Argus (Melbourne, Vic.

: 1848 - 1957), Saturday 27 May 1933, page 4

he

LACHLAN
SCOTTISH OVERLANDER.
By

CHARLES DALEY.

Like so

many of

LachlanMacalister

Australian

the

was of

pioneers

commission,

ensignin
the 48th
tonshire,
which two years later was

New

drafted

South Wales. In

the
transferred

following

year the regiment was

Dalrymple
to the
at Port
on
Diemen's
Tamar, in
Land. The
the
Van
regiment
recalled
settlement

to Englandin 1818,
Australia.
in
In
1820-1
he was at
and about
thistimehe became intimatewiththe two
Camden,
sons of
John
of
the
founder
of the wool industry in
It was the period when approvedgrants
perof landwerefreely madeto
sons. Each of
the
James
and William had the good fortune to
was

Macalister remained

but

Newcastle,

Macarthur,

Australia.

extensive

Macarthurs,

obtain a

block of

landat

Taralga.

fertile
2,500 acres of
creek was the boun-

foundations

alister,

who

of

about thistimewas

Tarlo

at

authorities,

January

2,000 acres, which on

grant of

25,

acquisition

1824,was honoured by
his
of
MyrtleCreek,now Myrtlethat area at
Macalister's
ville,five miles from Taralga.
Macarthurs
close friendship with the
evipastoral
to
take up
which they had prospered.
Some cattleand sheep for breeding purMacalister
poses were purchased by
from

dently induced him

pursuits,

in

well-known

their

strains.

Macalister

appointed

magis1826
was
a
trate.He
posihad acquired a
leading grazier
tionin public affairs as a
patron
and a
of sport. In 1827

In

recognised

Macalister

was

magistrate

resident

made

charge of

mounted police

the

Plains. Bushrangers were

aggressive,

some and

officer in

and

especially

depredations,

ful in

evading
troopers

his

the
in

well-aimed

Muggleston,

former soldier.

acriminal's

was

appointed

to

the

period of
New South Wales,

sent his kinsman, Matthew

search of
in
fresh
pastures.
himself, impressed
Major
He
by
Mitchell's favourable report, resolved
to
go
overland
to
Port Phillip. With Thomas
Macalister,
Walker, Dutton and
Brown,
April, 1837,
set out for the land of proin
mise. On
the overland route they passed
the Mollisons from Miara, who a
few
Macedon.
monthslater settlednear Mt.
Murrumbidgee
Crossing the
River, they
reached
the Hume River,and then followed
favourite

crossing

place at
the junctionof the Kingand
Ovens Rivers. Thence they reached the

BrokenRiver, then VioletPonds. Proceeding

they crossedthe Campaspe River,
then the Loddon, and west of Mount
Macedon pursued a
course southward.
Macalister
and
Walkerwere anxiousto

information.

Melbourne

On

on

received

which they

had
they rode on

May 29

rapidly ahead
bourne

at the landsaleon

1837, of

of the

party, reaching

Mel-

May 31.

At

Macalister

the land sale next day

purchasedallotment

block 2,

6,Collins,
of

tween Flinders,

beWil-

King, and

streets;

4,

also lots 6, 7, and 9, of block

between Flinders, Collins, Queen and

Elizabeth

streets.

and

Macalister

liam

At
this time Walker
dined with CaptainLonsdale

wife,

andhis
and madea trip up the
River, visiting another Mollison's
Yarra
station,
Willis

alsothatof

then
Williamstown
they sold
horses,

and
Georgetown
in
impressed
district,

tents, and

their
then

prospects

the

and

later he

Plenty

the

station.

At

bullocks,

voyaged

Tasmania. Macalister

by

Geelong;
Goulburn

at

Gardiner's

River, and

to
was

Port Phillip

of

purchased

land at

Mitchelltown

also at

at the

first inland

on

the

saleof

land

investment,

on

the

1839. This
owing to
May 9,
almost immediate divergence of
the
convenient

crossing

was
and

bold
skill-

siteof

present
nearthe
Seymour,proved value-

conspot

of the
to disfoot.

Donohuewas

shot by

Trooper

Thusa

dan-

the

Sydney.

more

command

National Library of Australia

of

the

the townof

less.

