Obituaries Australia

Isaac Nathan, 1860s

State Library of New South Wales, 892817

A fatal and most distressing casualty, which resulted in the death of Mr. Isaac Nathan, occurred yesterday afternoon on the tramway, Pitt-street, at its intersection with Goulburn-street. The circumstances of this deplorable incident are stated as follows: –Mr. Nathan was a passenger by No. 2 tramway car, which at about five o'clock yesterday afternoon was going along Pitt-street in the direction of the Redfern railway terminus. At about that hour the car was stopped at the corner of Goulburn-street, where a number of its occupants got out–some of them by the front of the vehicle, and others at the back of it. Mr. Nathan, who lived at No.442, Pitt-street, a few yards distant, alighted from the car at the southern end, but before he had got clear of the rails the car moved onwards, and the deceased gentleman was unhappily crushed beneath one of its wheels. It is said that, either in getting out or in trying to avoid the car, Mr. Nathan grasped hold of the railing in front of it, and he was thus whirled round by the sudden motion of the carriage, and his body was brought under the front wheel. The wheel did not actually pass over Mr. Nathan, but was dragged on to his body, crushing his back and shoulders in a frightful manner. The unfortunate gentleman died almost instantly. He was removed to his residence, where Dr. Charles Nathan of Macquarie-street (deceased's son), and Dr. Walker were soon afterwards in attendance, though, as it is understood, not before life was extinct. Mr. Nathan was in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He was widely known and greatly respected, and his untimely death will be heard of by many with sincere regret. He had lived in the colony for a number of years, and for some time dwelt at Randwick before removing to his late residence in Pitt-street. He was an accomplished musician, and, as is well known, he was for a long time conductor of the different musical associations in Sydney. Mr. Nathan was a music composer of acknowledged ability, and as such he had, before coming to settle in the colony, achieved a European reputation. The music set to the Hebrew Melodies of Lord Byron was from the pen of this talented composer, and he was also the author of a work on the theory of music. Mr. Nathan's last composition was a piece entitled "A Song to Freedom," a copy of which, it may be mentioned, was sent through his Excellency Sir John Young, to her Majesty the Queen.–Herald, Jan, 16.