John Blaxland, 1801-1884

Birth & Arrival in Australia

John Blaxland was born in Kent, England on 26 September 1801, the first son of Gregory Blaxland and his wife Elizabeth nee Spurdon. The family sailed for Australia as free settlers aboard the William Pitt, arriving 11 April 1806.

Professional Life

At the age of 20 John's father had him set up in a store in George Street, Sydney which he ran from 1826 to 1830. John went on to become a prominent merchant and, in 1841, as what The Australian described as a 'mere youth'. he was appointed a magistrate and remained so for many years, becoming Chairman of the Bench of Magistrates at Ryde. He served as an auditor of the City Bank and as Director of the Australian Joint Stock Bank. In 1864 he became a Member of the Legislative Council and remained so until his death. His local political activities included acting as Returning Officer for the election of the first Municipal Council in 1870 and was the first auditor of the Council.

Marriage

On 23 December 1845 he married Ellen Falkner, a visitor to Sydney and they had at least one son born at The Hermitage in 1852.

Death and Burial

John died at The Hermitage on 26 January 1884 and is buried in St Anne's Churchyard.

From: The Hermitage by Julie Dawson in Historic Ryde: a guide to some significant heritage sites in the City of Ryde, 2002