James Peek

James was two years and seven months old when he arrived in Sydney on board the "Marquis of Hastings" with his father, who was a soldier, his pregnant mother and 238 male convicts. His early life was spent travelling from one barracks to another and he was born while his father had been stationed in Ireland.

He was five days short of his seventh birthday on the day his father discharged from the army and began the process of removing his family to a farm at Melville near Maitland. By this time James had two brothers and a sister and had probably received some formal schooling in the barracks schools, set up for the children of the soldiers stationed there.

As the eldest of a family which continued to grow at the average rate of one birth every two years, James became his father's right-hand man as a farmer. He was still living on the farm at Bishops Bridge with the rest of the family when he married a local girl Sarah Bolton at St Andrews Church Bishops Bridge in 1865.

Their first two children were born at Anambah in the district of Lochinvar but by 1869 when their third child was born they were living at Bishops Bridge and James is now described as a "storekeeper". This child was the first to be born at Bishops Bridge and Mary Apthorpe was the midwife. By the time James Junior was born in 1872 the family was living in Rose Street West Maitland and his father was described as a "railway labourer".

This was followed by a period of about five years during which James worked as a coal miner, involving a move to Burwood and later to Adamstown (both in the Newcastle district). George Dickson Peek and Charlotte Lillian Peek were born at Burwood and on both birth certificates their father was listed as working on pit top as a "weighman". When the next child was born the family were living in Adamstown and James was working underground as a "miner". The next three children, William Albert and Rupert de Lacy Peek were also born in Adamstown, but by the time William was born father's coal mining days were over and he described his occupation as a "dealer". Two years later, when Rupert was born, James described himself as a "clerk".

Whatever this clerical work entailed it soon translated into the position of "librarian" at the West Maitland School of Arts, a position James held until his death twenty-three years later. The first few generations of Australian Peeks took the education of their children very seriously. It took the adult James fifteen years to find his niche as Maitland's librarian, but while travelling that road he spared no effort in providing a sound education for his own children. The ten who reached maturity produced a doctor and several teachers, while two of the sons held important positions in the NSW postal service. The Maitland Daily Mercury honoured James Peek with this obituary on Thursday 7 September 1905:

Death of Mr James Peek, - After an illness extending over a period of about two months, the death occurred last evening of Mr. James Peek, Librarian of the West Maitland School of Arts. Although his health was failing, the late Mr Peek did not relinquish his duties until a month ago, when he was compelled to lay up, consequent on a severe attack of bronchitis. Under the care of his medical adviser and members of his family he seemed to be doing fairly well and it was not expected that his end was so near. His passing, which was rather sudden, occurred in his sleep. The late Mr Peek was a native of Ireland and came out to the State when quite a lad. He was 65 years of age and had been connected with the West Maitland School of Arts, as librarian, for the past 23 years. In the discharge of his duties he was most courteous and obliging and made a host of friends, who will miss his familiar figure. When his death became known the committee of the School of Arts decided, as a mark of respect, to close the institution until after the funeral. A sorrowing widow and family of five sons and five daughters remain to mourn their sad and irreparable loss. One of the sons, Mr Norman Peek, is a school teacher at Glen Innes, Mr Harold Peek is studying medicine at Edinburgh, Mr W. A. Peek is connected with the Post and Telegraph office at Armidale, Mr Rupert Peek is a catechist in the Church of England, Port Macquarie, while the youngest son, Mr L. K. Peek, is a member of the reporting staff at this office. Three of the daughters are married, being Mrs. E. W. Norman, West Maitland; Mrs W. J. Cunningham, Bega; and Mrs W. A. Oliver, who lately proceeded to England. The funeral of the deceased gentleman will take place at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.