James Mitchell (1789 or 1792 – 1 February 1869) was a Scottish-born Australian surgeon, businessman and politician.
He was born in Fife to farmer David Mitchell and Margaret Low. [1] He arrived in Sydney on 15 July 1820. [1] He married Augusta Maria Scott on 22 August 1833 and fathered three children. [1] One of them was David Scott Mitchell. On 1 February 1869 he died at his house in Cumberland and received a private funeral at Rockwood Cemetery. [1]
In 1810 he joined the Army Medical Corps. [2] With the army he spent nine years travelling around Spain, America, the Netherlands, the West Indies, and Australia. [1] He served in several battles in the Peninsular War, Napoleonic Wars and American War including the Battle of New Orleans. [1] He served in a Military hospital in Brussels during the Battle of Waterloo. [1]
In 1813 he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. [1] He served as Assistant Surgeon of the 48th Regiment, including two visits to Australia. [1] In 1823 he was appointed Assistant Surgeon of the Colonial Medical Staff and sent to work at Sydney Civil Hospital [1] He was in charge of the hospital from 1825 until 1837 and was officially appointed surgeon on 1 January 1829. [2] He was appointed the doctor to look after convicts at the Hyde Park barracks. [2] He only lasted a few weeks due to being suspended for refusal to attend a flogging. [2] A court of inquiry found him guilty of disobedience and his name was removed from the list of colonial surgeons. [2] In 1845 he was elected to the medical board and became the president in 1852. [3]
Mitchell was granted two lots, both 2,000 acres in Burragorang and Glendon Brook. [1] He owned 1,300 acres of land in Gosford. [1] He owned house of his estate Cumberland Place and in Hutchinson Street Surry Hills. [1] He had land at Hunters Hills and Cooks River.
In 1833 he became a director of the Bank of Australia until it failed in 1843. [1] In 1843 he was appointed chairman of the Board of the Committee of Works. [1] In 1852 he became a director of the Australian Mutual Provident Society. [1] In 1853 he invested in Hunter River Railway Company. [1] In 1853 he established the Newcastle Coal and Copper Co leasing his property at Burwood. [2] He invested the Commercial Banking Company, the Australian Gas Light Company and the Australasian Stream Navigation. [1] He became a director of the Australian Gas Light Company and appointed deputy chairman of directors for the Sydney Ferry Company. [1]
He was a non-elective member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1855 to 1856 and a member of the reconstituted body from 1856 to 1861 and from 1861 to 1869, when he died. [4]
He was a foundation member of the Australian Club which was formed on 29 May 1838. [1] In 1838 he financed the Newcastle Mechanics Institute. [1] In 1840 he established a school in Sydney on behalf of the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. [1] Between 1853 and 1869 he served a trustee for the Australian Museum. [3] He helped the Royal Exchange raise funds to support immigration. [1] He was a member of the Central Committee of the Australian Immigration Association. [1] He served as commissioner to the justice of peace. [3] He was a benefactor of St Paul's College at the University of Sydney. [3]