James Beaney

James George Beaney (15 January 1828 in Canterbury – 30 June 1891 in Melbourne)[1] was an English-born surgeon, politician and philanthropist in Australia, and member of the Victorian Legislative Council from March 1883 until his death.

[2] James Beaney was born in Canterbury, Kent, England, where he was educated, and studied surgery with W. J. Cooper.

He was again elected surgeon to the hospital and banqueted at the town hall in 1875, and was subsequently re-elected despite the strenuous opposition of a large section of the medical profession.

In 1878 Beaney visited England with a semi-official commission from the Berry Government to report on medical matters.

In 1883, after a severe contest, he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for the North Yarra Province, and was re-elected for a period of six years, in 1885, when he defeated the James Munro, the late Premier of Victoria.