Forster Family

Sir Robert Officer's Children & their Families

Below are thumbnails of photographs taken of some Sir Robert Officer's FOURTEEN children and their families. Mouse-over the thumbnails to read a brief description of each photograph. Click on the thumbnail to view at full size, then use your browsers 'back' button to return to this page. Click HERE to return to the Gallery Index page.

Click HERE for the biographies of Charles Myles Officer and Suetonius Henry Officer.
Click HERE for the biography of James Blackwood.
Click HERE for the biography of Robert Simson.
Click HERE for the biographies of Robert Officer Blackwood and Arthur Ranken Blackwood.

ONE

Robert Officer of Rocklands was born 14th March, 1825 at New Norfolk, Tasmania, Australia. He was the first son of 14 children of Sir Robert and Lady Jamima Officer née Patterson. He married Martha Read on 7th May, 1851 in Tasmania. She was the daughter of Captain George Frederick Read and his second wife, Margaret Terry. Martha Read was born in Hobart, Tasmania 1832 (christened on 3rd June, 1832) and died at Lindisfarne, Tasmania on 18 November, 1917. She is buried with her husband in the St. Kilda General Cemetery, Melbourne. Robert died 25th August, 1881 at "Greenbank", Berwick, Victoria. Click HERE to see the Gallery of Robert Officer of Rocklands and his family.

TWO

Eliza Hunter Officer, born 7th May, 1826 in new Norfolk, Tasmania, was the second child of Sir Robert and Lady Jamima Officer. She married James Blackwood on 29th March, 1849 in Hobart Town, whose brother Richard Blackwood had married her sister Isabella Officer (see 7). Eliza Hunter died on 8th February, 1867 in "Mont Alto" Toorak, Victoria. James was born 1822 at Downhill, near Kirkoswald, Ayrshire, Scotland the son of Hew Blackwood, farmer, and Janet Richard of Auldhouseburn. The first of three brothers to emigrate to Australia, he arrived in Van Diemens Land in 1840 and immediately moved to Sydney where he joined the Union Bank of Sydney. In later years becoming the Manager of the Banks Melbourne branch and then a Director of the Bank. In 1859 he joined, as Partner-Manager, the Melbourne pioneering pastoralist company of FG Dalgety. He was predeceased by his wife and died 4th February, 1881 at his home "Mont Alto", Toorak, on 4th February, 1881. They had 3 sons and 5 daughters. Arthur Ranken Blackwood, the eldest son born on 12th January, 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania, joined the Bar before being admitted as a partner in Dalgety, Blackwood & Co in 1879 and then, in 1884, was made joint Managing Director of Dalgety & Co. In 1885 he was appointed to be the 1st Chairman of Directors of BHP. He died at his home in Malvern, Melbourne on 2nd February, 1905. We have been unable to locate photographs of Eliza and her family.

THREE

Charles Myles Officer of Mount Talbot, born at New Norfolk Tasmania on 14th July, 1827 was the 3rd child and 2nd son of Sir Robert Officer. He married (1) Christina Susannah Robertson on 24th January, 1854 who was born in 1834 and died 21st July, 1875, bearing him 11 children. He married (2) Ellen Agnes Besnard on 28th November, 1876 and she bore him a further 8 children. He managed the Mount Talbot run for his father and acquired freehold title to it in the 1860s. In 1883 he, with his family. resided at "Ottawa" in Toorak and, in 1891 he lived at "Lancox", Brighton. He was the MLA for the seat of Dundas in the Victorian Parliament 1883-1895. He died 1st February, 1904.

Charles Myles Officer was born 2nd December, 1854 and died in 1910. He was the eldest son of Charles Myles Officer of Mount Talbot.

From Left Charles Myles Officer, Harold Armytage, Tom Tairbairn and George Armytage c1870 in costume for a play at Melbourne University.

Alexa Catherine Officer née Wilson, 1885 wife of William who was son of Charles & Christina.

William Officer and his wife Alexa in first car and son Errol in the rear driving a Renault at Mount Talbot.

Errol Myles Wilson Officer, son of William & Alexa.

Jamima Brown née Officer, 1892 daughter of Charles & Christina.

David Brown with daughter Jane Kathleen Officer Brown and his wife Jamima née Officer, at Kallara c1896.

Margaret Swan Officer née Edgar wife of Sydney Linden Officer, son of Charles Myles Officer of Mount Talbot from his first marriage to Christiana Susannah Robertson.

Rupert Besnard Officer, first son of Charles Myles Officer of Mount Talbot from his second marriage was born 10th September, 1877 and died 19th December, 1903.

