John McFarlane
| First name | John |
|---|---|
| Last name | McFarlane |
| Country of Origin | Scotland |
| Date of Birth | 1815 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1839 |
| Submitted by | John McFarlane |
Story
John McFarlane, aged 23, was probably typical of many who came as free settlers from Scotland and Ireland in the 1830’s and 40’s, and became the pioneers on coastal N.S.W.
He set sail on the migrant ship ‘British King’ from Tobermory, Isle of Mull, on October 28, 1838 together with his widowed father Duncan,aged 47, and five siblings-Sally, Anne, Grace, Duncan and George. They arrived in Sydney on Feb.28, 1839, having called at no ports on the way. The total number of passengers on board was 332 including 204 children. The 673 ton barque was 124 feet from stem to stern and 28.5 feet wide.
Records indicate that the voyage was happy and healthy. Passengers were encouraged to be active on deck,divine service was held every Sabbath and a school was established with 35 scholars. John Mcfarlane was one of the teachers. At journey’s end all but two passengers were quite healthy, six babies were born at sea but sadly seven children died. Soon after arrival one passenger wrote to The Australian newspaper on behalf of all passengers to express gratitude for the good trip, paying particular tribute to the Captain and to the Surgeon.
The family first secured employment at Major Lockyers at Ermington and later moved to the Mullion at Yass. While at Yass John joined the Denominational School Board and later transferred to the National Board of Education, teaching at Moruya, Iona (near Maitland), Brookfield and Mulconda (near Dungog).
He married Mary Stuart, also from Scotland, in 1848 and in 1858 purchased a 58 acre Crown Land allotment fronting the Clarence River between Swan Creek and Ulmarra. This was one of 35 blocks in the area released at that time. Those who took up the land were true pioneers. Clearing the land with hand tools was slow, hard work and required great perseverence. The initial felling and burning was followed by scattering maize seed into the ashes and making a small harvest by hand. Then followed at least 2 years of clearing the suckers and weeds which grew vigourously in the fertile soil and maize production was gradually increased. Maize was first shipped from Ulmarra in 1862.
John and Mary moved from the Hunter Valley to the farm in 1861, where he remained until his death in 1886. They had eight children, three of whom, Duncan, John and George, remained in the Clarence Valley, each of them making notable contributions to the development of the area.
Duncan became well respected as a veteran journalist with the Grafton Daily Examiner and as a historian. He was Mayor of Grafton for five terms.
John,on leaving school worked on the family farm and then took up land of his own. In 1884 he went to Sydney to start a business as an agent for maize, timber and general produce. In 1887 he was elected as Member for Clarence in the N.S.W. Legislative Assembly, retaining that seat until his death in 1915. His last official act was to open Grafton High School in that year. The McFarlane Bridge which links Maclean to Woodford Island perpetuates his name was opened in 1906 and is still well maintained, impressive and in constant use.
George resided in the Clarence area for 60 years, after which he lived in Sydney. Following his time on the family farm he developed a large and important general store in Ulmarra which served the town and district farm families until the 1940’s. The farm passed from George to his son John soon after the latter returned from W.W 1. George died in Sydney in 1946 aged 89.
This John, son of George, grandson of the John who arrived from Scotland in 1839, married Lillian Jane (Jean) Rayner from Woodford Island in 1921; continued on the farm until 1936. They had two sons and two daughters, who were the last McFarlanes to spend their childhood years on the farm. All four are now (in 2007) reasonably robust octogenarians who have good memories and feelings about the simple lives and freedom of their childhood on the Clarence, and are glad to have known their parents and grandparents generations and to have the knowledge of the family pioneering achievements which helped Australia to become the wonderful place we now enjoy. These four between them have nine children, 18 grandchildren and one great grandchild,all of whom will surely be proud of their heritage and their links to pioneers and nation and community builders.