Peter Imlay

Peter Imlay (1797–1881), along with his brothers Alexander (1794-1847) and George (1794?-1846) were Scottish-born pioneer settlers in southern New South Wales. They operated in the region as pastoralists, whalers and shipbuilders.

Peter Imlay
Born	1797 Aberdeen, Scotland
Died	8 March 1881 (aged 83–84) Wanganui, New Zealand
Nationality	British
Occupation	Pastoralist, shipowner and merchant
Known for	Pioneer settlement in Twofold Bay area

Life and career

Peter Imlay was baptised on 22 January 1797 at Aberdeen, Scotland. He came to Australia aboard the sailing ship Greenock, reaching Hobart Town in February 1830. He was an inspector of stock at Launceston by July 1830.[1]

He and his brothers took up 3,885 square km of land near Twofold Bay in southern New South Wales. The brothers experienced financial difficulties in the economic depression that began in 1840. These saw them lose most of the land.

Peter Imlay was on the chartered Hobart vessel Breeze, sailing from Tahiti to New Zealand, when the vessel was wrecked at Upolu, Samoa, in July 1846 with no loss of life.[2] George died at Twofold Bay in 1846, and Alexander in 1847.

Peter Imlay married Jane McGuire on 23 February 1853 at St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Sydney.[3] He and his family moved to New Zealand in 1851 and settled at Balgownie, Wanganui. He died there on 8 March 1881, survived by his wife and three daughters.[4]

Legacy

Among the things named after the Imlay brothers in the New South Wales area is Imlay Street (the main street in Eden), Imlay Creek, the Mount Imlay National Park and Imlay Shire (absorbed into Bega Valley Shire in 1981). In New Zealand, Imlay Parish, in the County of Auckland, bears his surname.[5]

References

1. Launceston Examiner, 26 July 1830, p.1.
2. "MISCELLANEOUS". Launceston Examiner. VI (498). Tasmania, Australia. 31 March 1847. p. 5 (MORNING). Retrieved 17 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
3. Wellings, H.P. (1967). "Imlay, Peter (1797–1881)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 2. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 17 October 2018 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
4. Wanganui Chronicle, 9 March 1881, p.2.
5. Parish of Imlay, County of Auckland, map, NLA

Further reading

• Howard, Mark (December 1998). "The Imlay brothers account book, 1837-1840". Tasmanian Historical Research Association's Papers and Proceedings. 45 (4): 229–236.
• Wellings, H. P. (1966). Pioneers of Eden: The Imlay brothers: Peter, George and Alexander. The author.