Obituaries Australia

James Baxter, n.d.

photo supplied by Margaret Steinberger

The Master Builders' Association of Melbourne on Friday received information from Sydney that Mr. James Baxter, who was well known some years ago as a contractor and a member of the Melbourne City Council, had died suddenly from heart trouble. The late Mr. Baxter was one of Melbourne's oldest builders, and some of the largest buildings in that city vere erected by him (says The Age). Prominent among them are Messrs. Craig. Williamson's, Messrs. Rocke Tompsitt's, Marshall's Boot Factory, The Opera House, and Messrs. McIlwraith, McEachern & Co.'s fine suite of offices. Mr. Baxter came from the north of England many years ago, and subsequently became a partner in the firm of Baxter & Boyd, builder. He amassed a fortune, which he unfortunately lost on a big contract for the deepening of the Adelaide Outer Harbour. He then returned to Melbourne for a awhile but ultimately went to Sydney, where he entered on business again with such success that he retrieved his losses.