39 Facts About Alexander Berry

Alexander Berry was a Scottish-born surgeon, merchant and explorer who was given in 1822 a land grant of 10,000 acres and 100 convicts to establish the first European settlement on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Alexander Berry studied medicine at St Andrews University from 1796 until 1798 and the University of Edinburgh from 1798 to 1801.

Alexander Berry travelled first to China and then to India, aboard the Lord Hawkesbury.

Alexander Berry decided to quit the medical profession, as he hated the whippings he was obliged to attend, and he was attracted to the commercial possibilities of shipping.

Alexander Berry purchased a ship, City of Edinburgh, with medical student Francis Shortt, to take provisions to the colony.

Alexander Berry sold half his provisions there and the remainder in Hobart.

Alexander Berry then continued to Sydney, where he arrived on 13 January 1808 with only spirits remaining to sell.

Alexander Berry visited New Zealand, to drop off a Maori who was returning from a visit to England.

The City of Edinburgh, with Alexander Berry, set sail for Whangaroa, where he rescued four survivors and the ship's papers by holding two chiefs hostage.

Alexander Berry wrote in the Edinburgh Magazine that he had released them on condition that they lose their rank with their people, although he never expected that to happen.

Alexander Berry sailed eastwards from New Zealand with his cargo to the Cape of Good Hope, however a broken rudder forced him to make repairs in Valparaiso, and then travel to Lima.

Alexander Berry found a buyer for his cargo, and secured another cargo from Guayaquil for Cadiz and began the journey in 1811.

Alexander Berry set up a partnership with Wollstonecraft and sailed to Sydney in 1819.

Alexander Berry sailed as supercargo aboard Admiral Cockburn, leaving England January 1819, and arriving in Sydney in July.

Alexander Berry was shortly followed by Wollstonecraft aboard the Canada.

Alexander Berry began to plan a trip to England to expand their commercial connections there.

Alexander Berry returned to England with Admiral Cockburn in February 1820.

Alexander Berry chartered the Royal George and returned to Sydney in November 1821 with an "extensive assortment of merchandise" for sale at their George St store, as well as the new Governor, Thomas Brisbane, as a passenger on board.

Alexander Berry began to seek out and negotiate for a larger land grant.

In January and February 1822 Alexander Berry went with Hamilton Hume and Lieutenant Robert Johnson on a journey of exploration down the coast of New South Wales aboard the Snapper.

Alexander Berry set up the Coolangatta Estate while Wollstonecraft stayed in Sydney to look after business there.

Alexander Berry later secured two additional land grands of 4,000 acres each.

Alexander Berry then shut the George St stores, and spent most of his time running the Coolangatta Estate.

Three of his brothers and two sisters migrated to Coolangatta in 1836, allowing Alexander Berry to spend more time in Sydney.

Alexander Berry thereupon donated the land for a cemetery to the Anglican Parish of St Leonards.

Crow's Nest House was completed in 1850 and Alexander Berry lived there until his death.

Alexander Berry had a substantial library of more than 2,000 books by the time he died.

Alexander Berry arrived in New South Wales in 1822 claiming that the partnership with Berry had not been dissolved, and that the partnership with Wollstonecraft was invalid.

Alexander Berry claimed Berry had never made an account to him of the profits of the cargo of the City of Edinburgh.

Alexander Berry was an appointed member of the Legislative Council from 1829 to 1861.

Alexander Berry was a conservative, opposing moves towards democracy, and local government.

Alexander Berry refused to pay rates on his Shoalhaven Estate after the incorporation of a Shoalhaven Municipality, arguing that his property should not form part of the local government area.

Alexander Berry was successful in the Supreme Court and in Privy Council appeal brought by the Municipality.

Alexander Berry was a member of the Philosophical Society in 1821 and a councillor on the Australian Philosophical Society.

Alexander Berry was interested in Aborigines and geology, publishing a paper "On the Geology of Part of the Coast of New South Wales".

Alexander Berry died on 17 September 1873 aged 91, at Crows Nest House.

Alexander Berry was buried in family vault in St Thomas' cemetery with his wife and Edward Wollstonecraft.

Charles Nicholson wrote in a letter to The Times in 1889 that Alexander Berry had prepared a will to bequeath the greater part of his estate to the University of St Andrews, but died a few hours before the time appointed to sign it.

The New South Wales South Coast town of Alexander Berry was named after the brothers after their death.