Obituaries Australia

James Crombie, n.d.

from Australasian Pastoralists' Review, 15 October 1898

After a lingering and painful illness of over twelve months' duration, there passed away on the 17th ult. one of the best known and most widely respected of Queensland pastoralists, in the person of Mr. James Crombie, of Greenhills Station (Muttaburra), and member for the Warrego district in the Legislative Assembly of that colony. The news of the decease of Mr. Crombie was received with deep regret, not only in Queensland, but also in the southern capitals, where he was greatly respected and affectionately regarded for the integrity of his character and his genial and sympathetic disposition. Mr. Crombie only survived his brother, Mr. William Crombie, by five months, and as our biographical notice of the last-named deceased gentleman, published in our May issue, fully related the connection of the Crombies with the pastoral industry, it is unnecessary to go over that ground again.

The subject of the present notice played a more prominent part in public affairs than his brother, Mr. William Crombie, who devoted himself to the management of the station property near Muttaburra. Mr. James Crombie sat as member for the Mitchell district in the Queensland Assembly from 1883 until 1893, when he was elected for the Warrego. He had therefore held a seat in the Parliament of the northern colony continuously for fifteen years. He was also a director of the Royal Bank, the Queensland Meat Export and Agency Company, a member of the Meat and Dairy Board, the Mitchell Rabbit Board, and was treasurer of the United Pastoralists' Association of Queensland. It is related that at the annual meeting of the lastnamed body a few weeks ago Mr. Crombie wished, on account of his failing health, to retire from the position of treasurer (which he had held since the establishment of the association), but upon being pressed to continue in office consented, with the remark, "I suppose you wish me to die in harness." And he has died in harness, as all such sterling men as Mr. Crombie should die. During the great shearing strike of 1890-91 Mr. Crombie, as a member of the council of the United Pastoralists' Association, rendered great services to his fellow pastoralists in conjunction with the Hon. William Allan and Mr. John Cameron (his brother-in-law), the present president of the association. Upon the formation of the Pastoralists' Federal Council of Australia Mr. Crombie (with the two gentlemen just named as colleagues) was elected a representative of Queensland, and in that capacity attended all the conventions of that council but one, held at various times at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Mr. Crombie was born at Kilrenny, Crail, Fifeshire, in 1834, and was therefore sixty-four years of age at the time of his death. He was educated at Madras College, St. Andrews, Edinburgh. He came out to Australia with his brother in 1853, and was for some years engaged in Victoria in goldmining and agricultural pursuits. In 1862 the Crombies went out to Queensland, where they engaged in pastoral pursuits, first at Barcaldine Downs (in conjunction with Mr. D. Cameron), and subsequently at Greenhills. The respect in which the deceased gentleman was held was testified by the very large and representative attendance at the funeral, there being present Ministers of the Crown, the President of the Legislative Council and members of both Houses of Parliament, members of the Supreme Court bench, and representatives of the banks and leading commercial houses of Brisbane.