The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/McLean, Peter
McLean, Peter, was born in Sept. 1837, in Glasgow, and educated at the Normal School. In 1854 he arrived in Victoria, and worked on the goldfields until 1862, when he returned to the old country and engaged in agricultural pursuits. His health failing, he went to Queensland in 1865, where he commenced dairying operations. He was returned to the Assembly in 1876 for the Logan, and was appointed Secretary for Public Lands and Mines in the Douglas Ministry on Dec. 7th, 1878, just six weeks before their defeat. After being returned three times for the Logan, Mr. McLean, who has been a prominent advocate of total abstinence, was defeated in 1883, and became Inspecting Commissioner of Crown Lands in Nov. 1883, a post which he held until his nomination as Under-Secretary of the newly created Department of Agriculture in July 1887. In March 1889 he received the additional appointment of Curator of Botanic Gardens, Parks, and Preserves.