Sir (Charles) James Officer Brown, son of David Brown who married Jamima Officer, the eighth child of Charles Myles Officer of Mount Talbot.

Ottawa, the Toorak home of Charles Myles Officer with five of his children from his second marriage.

FOUR

Catherine Officer, born 29th July, 1828 at New Norfolk, was the 4th child of Sir Robert Officer. She married Robert Simson on 30th April, 1851 and died at "Leura" Toorak on 24th November, 1893. After a month of marriage, she wrote to a friend, "I have taken Simson completely under my care; reduced him to a state of subordination and content". The marriage was childless. He was born 4th October, 1819 at Coalfarm, Fife, Scotland, son of Robert Simson, farmer and Elizabeth Carstairs. He arrived in Van Diemens Land in November, 1842 and crossed over to Port Phillip very shortly thereafter where he became a major pastoralist owning, in time, Langi Kal Kal near Beaufort. He was the MLC for Western Province in the Victorian Parliament 1876-1878 and 1880-1882. Buying "Leura" in Toorak in 1865 he built a mansion there in 1873. He died 3rd November, 1896.

Catherine Simson née Officer, daughter of Sir Robert Officer.

Robert Simson, MLC, husband of Catherine Simson née Officer.

FIVE

Suetonius Henry Officer of Murray Downs, born New Norfolk, Tasmania on 4th January, 1830 was the 5th child and 3rd son of Sir Robert Officer. He married Mary Lillias Rigg Cairns on 13th December, 1886 in Chalmers Church, Melbourne. She was born 3rd March, 1835 in Cupar, Fife, Scotland and was the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Adam Cairns and Jessie (Janet) Ballingall. Mary bore Suetonius Henry four sons and two daughters and died in Tasmania on 14th October, 1931. Seutonius Henry, with his brother Charles Myles, acquired various pastoral runs in New South Wales and Victoria including Murray Downs over the river in New South Wales opposite Swan Hill. Suetonius and Mary resided there in between trips to England until 1881 when they permanently moved to Melbourne for the benefit of their childrens education. He died at his home Glenbervie (Leighwood), Toorak on 23rd July, 1823.

Suetonius Henry Officer of Murray Downes and his wife, Mary Lillias Rigg Officer née Cairns.

Mary Lillias Rigg Officer née Cairns wife of Suetonius Henry Officer of Murray Downes.

In the centre is Mary Lillias Rigg Officer née Cairns wife of Suetonius Henry Officer of Murray Downs, taken c1890.

Mary Lillias Rigg Officer née Cairns being driven by her second son, Henry Suetonius, from Kallara to Tilpa, c1904-07.

Mary Lillias Rigg Officer née Cairns in drawing room at Hallgreen, New Norfolk, Tasmania in March, 1916.

All six children at Duneira, Mt. Macedon, c1864 - L to R Adam Cairns [born there on 2 January 1881], Charles Graham Weir, Edward Cairns, Henry Suetonius, Mary Lillias and Jessie Violet Cairns [also born there on 26 December, 1877].

Glenbervie Mansion, Toorak, c1985 [with one of their daughters in the garden].

Mary Lillias Rigg Officer née Cairns and her daughter, Mary Lillias at Montpellier, Mt. Macedon [Mary died there on 12 January 1926].

Charles Graham Weir Officer aged 14, eldest son of Suetonius Henry Officer and Mary Lillias Officer née Rigg, was born 2nd October, 1876 and died 18th February, 1911.

Charles Graham Weir Officer, taken later in life.

Sybil Muriel Graham Officer, daughter of Charles Graham Weir Officer.

Henry Suetonius Officer, the second child of Suetonius Henry Officer and Mary Lillias Officer née Rigg, born at South Yarra on 19th July, 1869 and died on 3rd July, 1948. See next for a photograph taken of him later in life.

Henry Suetonius Officer in 1913 (married without issue), second son of Suetonius Henry Officer and Mary Lillias Officer née Rigg, at his property, Killara, New South Wales, which is on the Darling River between Louth and Bourke.

Edward Cairns Officer, third son of Suetonius Henry Officer and Mary Lillias Officer née Rigg.

Mary Lillias Officer (Murlie) born on 11 July, 1873 at 'Murray Downs', Swan Hill and died on 12 January, 1926 at 'Montpellier', Mt. Macedon. She was the fourth child and eldest daughter of Suetonius Henry Officer and Mary Lillias Officer née Rigg. She married Hubert William Pullen on 2 January, 1902.

Adam Cairns Officer, fourth son of Suetonius Henry Officer.

Adam Cairns Officer, fourth son of Suetonius Henry Officer, in the gardens at Hallgreen.

