The portrait of Mary Reibey appearing on the Australian twenty-dollar note serves as a reminder of an unlikely ascent from convict origins to colonial commercial dominance. Arriving in Sydney in 1792 under a seven-year transportation sentence for horse theft, she transformed her status through strategic trade and property management, eventually becoming a prominent figure in nineteenth-century New South Wales society.
Early Life and Transportation
Baptised Molly Haydock in 1777 in Bury, Lancashire, she entered service following her parents' deaths. In August 1791, she was arrested for stealing a horse while disguised as a boy under the alias James Burrow. Her conviction resulted in a seven-year transportation sentence to Australia. She arrived in Sydney aboard the Royal Admiral in October 1792.
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In 1794, she married Thomas Reibey, a junior officer on the ship Britannia. The couple established a farmhouse at Reibycroft on the Hawkesbury River and built a stone residence in Sydney’s Macquarie Place by 1804. Their business interests included farming, coal, cedar, and furs. Expanding into international markets, they partnered with Edward Wills to conduct trade with China and India.
Leadership and Expansion
Following her husband's death in 1811, Reibey assumed full control of their numerous commercial enterprises. She opened a George Street warehouse in 1812 and increased her fleet of vessels by 1817. Her residence in Macquarie Place hosted the founding of the Bank of New South Wales in 1817. By 1828, she had accumulated substantial urban property holdings.
Public Standing and Retirement
In her later years, Reibey participated in local civic life, serving as a founding governor of the Free Grammar School in 1825. She visited her native England in 1820, an experience that influenced her 1828 census statement claiming she arrived free in 1821. She resided in a cottage at Hunters Hill before retiring to Newtown, where she died in 1855.
Fast facts
- Born: 12 May 1777, Bury
- Died: 30 May 1855, Newtown
- Arrival in Australia: 1792
- Spouse: Thomas Reibey
- Award: Victorian Honour Roll of Women, 2001
- Burial site: Balmain Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the basis of Mary Reibey's fortune?
Her wealth derived from shipping, trading in commodities like coal and furs, and extensive property investments in Sydney.
How is her life commemorated today?
She is featured on the Australian twenty-dollar note and was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001.
