Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/192

 Fraser died on August 21st, 1888, aged eighty-seven years.  Fraser, Sir Malcolm, K.C.M.G., C.E., Agent-General, Western Australia, was employed in various departments of the government of New Zealand in 1857-70, was appointed Surveyor-General of Western Australia, with a seat in the Executive and Legislative Councils, in Dec. 1870, and Colonial Secretary of Western Australia Jan. 1883. He represented the latter colony at the Intercolonial Conference on Cable Duplication held at Sydney in 1874, the Australasian Convention at Sydney in 1883, and at the Intercolonial Conference at Sydney in 1888. He was Executive Commissioner for Western Australia to the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880, and to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition at South Kensington in 1886. He was created C.M.G. in 1881 and K.C.M.G. on June 21st, 1887. Sir Malcolm administered the Government in the absence of Sir F. Napier Broome from Jan. 1st to Feb. 21st, 1888, and from Dec. 21st, 1889, until the return of Sir W. Robinson in Oct. 1890. His duties as Colonial Secretary ceased with the inauguration of responsible government in Western Australia, towards the end of 1890, and he arrived in England in Jan. 1891. In April 1892 he was appointed first Agent-General for Western Australia.  Fraser, Hon. Simon, M.L.C., Victoria, youngest son of William Fraser, mill-owner and farmer, of Nova Scotia, to which colony that gentleman emigrated from Inverness, Scotland, soon after it was taken from, the French by the English. Mr. Fraser was born at Pictou, Nova Scotia, August 21st, 1834. On his arrival in Victoria, in 1853, Mr. Fraser spent some time at the diggings, but in a year or two turned his attention to contracting—at first in road works and bridge building, and later in railway construction,—being at various times a member of firms who carried out contracts in Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia. In the last-named colony he was one of the constructors of the Port Augusta and Government Gums Railway. While engaged in these works he also entered into squatting pursuits, first in Queensland, where he resided from 1867 to 1869, and afterwards in Victoria and New South Wales. He is still considerably interested in pastoral properties in the northern colony. At the general election of 1874 he stood for Rodney, in the interest of the Francis Ministry, and was opposed by Mr. J. J. Walsh, whom he beat by a large majority, and at the general election of May 1877 was again elected to the Legislative Assembly for the same district as a supporter of the McCulloch Ministry. After representing that constituency nine years, he retired in 1883, and visited Europe and America, being absent about two years. In 1885 he unsuccessfully contested West Melbourne with Mr. Carter, the Mayor of Melbourne. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the Legislative Council for the Northern province, in April 1886, but was returned as member for South Yarra province in August of the same year. In politics Mr. Fraser is a man of moderate views, and took an active interest in promoting the Service-Berry coalition of 1883. He is a J.P. for Victoria, and was for a lengthened period chairman of the Australian Widows' Fund Life Insurance Society, and a director of the City of Melbourne Bank and the private railway line between Deniliquin and Moama. Mr. Fraser has been twice married. In Nov. 1890 he became a member without portfolio of Mr. Munro's Cabinet. Twelve months later he voted against his colleagues' measure for establishing the principle of "one man one vote," and it was rejected by the Council, Mr. Fraser tendering his resignation in consequence. It was not, however, accepted, and the Bill was withdrawn. In Feb., however, when Mr. Shiels reconstructed the Cabinet, Mr. Fraser finally withdrew from office.  Freeling, Major-General Sir Arthur Henry, Bart., sometime Surveyor-General, South Australia, son of John Clayton Freeling and grandson of Sir Francis Freeling, Bart., for thirty years Secretary to the General Post Office, entered the Royal Engineers, and ultimately took service under the South Australian Government as Surveyor-General. In this capacity he did some valuable exploring work, and was a member of the Executive and Legislative Councils prior to the concession of responsible government. He was elected to the new Legislative Council in March 1857, and sat till August 1876, when he resigned. In the meantime he 176