Nathaniel BarclayPrint Page

The sculpture ommemorates Councillor Nathaniel Barclay, M.M., M.L.A. J.P. (1894-1962). The public gardens were renamed Barclay Square in his honour in 1964

Barclay travelled to the Mallee in 1920 to work in contract gangs clearing land for the Red Cliffs soldier-settlement scheme. In July 1922 he was granted a conditional purchase-lease for allotment No.448, a property of sixteen acres (6.5 ha) on the Red Cliffs estate: he planted grape-vines on thirteen acres (5.2 ha) and citrus fruit on one (.4 ha).

In 1945 Barclay had gained Country Party endorsement for the Legislative Assembly seat of Mildura after the sitting member A. G. Allnutt was expelled from the party. Barclay was defeated, but narrowly won the seat from Labor in 1947, retained it in 1950, before losing it in 1952. He was again returned to parliament for Mildura in 1955—ironically benefiting from the Cain government`s `two-for-one` electoral redistribution which brought the Country Party strongholds of Ouyen and Robinvale into an expanded Mildura electorate—and held the seat in 1958 and 1961.

Location

Details

Dedication