John Campbell
| First name | John |
|---|---|
| Last name | Campbell |
| Country of Origin | Scotland |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1872 |
| Submitted by | John Campbell |
Story
JOHN CAMPBELL was a native of Greenock, Scotland. His birth date is not known.
He married MARY JANE SAVAGE in Port Glasgow, Scotland in 1854. Mary was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1835.
John accompanied by his son, EDWARD, and a group of skilled workmen came to Australia about 1872 to supervise the construction of the Footscray Sugar Refinery. He became its first manager until succeeded by his son Edward in 1885.
Accompanied by six children under 18 years of age, John’s wife Mary left Liverpool on Brunel’s famous auxiliary steam clipper “GREAT BRITAIN” in 1874 and joined him after fifty-six days at sea. Her eldest daughter LIZZIE and husband travelled with them.
John and family lived in an elegant villa near the refinery at Yarraville, Victoria, alongside a group of company cottages housing the refinery workers. The refinery was a major employer with a staff of 250 in the early 1880’s and boasted its own fire brigade. John served as a Councillor of Footscray City.
John’s son Edward, after managing the refinery, established a structural engineering firm. He served as a Melbourne City Councillor for 23 years, including a term as Lord Mayor (1937-38) and was awarded the O.B.E.
(Contributed by JOHN H. CAMPBELL O.A.M. – a great grandson of John)