Obituaries Australia

Mrs. Balcombe, who was probably the oldest Australian colonist, died at East Melbourne yesterday, in her 85th year. She arrived in New South Wales in 1823. Mrs. Balcombe was a daughter of Dr. Reid, R.N., who in the early part of last century served in H.M.S. Bellerophon, and at the close of the Peninsula war was selected by the physician of the fleet to take medical charge of convicts being sent to Australia. In 1823 Dr. Reid brought his family out from Aberdeen, and settled at Inverary, near Goulburn. In 1841 Mrs. Balcombe married the late Alexander Beatson Balcombe, after which they settled at Mornington, Victoria, the whole of that district being his cattle station. The deceased lady leaves a family, of six, viz., Messrs. Alexander and H. H. Balcombe, of Coradgery, N.S.W., and Mrs James Murphy, Mrs. W. H. Quick, Mrs. H. Emmerton, and Miss Balcombe.