One source says Alexander was born in Scotland and baptised in the parish of
Methlick, Aberdeen, on 16 January 1794. His death notice records that he was aged 46 in March 1847, The source with the earlier date reports that he attended
Aberdeen University and qualified as a surgeon in March 1816. In January 1827 he enlisted as a surgeon in the British army. Imlay first arrived at
Sydney in December 1829 on the
Elizabeth, and was working as a government medical officer in the
Civil Hospital by March 1830. His brother, George, who also trained as a surgeon, later joined him at the
Sydney Infirmary. In 1831 Imlay journeyed to the Illawarra district and on his return reported a disease resembling
smallpox had broken out there among the Aboriginal population. (Although the disease was never endemic on the continent, it was the principal cause of death in
Aboriginal populations between 1780 and 1870.) He was on the move again in 1832 when he accompanied
Governor (Sir)
Richard Bourke (1777-1855) on a tour of inspection of southern
New South Wales. By 1833 Alexander had
taken up 1,280 acres (518 hectares) on the
Bredalbane plains. Peter and George took up land at
Twofold Bay in southern New South Wales near what is now
Eden. They operated in the region as pastoralists, whalers, and shipbuilders, and produced casks of
tallow and salted meat. The remoteness of the area and the lack of roads meant transport and communication was generally by sea. ==Activities in Tasmania==