The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Gregory, Hon. Francis Thomas
Gregory, Hon. Francis Thomas, M.L.C., brother of the above, was born at Farnsfield, Notts, in Oct. 1821, and having gone to West Australia in 1829, where he was in the Survey Office, he accompanied his brother Augustus in his first exploring expedition in 1846. In 1858 he organised au expedition to examine the country between the Gascoyne and Mount Murchison, in West Australia. A million acres of good land was discovered, and the party returned to Adelaide in July 1861. In the same year he tried to explore the interior from the north-west coast; but the sand ridges barred his way, and he and his party narrowly escaped destruction. As it was, they discovered good country and new rivers. Mr. Gregory went to reside in Queensland in 1862, and was nominated to the Legislative Council in 1874. He acted for some time as Surveyor-General in Western Australia, was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1863, and was joint-author with his brother of "Journals of Australian Explorations" (Brisbane, 1884). He married at Ipswich, Queensland, on May 11th, 1865, Marion Scott, daughter of the late Alexander Hume. On Sept. 25th, 1883, he succeeded Mr. Morehead as Postmaster-General in the first McIlwraith Ministry. The latter were, however, thrown out of power on Nov. 13th following, and he retired with them. Mr. Gregory died at Toowomba, Queensland, on Oct. 24th, 1888.