Obituaries Australia

Madame Niau, a Frenchwoman who came to Australia in 1880, died yesterday at the age of 83. With her husband, Madame Niau first reached Sydney when on the way to New Britain, where they intended to take up land under the ill-fated colonising scheme of the Marquis de Ray. Madame Niau remained in Sydney while her husband  went to New Britain. He returned disillusioned. M. and Madame Niau then went to North Queensland and were among the first sugar planters on the Daintree River.  They were again disappointed and returned to Sydney. M. Niau died in 1888. Madame Niau devoted herself to literary and educational work. One of her books on pioneering life in the Australian tropics was published in Sydney in French, and was adopted by the Education Department as a text book. Madame Niau is survived by one daughter, Mlle Josephine Niau. A son enlisted for active service, and was killed in Palestine.