Researching Ewen Cameron

He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Cameron and Luduvina Rosa Da Silva, and migrated to New South Wales in 1822 with his family. He became a clerk, and was involved in early overlanding expeditions to South Australia. He made unsuccessful attempts to run land in New England and the Darling Downs, and also unsuccessfully went to the Californian Gold Rush. On his return he went into business with Thomas Mort, and became financial manager and then partner in 1856. He continued this partnership until 1866. On 7 October 1852 he married Sophia Usher Nail, with whom he had twelve children.

Cameron contested the seat of the Glebe at the 1859 colonial election, supporting free selection and very limited state aid to religion, but narrowly lost to the incumbent, John Campbell. He was actively involved in charitable organisations, including the Sydney Hospital and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. In 1868 he was elected president of the Balmain Working Men's Association, and was disturbed by growing union militancy. He was also active in the militia, joining the Balmain Rifles in 1861. He attained the rank of captain in 1868, and was also captain of the Sydney Battalion from 1869 to 1870. Cameron was also closely involved with the Anglican Church, and from 1875 was a member of the Royal Society of New South Wales. He died in Balmain in 1876.

Born in Kilmonivaig, Inverness-shire, Scotland, the son of Donald and Ann Cameron, Ewen Cameron arrived in Melbourne in 1853 and was engaged in the building industry with his brothers. He was a storekeeper at Anderson's Creek and Caledonia gold-diggings, a postmaster at Warrandyte in 1857 and farmed at Kangaroo Ground from 1860. Cameron was a member of the Castlemaine mining board and Eltham road board. He was the inaugural Eltham shire president in 1871 and president again later several times.

Cameron was Minister Mines and Water Supply from 10 June 1902 to 16 February 1904; Minister for Public Health, commissioner Public Works, vice-president Board Land & Works from 16 February 1904 to 31 October 1908.

Cameron was born in Morgiana near Hamilton, Victoria, the son of John Cameron and his wife Barbara Taylor. He was a grazier outside of politics, managing his family's property after his father's death, managing a property at Paschendale (then known as Struan) for five years, then at "Cloverdale", near Condah and Sinclair estate at Drumborg. He was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly on 1 November 1900, serving until his death in office in 1906.

Cameron married Emma Harriet, née Nunn, and had four children. Maud Cameron became a teacher and school headmistress; Winifred became a doctor; and Edith became a nurse and served in Europe in World War I.