Jules Joubert

Born in Angoulême, France, in 1824, Jules François de Sales Joubert spent his youth between Bordeaux and Paris before sailing for the southern hemisphere in 1839. He reached Sydney by 1841, later lived in New Zealand and South Australia, and eventually settled in New South Wales, where he became known as an energetic entrepreneur and developer.

Joubert worked across an unusually wide range of fields. He helped build up Hunter's Hill, ran transport ventures including a ferry service, and was active in theatre and exhibition promotion. He also became well known in musical life, organizing concerts and writing criticism, which made him a recognizable figure in colonial cultural circles as well as business.

As a writer, he is remembered for Shavings and Scrapes from Many Parts, a memoir drawn from his travels and experiences. The book matches the pattern of his life: curious, practical, and full of movement. He died in Carlton, Melbourne, in 1907.