The grave of 37 year old Lachlina Elizabeth Scott Walker in Tasmania’s Longford Pioneer Cemetery raises an interesting question. What was the origin of her unusual first name? Here is the registration of her birth; Now in my opinion Lachlina was named for a colonial
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Perhaps because I’m a writer, I’ve always had a passion for desks, especially roll top models, and those with secret compartments. Unfortunately I have never owned either type. My passion for history led to me discovering portable desks, also known as campaign desks. Some even had fittings
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Mention the term ’colonial architect’ in New South Wales and most people would respond with the name Francis Greenway. That is quite understandable, but let’s bring another deserving character out of the shadows. Who better to speak of John Cliffe Watts’ ability and character than Elizabeth Macquarie?
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In Sydney’s Botanic Gardens there is a very special Norfolk Island pine known as The Wishing Tree. It is a replacement of the original, which was planted in the early days of the colony. A sign explains its history, and its association with Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s wife,
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A WEDDING GIFT On November 3 1807, 29 year old Elizabeth Henrietta Campbell married 46 year old Lieutenant Colonel Lachlan Macquarie at Holsworthy, in the English county of Devon. Their wedding marked the end of a long separation. Macquarie had just returned from military service in India,
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At the end of PART ONE of this story, we left Miss Elizabeth Campbell fretting over her fiance Lachlan Macquarie’s lack of eagerness to return from army duties in India. Clearly something had to be done. Fortuitously, Henrietta Meredith had a friend and family connection by the
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On January 1st 1810, Lachlan Macquarie was sworn in as Governor of New South Wales, replacing the deposed William Bligh. Macquarie had arrived in Port Jackson aboard The Dromedary several days earlier, accompanied by his wife Elizabeth. Her love and unswerving loyalty would sustain the Governor throughout
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On September 17 1879, the much anticipated Sydney International Exhibition opened in the vast, purpose built Garden Palace. It was located at the south-western end of the Royal Botanic Gardens. On October 27 The Sydney Morning Herald reported; There are two or three more than ordinarily interesting
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MARGARET MACQUARIE (NEE GOODWIN) Recently I posted the story of Hector Macquarie, and his marriage to the unfortunate Margaret Simson. Hector was the dissolute nephew of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. You can read the first part HERE. And now the story continues…… It had always been assumed that
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Hector Macquarie was born on Scotland’s Isle of Mull in 1794. He was the illegitimate son of Charles Macquarie, Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s younger brother. Governor Macquarie took his nephew under his wing, famously dubbing him Hero Hector…which was to become an ironic nickname. The young man grew
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