James Squire
James Squire | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kingston upon Thames, England |
| Baptised | 18 December 1754 |
| Died | 16 May 1822 (aged 67) Kissing Point, New South Wales, Australia |
| Other names | James Squires |
| Occupations | Primarily a brewer, but also:
|
| Spouse | Martha Quinton. Left in England when Squire was transported. |
| Partners |
|
| Children | 11 |
| Signature | |
James Squire, alternatively known as James Squires, (bapt. 18 December 1754 – 16 May 1822) was a First Fleet convict transported to Australia. Squire is credited with the first successful cultivation of hops in Australia around the start of the 19th century. First officially brewing beer in Australia in 1790; James later founded Australia's first commercial brewery making beer using barley and hops in 1798, although John Boston appears to have opened a brewery making a form of corn beer two years earlier.
Squire was convicted of stealing in 1785 and was transported to Australia as a convict on the First Fleet in 1788. Squire ran a number of successful ventures during his life, including a farm, a popular tavern called The Malting Shovel, a bakery, a butcher shop and a credit union. He also became a town constable in the Eastern Farms district of Sydney. As a testament to the rise of position in society (from shame to fame), his death in 1822 was marked with the biggest funeral ever held in the colony.