Alexander Munro
| First name | Alexander |
|---|---|
| Last name | Munro |
| Country of Origin | Scotland |
| Date of Birth | 9/1/1836 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | c. 1870 |
| Submitted by | Judith Mayell |
Story
Alexander Munro was born in Tullich, Kilmuir Easter, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland on 1st September 1836. When he grew up he went to work for the Duke of Sutherland at Dornoch Castle. It was here that he began his training as a horticulturalist. From Dornoch Castle he went to Kew Gardens in London. As he suffered from bad bronchial asthma, he made the decision to migrate to Australia.
On arrival in Australia he went to Allora in Queensland to his brother George. It was here that he met his future wife, Mary Ann Armstrong. He was working at East Talgai Homestead as head gardener and Mary was working there as head cook. They were married 12 July 1872 in the house of Charles Joseph Isambert in Warwick. Alexander and Mary had 3 children – Christina, George Thomas and Alexander.
After his marriage, Alexander worked for Captain Hope at Ormiston, then at Bowen Park in Brisbane. Later still he worked at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens at the end of George Street. In 1880, Alexander went to work as curator in Queens Park in Ipswich, Queensland. He worked in Queens Park for many years until he was forced to retire. He was a good age, but his comment was, “If I had known that it wasn’t a permanent job, I wouldn’t have taken it!” He died in Ipswich 32 June 1923.