Brighton General Cemetery North Rd South Caulfield VIC 3162
Cemetery Address
Caulfield South, VIC
Demonination/Area
Church of England
Section
D
Grave Number
43
Notes
Passed for Masters Mate 15OCT1851 and Master 14JAN1854. Assigned HMS Curacoa, Flagship of the Australia Station 1863-1867 for admin purposes which in Victoria.
A few days since we recorded the death of Mr. Thomas Bourchier, Master R.N., and assistant Admiralty surveyor. The deceased had seen a great deal of service, and his loss cannot but be severely felt here, where the last six years of his life were spent as second in command of the Admiralty Marine Survey party in Victoria. He entered he Royal Navy in April. 1842, and from that date till just before his death he was constantly employed in Admiralty surveying and exploring expeditions. He served on the home,South American (west coast), and Behring's Straits stations, and in 1860 was selected to serve on the Victorian station,under Captain Cox, R.N., who is on the point of leaving this country to return to England.
The late Admiral Washington, the Admiralty hydrographer, promised to send a first-rate party to Victoria, and he fulfilled his word; for though the inattention of Government, and the want of appliances, have delayed operations, the charts of the Victorian coast, as far as they have gone, are monuments of the skill and industry of the party of which Captain Cox and the deceased were the two principal officers. By death and removal the naval service has lost two able and zealous officers. In testimony of the respect and esteem in which Mr. Bourchier was regarded, his funeral, which took place with military honours, was attended by a large number of the residents of Brighton, some military officers ; Captain Norman, of the Victoria ; Lieutenant Wood, of the training ship, with his officers and a number of the boys ; the officers and men of the Admiralty Survey, and a strong firing-party of the Royal Artillery.
Sources
UK Archives ADM196-77-260 & ADM196-21-192
The Argus Tuesday17 Jul 1866 Page 4 (see Notes)
