Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/48

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DICTIONARY OF AUSTRALASIAN BIOGRAPHY.
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21 minutes 17 seconds. In the next year Beach defeated Clifford, repeated his defeat of Hanlan, and also vanquished Neil Matterson, a young sculler of his own colony. On March 27th, 1886, Beach sailed for England, and arrived at Plymouth on May 17th. He at once accepted a challenge from Hanlan, but nothing coming of it, he challenged the world. Beach then won the first prize of £1200 in the International Sweepstake on the Thames, defeating Bubear, Lee, Teemer, and others. On Sept. 18th he rowed Gaudaur on the Thames for £1000 and the championship of the world, and won the day after a tough struggle. On Sept. 25th he defeated Wallace Ross for a similar stake, and soon afterwards left for Australia, arriving in Sydney on Dec. 3rd, 1886. Hanlan followed him to Australia, and they met on the Nepean, when Beach's superiority was again asserted. He then wished to relinquish the championship, and on Peter Kemp challenging him resigned it to him, declining to row him. He subsequently kept a public house in Sydney.

Bealey, Samuel, M.A., was born in Lancashire in 1821, and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took his degree in 1852. In the same year he went out to the Canterbury settlement in New Zealand, then newly founded, and set up as a station-holder in conjunction with his brother John. When Canterbury was constituted a province Mr. Bealey was one of the members for Christchurch in the Provincial Council, and in 1863 was elected Superintendent. The harbour works at Port Lyttelton were constructed under his official régime, and he was a warm advocate for the erection of the breakwater which contributes so much to the safety of the harbour. At the close of his term of office he returned to England.

Beaney, Hon. James George, M.L.C., M.D., F.R.C.S.E., L.K.Q.C.P.I., M.R.I.A., was born at Canterbury, in Kent, where he was educated, and studied surgery with Mr. W. J. Cooper. He was afterwards a student at Edinburgh University, at Paris, and at Guy's Hospital. He commenced his medical career as regimental surgeon in the Mediterranean, and with the Turkish contingent in the Crimean war. After the campaign he made several trips to America, and ultimately went to Melbourne, where in 1858 he became assistant to Dr. John Maund, at whose death he succeeded to his practice. In 1860 he was appointed surgeon to the Melbourne Hospital, surgeon to the Royal Victorian Artillery, and was elected a member of the Royal Society of Victoria. He was again elected surgeon to the hospital and banquetted at the town hall in 1875, and was subsequently re-elected despite the strenuous opposition of a large section of the medical profession. In 1878 Dr. Beaney visited England with a semi-official commission from the Berry Government to report on medical matters. In 1883, after a severe contest, he was elected to the Legislative Council for the North Yarra Province, and was re-elected for a period of six years, in 1885, when he defeated the Hon. James Munro, the late Premier of Victoria. Dr. Beaney was the author of several medical works, including "Contributions to Conservative Surgery." He was munificent in his donations to public institutions in his native place, and offered various medical prizes. He died in Melbourne on June 30th, 1891, bequeathing by his will £10,000 to his native place.

Belcher, Rev. Robert Henry, M.A., entered the London University in 1864, and graduated B.A. in honours 1867, M.A. 1868, becoming Fellow of King's College in 1885. He was ordained priest in 1871 by the Bishop of London. After serving in various curacies he was assistant master in King's College School, 1871-4; classical master and chaplain, 1874-86. In 1886 he was appointed rector of the Otago High School, in Dunedin, N.Z., which position he now holds. He is the author of "Degrees and 'Degrees'" (Hardwicke), an exposure of traffic in academical titles (republished with additions in 1888); of "Latin Prose Compositions," Part I., 1874. Part II., 1879; "Keys to both" (Macmillan, 1883); of "The Bonny Kate": a Story of the Sixteenth Century (Hayes, 1876): editor of "Livy, Book II., with Notes" (Rivington,1882): "Manuel des Examens" (Hachette, 1884): and is the author of "A New Latin Grammar," in two parts (Hachette, 1891). He is the Commissary and Examining Chaplain for the diocese of Dunedin, and was President of the Otago Institute in 1890.

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