Louise Playford Officer née Sexton, MBE, wife of Adam Cairns Officer, watering in the gardens at Hallgreen.

SIX

Frederick William Officer, born 14th March, 1831 and died 2nd May, 1832.

SEVEN

Isabella Officer, born 28th August, 1832 in New Norfolk, Tasmania, was the seventh child of Sir Robert and Lady Jamima Officer. She married Richard Blackwood on 6th April, 1851, whose brother, James Blackwood, had married her sister, Eliza Hunter Officer. Isabella died in London, England in 1900. Richard was born in 1827 at Downhill, near Kirkoswald, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Hew Blackwood, farmer, and Janet Richard of Auldhouseburn. After arriving in Australia he embarked on a career as a pastoralist owning properties "Woodlands" near Crowlands in the Wimmera, Victoria and "Hartwood" near Deniliquin, New South Wales, as well as being a partner of Dalgety, Blackwood & Co. He died in London, England on 21st January 1881. They had 3 sons and 3 daughters. The eldest, Robert Officer Blackwood, born 24th June, 1861, became Chairman of Dalgety & Co. from 1925-27 and was a Director of BHP as well as an active pastoralist with his brothers at "Hartwood" Station. He died at his home "Landene" in St Kilda Road, Melbourne opposite the Shrine of Remembrance on 22nd September, 1941.

Isabella Blackwood née Officer, daughter of Sir Robert Officer.

George, Robert & Harry Blackwood, sons of Isabella and Richard Blacwood.

Robert Officer Blackwood, son of Isabella and Richard Blacwood.

EIGHT and NINE

Frederick (8) Officer born August, 1834 and died 1st January, 1835. Jamima (9) Officer born 1836 and died 1836.

TEN

William Officer of Zara, born 22nd October, 1837 in Hobart, Tasmania, was the 10th child and 5th son of Sir Robert Officer. He married Mary Grace Hebden on 13th February, 1867. She was the daughter George Hebden of ancient Yorkshire origins, and Harriet Spencer, who arrived in NSW in 1835 becoming large pastoralists as well undertakings in suburban land developments in NSW. Mary Grace, who died 28th January, 1908 bore William Officer 13 children (with one twin son dying in infancy) - 5 sons and 8 daughters. William purchased Zara located near Deniliquin, New South Wales in 1860 and, nearby, his close Patterson, Blackwood and Landale cousins also held vast pastoral tracks. William and Mary Grace also had the town house "Hereford" in Alma Road, St. Kilda, Melbourne where the 100th anniversary was held to celebrate the arrival of the Patterson and Officer families in 1822. William died at Zara on 29th July, 1913.

Brothers - George, Ernest, Richard & Gerald, sons of William Officer of Zara.

Ernest Officer, c1920, third son of William Officer of Zara.

Doris Officer née Veale, c1920, wife of Ernest who was the third son of William Officer of Zara.

Richard Blackwood Officer, fourth son William Officer of Zara.

William Gerald Officer (known as Gerald), fifth son of William Officer of Zara.

Theresa Officer, first daughter of William Officer of Zara.

Marion Officer, September, 1903, second daughter of William Officer of Zara.

The eight daughters of William Officer of Zara, from left are Edith, Adelaide, Mary Grace, Theresa, Isabel, Florences, Clara and Marion.

From Left, Clara, Isabel, Adelaide and Florence in Paris, daughters of William Officer of Zara.

Edith Officer aged 21, 1893, third daughter of William Officer of Zara.

Edith Officer, third daughter of William Officer of Zara.

Mary Grace Officer who later married Lyndley McMeekin. She was the eighth daughter of Willian Officer of Zara.

John Robert Officer, c1945, son of Ernest and grandson of William Officer of Zara.

Mary Jean Officer, daughter of Ernest and granddaughter of William Officer of Zara.

ELEVEN and TWELVE

Margaret Officer (11) born 25th May, 1837 and died 24th October, 1847. Jane Wood Officer (12) born 3rd August, 1838 and died 4th January, 1839.

THIRTEEN

Jamima, born 11th May, 1843 in Hobart, Tasmania, was the 13th child of Sir Robert and Lady Jamima Officer. She married, on 12th June, 1866 in Tasmania, Surgeon Major John James Clarke of the East India Company and lived in India for many years then going to England to live. Jamima bore him 2 sons and 4 daughters and died on 23rd August, 1930 at Crowborough, Sussex, England. John was born on 4th February, 1866 and and died in England in February, 1895. We have been unable to locate photographs of Jamima and her family.

FOURTEEN

Mary Reid Officer born 2nd January, 1844 and died 9th February, 1855.