Pretty hard to ID without pics John. Sounds like lambhass--do you know the shape? Is it egg shaped or more elongated, the way some pears are? Is it smooth or bumpy? The good news is it isn't wurtz, which is a commonly grown green skinned variety here, which is low quality. However this possibly also rules out fuerte and pinkerton. It could be anything, really--proserpine purple, even.
My understanding is that the Mexican types tend to be purple skinned, not the other way around.
A friend in Melbourne collects them, I'll send him a message.