Biography
Robertson was born at Bow, London. His father, James Robertson, was Scottish, his mother English, and the family emigrated to Australia in 1820 on the advice of Sir Thomas Brisbane. They were apparently in good circumstances, for, according to the custom of the time, anyone bringing to the colony a sum of not less than £2500 was entitled to a first class grant of 2500 acres (10 km²) of land, and this they received in the upper Hunter district. James Robertson was also appointed general superintendent of government clocks and received a 35 hectare grant at Robertson's Point, Cremorne Point.
Robertson at five years of age was sent to the school in Sydney just opened by John Dunmore Lang. Subsequently he attended schools kept by Bradley Gilchrist and W. T. Cape. Among his schoolfellows were two other boys destined to become premiers of New South Wales, James Martin and William Forster. On leaving school about the year 1833 Robertson went to sea and worked his passage to England where, through the medium of some letters of introduction, he accidentally came in contact with Lord Palmerston. The personality of the young man so impressed Palmerston that he invited him to stay with him for a few days in the country. There he introduced him to various distinguished people, and afterwards when he was leaving England gave him a letter to the governor, Sir Richard Bourke.
Robertson visited France and South America, and, after an absence of two years, left the sea and joined his family in northern New South Wales. He engaged in grazing and the farming of crops for some years. He married Madge Davies when he was 21 and they were to have three sons and six daughters. He made himself prominent in the struggle between the squatters and Governor Sir George Gipps, who attempted to restrict the expansion of grazing in northwestern New South Wales.
Read more about this topic: John Robertson (New South Wales Premier)
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