January,1838,

In
Macalister,

there came
letterof

with a

tion, a

young

Scotsman,

to
introduc-

Angus McMil-

compatriot

Skye. Macalislan, a
from
employment,
ter gave him
and McMillan
gained
soon
the
of an expert
bushman.
With the
of
the
disastrous drought Macalister decided
in
experience

prolongation

gerous
career was
ended, and
Macalister
outlaws brokenup.
the band of
seriously.
was wounded, but not
In
1833

he

track to

at

Goulburn,

approach

sharp encounter

After a

Mitchell's

was

Picton, on

undercoveron

killed by

grant

place of

strategic

instructed

another

Sydney road to

at
and on the
gang the troopers were
attack

gang

the
increased

ruffian called

police. Macalister

Bringelly,

mountand

trouble-

leadership

underthe
of
a
Donohue.
capable leader, he
A
and fearless in
his
centrated

Goulburn

at

very

Macalister

south-east

the
the

William Macarthur, received from

written promise
a
of
a
land

with
the

residence

set in in

and

Macalister,

June 1,

Australia. Mac-

industry in

road from

severe drought

be in

Here, in
vine-growing

Macalister's favourite

properties.

betweenthe two
dary lineaddition
succesfulgrazing,

to
Macarthurs
laid the

of

of

purchase
Myrtle
of
4,000 acres by
at
Creek. By
1837 the Macarthurs had
jointlyacquired 18,440acres;and MacStathaird,
alister 16,300acres
at
to the
Taralga.
south of
Melbourne
To
for
Land.

Southern

Scotland.

to

He
his estate by

Macalister,

Duncan

command

the

Bathurst.

Clifton homestead, near

thesonof
and Janet
of
in the Isleof Skye, Westof
1797.
He
was bornin
In 1815
purchase
became
by
of a
he
an
Regiment, Northampservice

to

Scottish birth,

Strathaird,

for

extent

the

MACALISTER.
A

appointed

was

mounted police at

the

1839 to
send McMillan across the Snowy
River through Monaro, where he
had
acquired pastoral interests,

with the

object

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4738560

Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 27 May 1933, page 4 (2)
acquired pastoral interests,

lan,

object
with the
for stock.McMil-

finding fresh pastures

of

accompanied

by

aborigine,

an

days

Mt.
Buchan,

near

in

Haystack

reached

satisfied

and

there were good prospects

turning

settlement

by

Omeo
beenmadeby

Mac-

Pendergasts,

Macalister,

to
sentMcMillanin

unknown south-easterndistrict.
and delaysthis

in
the
fertile

discovery

province

richand
it opening
was
the
in
ranges and

afterwards

Gippsland,

Strzlecki,

ofstreams
a

permanent

tablelands

to

called

now

of the

of

called by

1841

and Yass

what is

1840 again
party to

who in
of a

difficulties

After many
resulted

reported

he

charge

explore the

Monaro

that

Re-

plains, where

and the

favourably

enterprise,

few

McLeod),

southward.

way of

already

had

Farlane

(or
himself

track

as
and
Alpine

over

from the

the sea,at
Albert.

Port

GippslandVentures.

Some
September

1839,McMillanhad
at
Numblamunjie,
Macalister
Ensay, and
now
lostno timein
by the
Commissioner
SuperinTyers, reporting to
tendent Latrobe
in
July 15, 1844, upon

On

16,

Macalister

first station for

formed a

discoveries.

profiting

Gippsland",

the

writes:
"A
is in the
(sic) of
Mr.

who,I

am

"Heart

the

of

partof this

discoverer

of

Macalister,

enormous

expense

opened

occupation

country

Gippsland,

informed,

at

2,000 and

of

the
3,000,

across
ranges
a road
the
to this
beautiful district through
counthe Omeojourney."
Count
try, prior to
Strzelecki's

Beside the cattle station Macalister acquired Boisdale, near

Avon River,
the
retained
October,
which he
1840, to
from
Clydebank,
May, 1850;
and MarlazPoint,
Wellington,
1844;
nearLake
from1843
Dargo fromJuly, 1846,
Newburn Park,
buckle,

at

from 1844 to
Macalister's

to

May,1850; and

to

Tinamba,

withDr. Ar-

1847.

objects
undertaking, consummated

One of

this great

in

by

McMillan,

Angus

seaport

reach a

from
wascould
to safely export
cattle
heMalcolm
to
Tasmania.
McFarlane, his
whofirst
had
which

occupied Heyfield station,

was the

to

Hobart, wheretheirprime

cattleto
send
condition ensured
a

Macalister's

ready sale.
Gippsland pastures

fat cattle from the

were
in the
and
communiwere quicklydisposedPort
of.
The
cation
conbygateway
seaat
the
Gippsland,
rendered
venient
into
Monaro
route from
the
by
almost
Tambo River
way of Omeoandthe
becameseldomused.
and it
his
and connection
with
many years.
for
River, named
after
Waterwitch,

forwarded,

Albert,

difficultoverland

unnecessary,

Macalister continued

interests

Gippsland

Macalister

The

McMillan,

ties.

fitly

He

commemorates

died on

December

himby

activihis 1855.
24,

National Library of Australia

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