The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Bonwick, James
Bonwick, James, F.R.G.S., son of James and Mary Ann Bonwick, was born in London on July 8th, 1817, and married Miss Esther Beddow, April 17th, 1840. In the following year he emigrated to Australia, arriving at Hobart on Oct. 10th. He spent eight years in Tasmania, three in South Australia, twenty in Victoria, and travelled extensively throughout New South Wales and Queensland. He acted as Inspector of Schools for the Ballarat district of Victoria for four years, when a severe sunstroke, which caused partial paralysis, incapacitated him from all work for nearly four years. He opened a school at St. Kilda, near Melbourne, in 1863, and returned to England for the benefit of his health in 1870, but has since several times revisited Melbourne. He has been engaged for the last four years as Archivist to the New South Wales Government, in the preparation of materials for the official history of that colony. Mr. Bonwick has been a most industrious author and compiler. Amongst his numerous works may be mentioned "Geography for Australian Youth," 1845; "Boroondara," 1854; "Western Victoria," 1857; and at various dates, "Orion and Sirius," "French Colonies," "Early Struggles of Trade in New South Wales," "Early Struggles of the Australian Press," "Early Struggles of the New Zealand Trade and Press," "Our Nationalities," "Geography of Australia," "Discovery and Settlement of Port Phillip," "Buckley, the Wild White Man," "John Batman, the Founder of Victoria," "The Last of the Tasmanians," "Daily life of the Tasmanians," "Curious Facts of Old Colonial Days," "Mormons and Silver Mines," "Pyramid Facts and Fancies," "Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought," "Resources of Queensland," "First Twenty Years of Australia," "Port Phillip Settlement," "Romance of the Wool Trade," "The The Bushrangers of Van Diemen's Land," "Bible Stories for Young Australians," "Astronomy for Young Australians," etc.