John Cameron was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
Background
Cameron was born in New Amsterdam, British Guiana, to parents Donald Charles Cameron, plantation manager, and his wife Margaret Anne (née Moore). His father left for Australia in 1852 and after settling in Victoria his family followed on the Steamship Great Britain the following year.
Education
Whilst in Victoria, Cameron attended Scotch College in Melbourne and Geelong Grammar School where, he later claimed "I never did any good beyond being a good fighter".
Career
On their arrival, the family took up Native Creek and later Berremboke stations near Geelong. After leaving school in 1859, he began work as a jackaroo and two years later the Camerons joined up with the Crombie family to drive their flocks to Barcaldine in Queensland. Around 1865, John Cameron went out on his own and found work as an overseer at Alice Downs before becoming manager of Wilby Downs.
The Camerons and Crombies joined with others to form a business partnership that embraced seven properties which John later became a partner in.
Cameron, representing the Opposition, stood for the seat of Mitchell at the 1893 colonial election, and defeated Charles Fitzgerald, the Labour candidate, and J. Campbell, an independent. He served one term before losing his seat to Fitzgerald in 1896.
At the 1899 election, Cameron, now representing the Ministerialists, stood for the seat of Barcoo but was defeated by Labour"s George Kerr. In 1908, the state member for Brisbane North, Thomas MacDonald-Paterson, resigned the seat to enter Federal Parliament and Cameron was his replacement.
He held the seat until 1908 when ill-health forced his resignation.