Collection B2 - Bolton Stafford Bird Papers

Bolton Stafford Bird (1840-1924) was elected a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Franklin in 1887, and served as Treasurer under P.O. Fysh until 1892, also acting as Postmaster General and Minister for Education. He represented Tasmania at the Federal Council of 1889 and the Federal Conventions of 1890 and 1891. From 1892 to 1894 he was Leader of the Opposition and Speaker from 1894-1897. He was again Treasurer 1899-1903. From 1909 until he retired in 1923 he was a member of the Legislative Council.

Stafford Bird was born at Hazlerigg, Northumberland, England, son of a schoolmaster Thomas Bird and his wife Ann (Stafford). His parents emigrated to Clunes, Victoria, in 1852. In 1865 Bird was admitted to the Wesleyan ministry, but changed to the Congregational Church in 1867 and was minister at Ballarat and Avoca, Victoria, until 1874 when he went to the Hobart Congregational Church, Davey Street. After three years he resigned through ill health and bought a farm, “Waterloo” and planted an apple orchard and was active in local affairs. He lost the farm when a lottery was held of properties mortgaged to the Bank of Van Diemen's Land which went bankrupt in 1891. It was won by Hedley Calvert, a retired sea captain from Sydney. Bird moved to a small farm at Lunawanna, Bruny Island, with his family. He had married in 1867 Helen, daughter of Robert Chisholm of Auckland (formerly of the Glasgow and Edinburgh Bank), and had a son, a mining surveyor; and two daughters, Ann Stafford (Mrs Smair, later Mrs. A.H. Garnsey) and Mrs. Weatherley. For more information see http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bird-bolton-stafford-1664.