Date of Birth: 12/03/1790
Place of Birth: Rangamati, Bengal, India
Date of Death: 07/05/1866
Place of Death: Morpeth, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
30 Jan 1829 |
01 Feb 1839 |
10 years 3 days |
An Appointed Member of the first Legislative Council 1824 - 1843 |
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Soldier; pioneer settler; magistrate. Built a fort near the signal station in Newcastle Harbour and erected an iron beacon in which a large coal fire was lit each night at sunset. This light functioned until 1857, when it was replaced by the Nobby's Head lighthouse. Appointed to the magistracy in 1825.
Military Service
Entered the British Army in 1808, serving throughout the Peninsular war as a lieutenant in the 48th Regiment. On 3 August 1817 he arrived in New South Wales in the 'Matilda' with a detachment of the 48th Regiment. After some years in Sydney he was transferred to Newcastle where in 1821 - 1822 he was acting engineer, responsible for putting down mooring chains and removing dangerous shoals from Newcastle Harbour. Sometime in this period, he was promoted Major.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son (only child) of Edward Close, merchant in Bengal, India, and his wife Marriane Collinson, daughter of Michael Collinson. Married on 27 September 1821 at St John's, Parramatta, to Sophia Susannah Palmer, only daughter of John Palmer, the commissary, and his wife Susan Palmer. Buried beside his wife in St James's churchyard.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1
