John Harris (Australian settler)

John Harris (1754 – 27 April 1838)

John Harris (1754 – 27 April 1838) was a military surgeon and magistrate who became one of the earliest major landowners in the Colony of New South Wales, Australia.

Biography

Harris was born in Moneymore, County Londonderry, Ireland, and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Prior to his arrival in New South Wales in June 1790, he had served in the Royal Navy for 10 years.

Harris was granted 100 acres (0.4 km²) of land in Parramatta in 1793. This grant was cancelled a year later and he was granted 110 acres (0.4 km²) in Harris Park instead.

In 1802 and 1803 Harris faced charges of ungentlemanlike conduct and disclosing the votes of a court martial. He was acquitted of both charges but debarred from civil office for around a year.

In 1806, he was granted all of the land on the Drummoyne Peninsula. He had various other landholdings including some in Ultimo, which he named after his famous legal case. His total landholdings were listed at 5,114 acres (21 km²) in 1826.

Despite having no formal legal training, Harris was appointed a magistrate and played an important role in the various political manoeuvrings that took in the colony during its first two decades. Among his colleagues during this pivotal early period was his fellow Irish-born surgeon and magistrate, Thomas Jamison. In 1817, he was one of the founding directors of the Bank of New South Wales.