James Stuart

James Stuart (1802 – 26 May 1842) was an Irish surgeon and medical official in New South Wales and Norfolk Island, as well as a noted illustrator of natural history. Family Born in Ireland in about 1802, Stuart was the son of Thomas Stuart, allegedly the illegitimate son of Thomas Smyth, MP for Limerick City. His uncle was the Indian Army officer Charles "Hindoo" Stuart, a notable Indophile. One of his eight brothers was the diplomat Major Robert Stuart, and Robert Stuart King, the footballer and clergyman, was his great-nephew. Medical career Stuart arrived in Australia in June 1834 and remained there until his death eight years later. In a letter to his sister Margaret, he recounted his journey "by the ship Jessie from Liverpool, which place we left in December 1833 and after encountering very stormy weather we were obliged to put into Falmouth. We left the latter place in February and after a fine passage we put into Talbot Bay at the beautiful Town of the Cape of Good Hope. From this we sailed to Hobart Town and thence to Sydney, nothing remarkable occurring on the passage except that we were sometimes in danger from the drunkenness and consequent incapacity of our Captain".