Obituaries Australia

Mr. Alexander Bowman, Member of Parliament for the Hawkesbury, died at his residence, 68 Pyrmont Bridge-road, Glebe, at about half-past 1 on Sunday afternoon. Mr. Bowman had been ill for the past 14 weeks and the immediate cause of his death was dropsy and pneumonia. He represented the Hawkesbury in the Assembly almost without intermission for the past 15 years. He was born at Richmond on July 11, 1688, so that at the time of his death he was within a day of reaching his 54th birthday. The deceased member came from one of the oldest colonial families. His grandfather emigrated to the colony in the year 1795 and settled on his purchased land in the Hawkesbury district, his father, the late Mr. George Bowman, being only four years old on his arrival in New South Wales. Mr. Bowman was educated at Cape's College, Darlinghurst, and subsequently at Carey's School Windsor. He entered the University in 1855 and took his degree as B.A. in 1858. In the following year he went to Queensland, but shortly afterwards returned to New South Wales and settled in the Singleton district, following squatting pursuits, and while in the northern district he devoted much attention to the breeding of racehorses and was very successful on the turf. He first became a candidate for parliamentary honors for the electorate of Patrick's Plains, but was beaten in the contest. Next standing for the Hawkesbury he was successful, and with only a reverse on one occasion he represented that constituency in the popular Chamber continuously for many years. An interesting anecdote is told of the late member. After an election contest, which was the first parliamentary one in the colony, Mr. William Bowman held up his infant nephew (the deceased gentleman) and introduced him to the electors of the Hawkesbury as the future member for the district. This prediction was amply fulfilled. Mr. Alexander Bowman was seven times in succession elected Mayor of Singleton, which is a sufficient indication of the esteem in which he was held in that district. He always evinced an interest in matters affecting the welfare of the farming community, and was one of the projectors of the Northern Agricultural Association. For the past 11 years he has resided in Sydney. In the Assembly Mr. Bowman did not take any prominent position, but he could always be relied upon to vote for the free-trade party. Of a genial, though not demonstrative disposition, Mr. Bowman made many friends, who will be sincerely sorry to hear of his death. He was not married until the year 1881, and he leaves a widow and two children, a son and a daughter.