Lot 510

Description

Victorian Railways, Free Pass, oval in silver (25.5 x 36 mm), inscribed 'The Hon. W.C. Haines M.P.'. Very fine and very rare.

William Clark Haines (1810-1866), migrated to Victoria in 1841, bought property near Geelong and in the 1850's sub-divided that property. Established himself as a territorial magistrate soon after arrival in the district. In 1851 he was a government nominee in the first Legislative Council and soon afterwards was elected member for Grant in August 1853. In 1854 became the Colonial Secretary, a service acknowledge by the then Governor Hotham. He resolved the financial crises of 1854-5, reformed goldfields administration and instituted local government. Placed in the first ministerial cabinet he was soon made the leader of the government in the Legislative Council. In the first parliament under the new constitution in November 1856 Haines led the first ministry. It had its ups and downs but he stayed in office from 29 April 1857 to February 1858. Later that year he left for North America and returned in October 1860 and was soon re-elected to public office and became shortly afterwards Treasurer in the O'Shanassy's ministry that lasted to June 1863. He died shortly afterwards at age 55, on February 3, 1866. He was also vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne 1857-8 and a member of the University council from 1853-1865. He was also a trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and involved in other civic and masonic groups. He was as stated in a contemporary journal 'not brilliant, but he was honest, jovial and an undisguised old English Tory'. He worked hard and his high integrity was acknowledged by all, but he lacked decisiveness and originality. (ADB)