President James Macarthur Biography
James Macarthur (1798 – 1867)
[Image courtesy SLNSW]
President Agricultural Society of New South Wales 1867
James Macarthur was born at Elizabeth Farm, the fourth son of John Macarthur. Groomed from an early age to administer the family estates, he fulfilled the task astutely, greatly increasing the family wealth and holdings even during the economic depression of the 1840s.
He was an expert and innovative agriculturist who pioneered developments in viticulture and irrigation: his sheep breeding programme consistently produced the best quality wool in the colony. Known for his exacting standards, he expected the same from others.
Macarthur was well travelled in England and Europe and via a strategic marriage to the daughter of a London banker, built up powerful connections. Both officially and unofficially he acted as an emissary for the interests of the colony, while also advancing his own financial and political agendas. At the London Exhibition of 1862 he was a commissioner for New South Wales.
Representing the Exclusives, Macarthur was one of the most significant politicians in NSW as the colony moved towards self government.
In March 1867 James Macarthur became President of the Society but died the following month. However, his contribution can’t be measured by this short term and may never be fully appreciated as he was a man who, though vigorously involved, always preferred to wield power behind closed doors.
A full list of Presidents can be found here.