August 9th, 2020The Peacocks: Putting first things first…

In regards to public service to the citizens of Victoria, the story begins with Alexander Peacock. Born in 1861, he was the eldest of five children to parents James and Mary Peacock, and grew up in the town.
After briefly working as a teacher and grocer in Melbourne he returned to Creswick in 1881 to join W.P. Jones’s Legal Mining Manager business before starting his own firm. In 1889 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Clunes/Allendale defeating Thomas Cooper and held it until his death.
During that time he served in various ministerial positions including those for forests, labor, education and was premier of the state no less than three times: from 1901 to 1902, the war years 1914-17 and again for just three months in 1924. For services to the state of Victoria he was knighted in 1902.
Sir Alex was a popular and likeable conciliator, never strayed far from his roots in Creswick and was very much a politician of his time. He was prominent in the movement for Australian Federation in the 1880s and 1890s and associated nationalism. Described as a liberal/protectionist he worked on a platform supporting the interests of mining, forestry, opposition to non-European labour, and free education.
In 1901, Sir Alex married Millie Gertrude Holden (1870-1948) in Port Fairy and she came to live with him in Creswick. Originally from Framlingham in Western Victoria, Lady Peacock as she was to become after her husband’s knighthood, quickly made herself familiar with the people of the area.
She soon became president of the Creswick Red Cross, a member of the Ladies Benevolent Society, Children’s Welfare Association, the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Auxiliary and at election time often made speeches on her husband’s behalf. Sir Alex, as noted by a Sydney newspaper, was often heard to say that she knew more of the electorate than he did.
In 1933, after a period of declining health Sir Alex died in office after 44 years of service. His funeral was a major event with a turnout not seen since the funerals associated with the Australasian Mine disaster in 1882.
A by-election was called and many of Allendale’s constituents as the electorate was now known, begged his widow to stand as the United Australia Party candidate.
Lady Peacock, still in mourning, made no public speeches or appearances during the campaign but nonetheless won her late husband’s seat comfortably. And so, nine years after women were permitted to contest state elections, she became the first female member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
However, Millie did not enjoy politics, saying it was no place for a woman and did not re-contest the seat at the next state election in 1935.
Today, little remains to mark the lives and times of arguably Creswick’s most famous couple. They are buried side-by-side in the town cemetery and a cenotaph sits in Cambridge Street marking the political service of Sir Alex. Lady Millie is featured in public art at the Metro Tunnel construction site in Melbourne and one of the boring machines is named after her.

Words: Tony Sawrey | Images: Tony Sawrey & courtesy of the Parliament of Victoria

Sir Alexander Peacock and Millie seated on a bench at the Caulfield Cup