Henry Jefferson Bate (1816-1892)

Obituary
Some of the very old hands will probably remember a Mr. Henry Jefferson Bate who resided in this district in the ' fifties.' This gentleman died quite recently at Tilba Tilba, in the Cobargo district, and the local Watch thus refers to the deceased :— " Henry Jefferson Bate was the son of Samuel Bate, who came out in the year 1804, one of the civil officers in connection with the first batch of convicts sent to Tasmania. He returned to England in 1816 in the ship Jefferson, and on that voyage his son, the late Henry Jefferson Bate was born. The family did not, however, remain long in England, as soon afterwards Dr. Samuel Bate was appointed Inspector of Distilleries for New South Wales, and on arrival took up his residence at Middle Harbor, his son remaining with him until his marriage, when he settled in the Illawarra district, then in its infancy. Mr. Bate used to tell many interesting tales of his adventures in the early days of the colony, not the least exciting being the capture of a gang of bushrangers, in which he was mainly instrumental.

From Illawarra he returned to Sydney, and started business as a miller in the old Victoria mills in Lower George Street, in conjunction with the late Mr. Barkelman, and afterwards as a commission agent in Sussex-street. In 1860 he came to Merimbula and erected a sawmill, and nine years later took up his residence at Tilba Tilba, being one of the first selectors in this district, and he has always been known, and justly so, as the pioneer of Tilba."

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