The Colourful Man Who Sold Balmain for Five Shillings

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The Colourful Man Who Sold Balmain for Five Shillings

Media Centre HealthMatters News Photos Videos Publications Contact Us (Newsletter) 29 January, 2015 The colourful man who sold Balmain for five shillings William Balmain, pictured, probably won‟t go down in history as a real estate visionary, but he certainly led one very colourful life. The namesake of one of Sydney‟s most expensive suburbs handed over 550 acres of choice waterfront land for a mere five shillings in 1801 (or about $24 in today‟s terms) soon after it was granted by the NSW Governor for “services rendered”. Apparently, Balmain, a Scottish doctor who had travelled to Australia on the First Fleet, owed money and thought the land – and the shillings – a fair exchange to clear the debt. Little did he know just how valuable it would become. It‟s fair to say Balmain was an interesting man. Credited with delivering the First Fleet‟s first baby, he engaged in a pistol duel with his boss after a disagreement Dr William Balmain (above) and historic and challenged merino king and lifelong adversary John photographs of Balmain Hospital (below left) Macarthur to the same. He extracted a spear from Governor Arthur Phillip‟s shoulder after a run in with “hostile natives” and was involved in covert rum deals with India under the Governor‟s nose. But for all his connections and contributions to the fledgling colony, Balmain was buried in an unmarked grave in Britain after his death from liver disease at 41. His old foe John Macarthur, whom he had labelled a „base rascal and an atrocious liar and villain‟, showed up for the funeral – possibly just to confirm for himself his pistol-wielding enemy would give him no more trouble. This year, we‟re celebrating Balmain Hospital‟s 130th birthday and we‟d love to hear from residents with stories of the hospital‟s past or the much-loved suburb itself. To get the memory banks going, here are some wonderful old photos of the hospital and staff. You can also read this story and see more photos of Balmain Hospital on the Sydney Local Health District Facebook page. .

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