James Goodall Francis (1819–1884), a London-born merchant and politician, arrived in Hobart as a steerage passenger in February 1835. He later found work with the firm Boyes & Poynter, becoming a partner in a subsequent form of the business and moving to Melbourne to open a branch there in 1853. Later the founder of the mercantile firm Francis & McPherson, his business interests encompassed banking, insurance, coal-mining, gold-mining and forestry along with pastoral and wine-growing enterprises, and included directorships with companies such as the Bank of New South Wales and the Victoria Sugar Co. An erstwhile president of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, Francis was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1859; he was Commissioner of Trade and Customs and Treasurer in James McCulloch’s administrations (1863-68 and 1870-71), and was Premier and Chief Secretary from June 1872 to July 1874. Francis thrice refused a knighthood; in declining health, he was elected member for Warrnambool in 1878 and served in this role until his death in 1884.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2016
The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the
Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a
Reproduction request. For further information please contact
NPG Copyright.
