW Parliament |title=Mr John Bowie Wilson (1820-1883) |id=503 |former=Yes |accessdate=10 June 2019}} At the 1864–65 election he chose not to re-contest Goldfield South and instead was a candidate for Patrick's Plains. Henry Parkes satirised his transformation from radical to conservative in verse which included

Bowie fell among the tories,
who beguiled poor Bowie's brains;
Shorn of all his former glories,
Bowie's gone to Patrick's Plains,{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60562127 |first=Henry |last=Parkes |author-link=Henry Parkes |title=Lament for Bowie |newspaper=The Empire |date=6 December 1864 |accessdate=15 January 2021 |page=5 |via=Trove}}

Wilson won Patrick's Plains, however the Martin government was defeated. Wilson retained the seat until his defeat at the election in December 1869.{{cite NSW election|title=Elections for the District of Patrick's Plains |year=DistrictIndexes |district=PatricksPlain |access-date=2021-01-15}} He was not long out of parliament, being elected at the February 1870 by-election for East Sydney. Both Wilson and Martin were soundly defeated at the 1872 colonial election for East Sydney.{{cite NSW election |title=Elections for the District of East Sydney |year=DistrictIndexes |district=EastSydney |access-date=2021-01-15}} He subsequently contested Liverpool Plains but was soundly defeated, finishing a distant 4th.{{cite NSW election |year=1872 |district=Liverpool Plains |access-date=2021-01-15}} Wilson made a final unsuccessful attempt at the East Sydney by-election in June 1872,{{cite NSW election |title=1872 East Sydney by-election |year=1872 |district=EastSydney_2 |accessdate=2021-01-15}} before retiring from politics.

Wilson distinguished himself by his efforts to secure parks and recreation grounds for the people of Sydney.

Wilson married his second wife, Elizabeth Gowing, on 5 July 1873. He died on {{death date and age|1883|4|30|1820|6|17|df=y}} at Moore Park, New South Wales.{{cite web |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article238494518 |title=The late Hon J B Wilson |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=1 May 1883 |accessdate=2021-01-16 |page=1 |via=Trove}}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article238494518 |title=Death of the Hon J Bowie Wilson |newspaper=The Sydney Daily Telegraph |date=1 May 1883 |accessdate=16 January 2021 |page=3 |via=Trove}}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article162082696 |title=The Late Hon. J. B. Wilson. |newspaper=The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser |date=5 May 1883 |accessdate=16 January 2021 |page=832 |via=Trove}}

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{{s-bef |before= John Robertson}}

{{s-ttl |title= Secretary for Lands |years=1863{{spaced ndash}}1865}}

{{s-aft |after= John Robertson}}

{{s-bef |before= John Robertson}}

{{s-ttl |title= Secretary for Lands |years=1866{{spaced ndash}}1868}}

{{s-aft |after= William Forster}}

{{s-bef |before= John Robertson}}

{{s-ttl |title= Secretary for Lands |years=1870{{spaced ndash}}1872}}

{{s-aft |after= James Farnell}}

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{{s-ttl |title= Member for Goldfields South |years=1859{{spaced ndash}}1864}}

{{s-aft |after= James Rodd}}

{{s-bef |before= Joseph Harpur}}

{{s-ttl |title= Member for Patrick's Plains |years=1864{{spaced ndash}}1869}}

{{s-aft |after= James Hoskins}}

{{s-bef |before= Henry Parkes}}

{{s-ttl |title= Member for East Sydney |with=George King |with2=David Buchanan |with3=James Martin | years=1870{{spaced ndash}}1872}}

{{s-aft |after= Henry Parkes |after2=John Macintosh |after3=Saul Samuel |after4=James Neale}}

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Category:1820 births

Category:1883 deaths

Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

Category:Scottish emigrants to Australia

Category:19th-century Australian politicians