Ward's Book of Days.
Pages of interesting anniversaries.
What happened on this day in history.
SEPTEMBER 17th
On this day in history in 1873, died Alexander Berry.
Berry was a surgeon turned explorer who established the first settlement in New South Wales in Australia.
Berry was born in 1781 at Cupar, Fife, on St Andrew’s Day in the middle of a snowstorm. He attended Cupar Grammer School, together with the artist, David Wilkie and later St Andrew’s University where he studied medicine.
Berry took a position as a ship’s surgeon with the East India Company where he became attracted to the idea of exploring unknown regions. Berry soon gave up the practice of medicine and chartered a ship, travelling to South America, Southern Australia and New Zealand. On one occasion, in New Zealand, he heard reports of a British ship, Boyd, being seized by Maori tribesmen. He followed the course of the Boyd and, after a pitch battle with the natives, rescued four of the Boyd’s crew.
Seeing the fertile land on the southern coast of Australia, Berry thought he could set up a colony there. He obtained a land grant of 10,000 acres and 100 convicts and set up a dairy farm on the Coolangata Estate, now known as the town of Berry. The Coolangata prospered enough for Berry to become a colonial gentleman of leisure. He became a member of the New South Wales Legislature and a member of the Australian Philosophical Society.
When he died, Berry left £1.25 million, Sterling, about 100 times that much in today’s money. He left much of his estate to St Andrews University, which endowed the Berry Chair in English Literature.
Recommended reading.
Shann, Edward. An Economic
History of Australia.
Buy it here at Amazon
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