Austin was the only child of William and Harriet Mosher who lived in Mosherville where the family have lived since arriving in Nova Scotia in 1760. William wrote "The Chronological History of the Mosher Family" published in 1891.
He regularly returned to Hants County to see his parents and extended Mosher family and friends. His father like many Mosher family worked in Shipbuilding. Austin represented the change of many descendants whose lives straddled the 19th and 20th Century, a time of great change, moving into other fields of enterprise and occupation.
According to his obituary when he died, Journalist dead after long career, Montreal Gazette, Sat 30 October 1920 Page 11, "Austin was well educated and while being of Protestant faith received a classical education at a Roman Catholic College, which adapted him in a very large measure for understanding the racial and religious conditions existing in Quebec in his chosen career as a journalist. Mr Mosher did not speak French like so many English speaking Canadians, rather he spoke the tongue of Mollere, like an educated French-Canadian. He also spoke Italian.
Mr Mosher from his knowledge of men and events and of the rich political life of Quebec, was a rare raconteur of finished taste. His fund of anecdote was extraordinary, and when he was in the hummer, he would recount by the hour reminiscences and tales of by-gone days, and a great deal of the inner political history of Quebec.
Mr Mosher, who was 58 years of age was born in Mosherville, Hants County, Nova Scotia where his parents lived and died.He was of United Umpire Loyalist Stock. He studied at St Josephs College at Memramcook N.B. Later he followed a classical course in the college of St Anne de la Pocatiere and also at Rimouski College. Coming to Montreal 35 years ago, Mr Mosher joined the staff of the Montreal Daily Witness, where after a brief period of service, he passed over to the larger family circle of The Montreal Gazette, where he developed his true calling as a news writing journalist with a leaning to politics. He was also for many years the Montreal correspondent of The Toronto World, before the advent of the Canadian Press. For 35 years he was actively in the harness until 18 months ago, when on account of failing health, he ceased active journalistic labor."
Austins widow, Margaret Cecilia Murphy, died in 1941 and there were no children of the marriage. Austin and Margaret are buried in Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.
The political time that Austin lived in and experienced was very important. The Canadian Confederation or the formation of the Dominion of Canada occurred on 1 July, 1867. This was the process by which three British North American Provinces ; The Province of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, were united in one Federation. Canada then consisted of four provinces; Ontario and Quebec, which had been split out from the Province of Canada and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.Prince Edward Island did not join the Confederation until 1873. This was a huge change for all Canadians and Austin Mosher was well placed to observe, understand and report.
AUSTIN MOSHER (Born 6 April 1854, Mosherville Nova Scotia. Died 29 October 1920, Montreal, QC)
Journalist for The Montreal Gazette Newspaper.