Australian politician
William Balcombe (28 December 1777 – 19 March 1829) was an East India Company and colonial administrator. He came to fame as the father of a daughter (Betsy Balcombe) who befriended Napoleon Bonaparte[1] whilst the Balcombe family were living on Saint Helena.[2][3] The exiled Bonaparte had lodged with the Balcombes (at the Briars) whilst his permanent quarters at Longwood were being prepared.
William Balcombe spent some time in the Colony of New South Wales appointed as the first treasurer,[4][5] arriving on 5 April 1824 with his family and servants aboard the Hibernia.[6] He died there in 1829 (aged 51) and was buried in Sydney.[7][8]
Gallery
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Napoleon Bonaparte spent his first two months of exile living in the Pavilion, on the Balcombe Briars Estate on St Helena.
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The painted silk flag with the 1806 emblem of the New South Wales colony
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A modern rendition of the flag
References
Further reading