Allan Macpherson

Allan Macpherson (24 October 1818 – 6 November 1891) was a squatter, pastoralist and politician in the colony of New South Wales, a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Allan Macpherson (holding hat) and Family in 1884 at Blairgowrie, Scotland

Early life

Macpherson was born at Blairgowrie, Scotland.[1]

He went to Sydney, Australia with his parents Willam and Jessie Macpherson (née Chalmers) in 1829 where he attended Cape's School and later squatted on the rural properties of Keera near Bingara, New South Wales and Mount Abundance near Roma in Queensland.[2] Macpherson's account of his experiences as a squatter,[2] recounts his constant conflicts with the Aboriginal peoples of the Mandandanji nation.[3] He returned to Scotland in 1850,[2] and in 1853 he married Emma Blake, daughter of Charles Henry Blake and his wife, Frances. He visited Australia in 1856-57 and sold his squatting properties,[4][5] before his family moved to Sydney in 1862.[6]

Politics

Macpherson was a candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Central Cumberland at the 1860 election, but was unsuccessful.[7] He won the seat at the 1863 by-election,[8] and held it at the 1864-5 election.[9] He was involved in the first physical fight in the Legislative Assembly in February 1868, with Macpherson taunting Benjamin Lee, to which Lee responded by punching Macpherson in the face, whilst still in the house and Macpherson horsewhipping Lee after he had been ejected by the serjeant-at-arms.[10][11] Macpherson did not hold any ministerial office and resigned in December 1868.[1]

Later life

Macpherson and his family once more returned to Blairgowrie in 1868,[12] and he died there on 6 November 1891(1891-11-06) (aged 73).[1][13]

See also

References
  1. "Mr Allan Macpherson (1818-1891)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  2. Macpherson, Allan (1879). Mount Abundance: or The Experiences of a Pioneer Squatter in Australia. London – via Project Gutenberg Australia.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. "Mandandanji People". Archived from the original on 8 October 2018.
  4. "Mount Abundance Homestead (entry 600371)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  5. A lady (1860). My Experiences in Australia: Being Recollections of a Visit to the Australian Colonies in 1856-7 – via Project Gutenberg Australia.
  6. Foster, Stephen (2010). A Private Empire. Sydney: Murdoch Books Australia. ISBN 9781742668925. A history of the Macphersons of Blairgowrie, Scotland.
  7. Green, Antony. "1860 Central Cumberland". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  8. Green, Antony. "Central Cumberland by-election 1863". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  9. Green, Antony. "1864-5 Central Cumberland". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  10. Rutledge, Martha (1974). "Lee, Benjamin (1825–1917)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 5. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  11. "Legislative Assembly". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 23 February 2021 – via Trove.
  12. Foster, Stephen (2010). A Private Empire. Sydney: Murdoch Books Australia. ISBN 9781742668925. A history of the Macphersons of Blairgowrie, Scotland.
  13. "Macpherson, Allan (1818–1891)". Blairgowrie Advertiser. Scotland. 7 November 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 23 February 2021 – via Obituaries Australia.

 

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