Tunks readers will be saddened to hear of the death of our Patron, Peter Christian (1927 – 2018). He had a keen interest in people, and was particularly interested in Australian history. Most especially from the First Fleet onwards, gaining a prodigious amount of knowledge that he was willing to share. His retentive memory of so many First Fleeter’s surprised many.
Born in Sydney, Peter was educated at Sydney Grammar and after at Sydwwen took over and expanded his father’s Pharmaceutical business.
He was a member of Fellowship of First Fleeters for almost 50 years, and was its President for 22 of those years, maintaining an interest in every aspect of this organisation. During Peter’s initial time in the Fellowship he met then other members similarly related through William Tunks, including Len Chalmers and Cynthia Curry, and in 1982 they met to discuss the beginning of the Tunks Descendant Association.
In 1984 Peter started, edited and published the Tunks Descendants newsletter that recently celebrated its 100th edition. This newsletter was designed to keep its members up-to-date with information and activities.
In 2006, he was awarded a Medal of the Oder of Australia for “his service to the Preservation of Australian History, especially through the Fellowship of First Fleeters and to the community”.
Peter had a lifelong interest in Australian history. A number of people from our organization knew him well and attended his funeral on 25 July to farewell a gracious man of unbounded integrity and civility. Peter is survived by wife Joy, and children – Amanda, Nicholas, Timothy and Mathew and their families.