James Bonwick, teacher, author, historian and archivist, was born in England in 1817 and began his teaching career there, before emigrating to Hobart in 1841. He taught in Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne, writing school textbooks and history, and founding one of the earliest Australian teachers' associations. He became an immigration agent for the Queensland government, and was eventually hired by them to transcribe early Australian source material in England for use in Australia. He worked as a transcriber for South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales as well His work eventually formed the basis of the first fifteen volumes of series I of 'The Historical Records of Australia' (1914-1926). He died in 1906.