James Stuart

Who was James Stuart?

James Stuart, after which the Brown Antechinus was named in 1841 by the entomologist William Sharp Macleay, was one of the first Quarantine Officers at Sydney's North Head Quarantine Station.

Born in Ireland c1802, he arrived in Australia in June 1834 and wrote to his sister, Margaret "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."

He was a keen naturalist and artist and illustrated many species of bird, insect and fish during his era in Sydney and also during a period on Norfolk Island. Some 200 of his paintings are held by the New South Wales state Archives and by the Mitchell Library.

In his role of Colonial Assistant Surgeon, Stuart took charge of the sick who arrived at Sydney on board the emigrant ship Minerva on 24 January 1838.