Fitzroy, Mr. Martin received his education until he matriculated at Melbourne University, subsequently entering the Civil Service. In the meantime his literary bent had strongly declared itself; and at the Eclectic Society of Victoria, where he succeeded the founder, Mr. H. K. Rusden, as secretary, he was for many years a leading essayist and debater. During his secretaryship the Society contributed to the memorial statue to John Stuart Mill, erected on the Thames Embankment. Mr. Martin was the principal organiser of the meeting which took place at the Melbourne Town Hall on July 29th, 1878, "to express public appreciation of the services of the Earl of Beaconsfield in the settlement of the Eastern Question." Out of the Eclectic Society arose the Melbourne Review, a high-class quarterly periodical, which existed from Jan. 1876 to Oct. 1885, and of which Mr. Martin acted as editor, being also one of the most frequent contributors, until he left Melbourne for London in 1882. Before leaving Victoria Mr. Martin contributed to various Christmas and other collections, and had published: "Sweet Girl Graduate" (a novelette), "Lays of To-Day, or Verses in Jest and Earnest," and "Fernshawe," the latter an octavo volume consisting of essays and poems, several of which had first seen the light in the pages of the Melbourne Review. Since coming to reside in London, Mr. Martin has largely devoted himself to journalistic work; but, in addition, has written in several of the magazines, introducing the Australian poet, Adam Lindsay Gordon, to the English literary public by an article in Temple Bar of Feb. 1884. His most solid achievement, however, was the publication of a work entitled "Australia and the Empire," specially dedicated to the First Lord of the Treasury, Mr. Balfour. The opening essay in this work, entitled "Robert Lowe in Sydney," formed the nucleus of the undertaking on which Mr. Martin is now engaged—the complete political biography of Lord Sherbrooke. Among other literary efforts in London may be mentioned "Oak-bough and Wattle-blossom," the first of those collective stories by "Australians in England" of which there are now quite a series. "Over-the-Sea Stories for the Children of Two Worlds" a profusely illustrated gift-book, is also a collection by Mr. Martin. In 1886 Mr. Martin married the only daughter of the late Dr. J. M. Cookesley, of Boulogne-sur-Mer, who is also knows in the literary world by translating of Alfred de Musset, as well as by her poetical contributions to various periodicals. Mrs. Patchett Martin has recently turned her early Queensland experiences to account in "Under the Gum-tree" (1890), and "Cooëe" (1891) an interesting collection of tales of Australian life by Australian ladies. Since July 1891 Mr. Martin has been editor of Literary Opinion.
Martin, His Honour the Hon. Sir James, sometime Premier and Chief Justice of New South Wales, was the son of John Martin, of Fermoy, Ireland, and Mary his wife, daughter of David Hennessy, of Ballynona, and was born at Middleton, in the county of Cork, on May 14th, 1820. His parents emigrated to New South Wales the next year, so that Sir James was virtually almost a native of Sydney, where he arrived in Nov. 1821. He was educated at Cape's School and Sydney College; and, having embraced the legal profession, was admitted a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in May 1845. In 1848 he commenced to contribute to the Atlas newspaper, and three years later to the Empire, started by Mr. (now Sir) Henry Parkes. His political commenced contemporaneously with his journalistic career, Mr. Martin being elected to the old Legislative Council for Cook and Westmoreland in 1848. He was unseated on petition, but was promptly re-elected unopposed; and had the like good fortune in 1851. When the first Legislative Assembly was constituted after the concession of responsible government in New South Wales Mr. Martin was returned to the popular chamber by his former constituents, his principal efforts being in the meantime directed to diverting the Riverine trade from Victoria, and to getting a branch of the Royal Mint established in Sydney. Under the new constitutional régime he attached himself strongly to the Liberal party, then led by Mr. (afterwards Sir) Charles Cowper. When the Conservative Administration of Mr. Donaldson was defeated, in August 1856, Mr. Martin, though only a solicitor, was appointed Attorney-General in the first Cowper
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