23 May 1846 Launceston Tasmania Australia Lavinia Butchart Lavinia Clarke, Andrew, girl, Alexander, James Vincent, George, Jessie Cargill & Roy Cathcart

Alex Wallace was born in Dundee, Angus, Scotland, on 23 May 1846, the eldest of nine children of Alexander Wallace and his wife Jessie Cargill. On 24 Sep 1868 he married Lavinia Butchart at Newcastle on Tyne, designating himself as a ship's engineer. On 20 Mar 1872 Alex set sail on the Yorkshire and arrived in Melbourne in June. His wife and two children followed on 6 Aug 1872. In 1875 the family moved to Launceston. By this time Alex was a teacher of music. He was also bandmaster of St Joseph's Band and a member of the Launceston Rifle Band. He formed the Launceston City Band, and was the conductor of the Launceston Orchestral Society, Launceston Musical Union, the Owl Club and the Exhibition Choir.

Alex was a foundation member of St Andrew's Lodge and a member of the Commercial Travellers' Association. In 1892 the family moved back to Melbourne where Alex formed, and for 16 years conducted, the Victorian Railways Band, had private music students, taught at St Andrew's College, and worked at Suttons Music Store. He died at Brighton in July 1937. See The Examiner 15 Jul 2006, p.40.

Jane Carolan Jun 2006