From The Pitty Family in Australia by Keith D Pitty

John Fraser was born 8 November 1819 in Inverness, the son of Alexander Fraser and Mary Chisholm. He arrived in Sydney in 1852 and married Elizabeth Reid from Liverpool, England on 10 October, 1856. Their eldest son, Alexander, born 18 September 1858 in Braidwood, married on 28 November 1883 Catherine Barbour born 24 April, 1859 in Melbourne.

Alexander was employed first with McIntosh & Sons, Ironmongers, Pitt St. Sydney, and then worked in the family ironmongery business in Darling St., Balmain. While courting Catherine he used to ride one of the new fashioned bicycles, called a “Gridiron” (and various other names) made with a very high wheel in the front and a little one at the back. Going home one night it struck some obstacle and he was thrown off and broke his arm. Once he rode this dangerous contraption all the way from Sydney to Braidwood, being the first to do that long distance on one of them.

Alex was a keen sportsman and was instrumental in forming Balmain Rowling Club, of which he was captain. In 1886 he and Kit moved to Braidwood with their 2 children where he started a hardware shop. The family occupied the old home “Araluen” in Monkittie St. which was the residence of his parents when he was born.

After the decline of the goldfield activities Alex sold the Braidwood shop in 1890 and returned to Sydney where they lived at “Hope Cottage” Holden St Ashfield. They then lived at Castle Hill and several houses in Parramatta, before moving in 1904 to Experiment Farm Cottage, at Harris Park, which had been built by Colonial Surgeon John Harris in 1834 on the site of the first successful farm in Australia, the original grant to James Ruse. Alex, now a professional photographer, used the old underground cellar as a darkroom. About 1905 he was Manager of States Photo Company, 29 Hunter St. Sydney. He then purchased the photographic business of Frank Hurley and he took the first aerial photographs of Sydney harbour which were published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Alexander and Catherine had 11 children, Catherine, John Robert, Mary Reid, Malcolm Aird, Madge Elizabeth, Frances Annie Jardine, Helen Leyburn, Alexander Lynne, Robert, Janet Grace and Alan Carey.

Alexander died 29.8.1917 and is buried in Baptist section of Gore Hill Cemetery. In 1949 at the age of 90 Catherine began writing her memoirs “Happy Memories of a Pioneer Australian Life.” She died at Rockdale 12.4.1954 in her 96th year and was cremated at Northern Suburbs, her ashes being placed in Alexander’s grave.

Of John and Elizabeth Fraser’s other children, Charles became an Orchardist, Hunter Reid an Inspector of Brickworks, James Commissioner of NSW Railways, Roderick Minister for Health in Queensland, and Thomas head of the NSW Fisheries Dept.

There are 3 members who descend from John Fraser and Elizabeth Reid - Rob Fraser and Judith Pearson grandchildren of Alexander, and Judy Clarke grandaughter of Roderick.