James Balfour (Australian politician)
James Balfour (10 May 1830 – 24 August 1913) was a Scottish-born Australian merchant and politician, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly 1866 to 1868 and of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1874 to 1913. Early life Balfour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, son of John and Robina, née Gordon . He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and the University of Edinburgh. Balfour had some commercial experience in London from 1849 to 1852. Australia Balfour arrived in Melbourne in 1852 as the representative of Messrs. Matheson, of Lombard Street, London, to the firm of James Henty & Co. In 1854 he opened a branch house of the latter firm at Geelong. He visited England in 1857–58, resigned his position in Geelong in 1863, and in 1866 entered the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the member for East Bourke. He was for three years one of the Commissioners of Education prior to the organisation of the department under a responsible minister. In 1868, he made another visit to England, prior to which he resigned his seat in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, and returned to Australia and entered the Victorian Legislative Council in 1874, being re-elected for the South Eastern Province on