Walter Hill

Walter Hill (1819–1904) was the first curator of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Gardens Point in Brisbane, Australia. Personal life Walter Hill was born at Scotsdyke, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, on 31st December 1819, the son of David Hill and Elizabeth Beattie. Scotsdyke is virtually on the border of England and Scotland, and is presumably a reference to the moat about south of the village of Canobie (now spelled Canonbie). Hill married Jane Smith, the daughter of John Smith and Jane Brunton, on 16th September 1849 at Holy Trinity Brompton Church, Middlesex, England. They had a daughter Ann (born 25th April 1850 in England, died 1st November 1871 in Brisbane). The family immigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1852 on the Maitland, where Hill initially tried his luck on the goldfields. In 1854, Hill undertook an expedition (as a botanist) to North Queensland in which most of the party were murdered by Aborigines. After this, Walter accepted the position of superintendent of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.