 1815 - 1896 (81 years)
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| Name |
William Cairncross |
| Born |
1815 |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
22 Jun 1896 |
'Colmslie', Lytton Rd, Bulimba, Qld  |
| Life Story |
27 Jun 1896 |
Death of Mr. Wm. Cairncross.
An old and respected resident of Brisbane has passed away in the person of Mr. William Cairncross, who died at his residence, Colmslie, Bulimba, Monday afternoon. The deceased gentleman was born in Cape Colony about two years before the battle of Waterloo, and when a lad removed to St. Helena with his father, who was a grain merchant. At that time the island formed a point of call for vessels trading with the Cape, India, and China, besides which the British garrison maintained in it during the captivity of the Emperor Napoleon and for a few years afterwards lent the place importance, which the adoption of steam and opening of the Suez Canal transferred in some degree to Malta and Gibraltar. Mr. Cairncross paid a short visit to England, "in the days when William IV was king," and ever retained a vivid recollection of his ride on the Liverpool to Manchester Railway, which was the only one in the British Empire, in fact in the world. He followed seafaring pursuits, and again visited London, in 1837,
when he witnessed the coronation procession of Queen Victoria. After once more engaging in whaling in the South Seas, one of the chief indus- tries of infant Australia, he arrived in Port Jackson in the barque Nocturne, of which he was part owner, and settled down in Sydney in 1838. After a tem- porary residence in the New England district, he finally removed in 1846 to Brisbane, where he resided until his death. Shortly after his arrival he purhased from Sir Archibald Michie the block of land at the corner of Queen and Albert streets, which still belongs to his family, and after erecting build- ings on it entered into business, from which he retired in 1853. The same year he made his home at Colmslie, so well known on the Brisbane River, and resided there almost continuously for forty-three years, Mr. Cairncross, although never taking a prominent part in public life, always displayed a warm interest in matters affecting the general welfare. Only a few weeks ago we published an address by the
Rev. D. F. Mitchell, South Brisbane Presbyterian Church, in which reference was made to the fact that Mr. Cairncross was the only survivor of the twelve trustees appointed in 1849 for the first Presbyterian Church in Moreton Bay. In 1842 Mr. Cairncross married a sister of the late Hon. George Edmondstone, M.L.C., a member of the first Queensland Legislative Assembly, and second Mayor of the City of Brisbane. By this marriage there were seven daughters, two of whom are widows of the late Mr. R. W. Mayne and Mr. Wm. Dalley, solicitor, respectively. Another is married to the Hon. A. J. Thynne, Postmaster-General of Queensland, and the youngest to Mr. C. A. B. Campion, district inspector of the Australian Joint Stock Bank, Limited. three being unmarried. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon.
Transcribed from 'The Queenslander' Saturday 27th June 1896 |
| Buried |
South Brisbane General Cemetery, Brisbane |
| Person ID |
I241 |
Maleny Pioneers & Neighbouring Districts |
| Last Modified |
6 Jun 2010 |
| Family |
Elizabeth Mary Edmondstone, b. 1817, d. 30 May 1879, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland (Age 62 years) |
| Children |
| | 1. Hellen Alexa Cairncross, b. 1845, Queensland , d. Yes, date unknown |
| + | 2. Mary Williamina Cairncross, b. 30 Apr 1848, Queensland , d. 13 Apr 1918, Brisbane, Qld (Age 69 years) |
| | 3. Jane Georgiana Cairncross, b. 1850, Queensland , d. 1 Feb 1908, Qld (Age 58 years) |
| + | 4. Rachel Elizabeth Cairncross, b. 1853, Queensland , d. 05 Dec 1931, Brisbane, Qld (Age 78 years) |
| | 5. Millecent Ann Cairncross, b. 12 Apr 1856, Brisbane, Qld , d. 9 Oct 1921, Qld (Age 65 years) |
| | 6. Fanny Matilda Cairncross, b. 04 Jan 1860, Queensland , d. 1937, Qld (Age 76 years) |
| | 7. Robina Johanna Williams Cairncross, b. 30 Oct 1863, Queensland , d. Yes, date unknown |
|
| Last Modified |
6 Jun 2010 |
| Family ID |
F63 |
Group Sheet |
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