DOUGALD MCDONALD Square Range 1842

The following profile of the Pioneer McDonalds of the Monaro district was written by Sister Ursula McDonald Smith. (Elizabeth Joyce Smith). It was written in preparation for the staging of the centennary of the Nimmitabel Agricultural and Horticultural Show, celebrating the Pioneers of the Nimmitabel district.

The McDonald Clan, consisting of several large McDonald and Rankin families, all related, headed by Dougald McDonald, set up the clan on Square Range, Nimmitabel in 1842. They were all Gaelic speaking, and Catholics, from the Western Highlands of Scotland. After the defeat of the Highlanders, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746, the Highlanders were forced to forfeit their lands to the British, and English landlords took over and expelled the native Highlanders. Thus the dreaded Highland Clearances came about, forcing the emigration, at first to Nova Scotia, and then at the request of NSW Agents, many clansmen, including McDonalds, were persuaded to undertake the long voyage to Australia.

The McDonalds boarded the " British King " at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull on the 31st October 1838 and arrived at Sydney Cove in February 1839. There they were welcomed by Robert Campbell who had emigrated from Argyll in 1828, had prospered on his Pialligo Holdings and Duntroon Estate and Delegate Station. He assigned the McDonalds to the care of the Duntroon Estate as they were so well versed in pasturing sheep and cattle from their life in the Highlands. Before leaving Sydney, Dougald purchased wheat for seed purposes and a herd of cattle from the Government Granary, and then their long trek to the "far Inland", Duntroon, began.

Life in the isolated bush was vastly different from life in the Highlands, and they met with many adventures, including being " stuck up " by bushrangers who stole their possessions, but later returned them because Dougald wisely did not identify the culprits and have them punished, and so they were never troubled by bushrangers or convicts again. From pasturing cattle and being in contact with clansmen in Delegate and Native Dog Flat, it was decided to settle the whole clan at Nimmitybelle, as the craggy nature of the land was so similar to their native Highlands.

Dougald obtained 8000 acres on Square Range, and later acquired more land around Curry Flat and across the McDonald Creek. At first they lived as a Clan sharing everything in common. Their first dwellings were slab huts of sawn and split local timber with bark roofs, but when the families became established they built multi roomed dwellings of stone and mortar with shingle roofs, similar to those they lived in, in Scotland. Some of these dwellings are still standing, though the walled yards have collapsed into mounds of stones. With the gold strikes of the 1850's around Kiandra and Bendigo, some of the young men went off to make a fortune, but returned somewhat disillusioned. From their association with the local aborigines and from pasturing and agisting cattle, they found a route down the Brown Mountain, which became a road to the coast, but being astute Scotsmen they refused to divulge the map until they received a reward of 200 pounds.

The first generation married within the clan to McDonalds, Rankins and Campbells, but the first generation born here, through marriages into other pioneer families incorporated familiar pioneer names such as, Thornton, Caldwell, McKee, Smith, Blyton, Tindall, Driscoll, Bell, Owers and others. Some of their first homes were on Square Range, Glenfinnan, Glencoe, Glen Allen, Native Dog, Thistlebrook, Mohawk. In 1853 Angus and Isabella McDonald obtained the first licence for the Nimmitabel Inn, which became a great gathering place for the locals, and especially for McDonald Ceilidhs. When Fr. Michael Kavanagh visited, Mass was celebrated and many weddings and baptisms took place in Angus' Inn, before the building of St. Andrew's Church.

In 1859 John McDonald obtained the licence for the " Robbie Burns " hotel and Archibald managed this for many years. Later, Alexander (Sandy) McDonald ran the Commercial Hotel. McDonalds once ran the bakery and butchery. McDonald descendants are still here in Nimmitabel, and are scattered all over the Monaro and elsewhere for employment. They are clanspeople, and clannishness is evident. " The Blood is Strong" (Clan Donald Motto), still holds dear, and Back to Nimmitabel will see them, from near and far, gather again, telling the old stories, sing and dancing together, and the pipes and drums will resound again in Nimmitabel.

Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 6:25 PM

Subject: McDonald family history

Dead David,

Firstly, may I compliment the great genealogical research that you have completed on the McDonald family of the Monaro.

I am not directly related but my sister in law (my brother Frank's wife) is related. Her name is Annette Taylor, descendant of Alexandr McDonald+ Isalbella McDonald, their son Hugh McDonald then Douglad McDonald + Janet McDonald and their daughter Mary Ann who married John Taylor of Tea Gardens, Holts Flat, in 1867.

My research interest is the Bushranger, Frank Gardiner. I have read the views of the famous bushranger Historian, Edgar Penzig, who asserts that Frank Gardiner was a Scotman named Francis Christie. Wrong! Aboriginal researcers contend that he was a member of this McDonald family. I contend that he was Charles Taylor's brother.

1. In an article published in several newspapers and reiterated by ghost writer, Ikey Stevenson, later accredited to Frank Clune in Clune's "Wild Colonial Boys" a colleague of Gardiner said that Gardiner had told him that his father had seen the body of Bold Jack Donohoe before he (Gardiner) was born. Donohoe died two months before Francis. In any case Francis Christie was one year old when Bold Jack Donohoe died.

2. I have the Baptismal Certificate for "Francis, (son of ) Gerome and Tom Tom" born Five Islands (Appin) written in Latin by Catholic Archpriest, John Joseph Therry in November 1830. This fits the NSW and Victoria Police Records for Frank Gardiner. Gerome in Latin when translated into French/English is spelt Gerrard. Dr. John Gerrard/Girard lived in Appin. It was more likley that Dr. John Gerrard saw Donohoe's body in the local morgue than Francis Christie's father, Charles Christie then living in Scotland.

3. Victoria Police records reveal that while Scottish born Francis Christie was escaping from Pentridge, Appin born Frank Gardiner was being held in Melbourne Gaol.

4. Recruitment lists in 1856 for 11th Devonshire Regiment show that a Scotsman Francis Gardiner was recruited. On the next payroll he is shown as Francis Christie. Appin born Frank Gardiner was simultaneously crushing rocks on Cockatoo island, Sydney Harbour. Pte. Christie transferred to the 77th East London Regiment a few months later and was honourable discharged in 1857.

5. Francis Christie's death was recorded in 1867 in Liverpool. He is believed to have died in 1862. His age was shown as 33 years.

6.Wills of the NSW Supreme Court reveal that the original occupier of the land later purchased by Henry Munro, employer of Charles Christie and later to have married Mrs. Jane Christie (Melbourne 1842), was William Gerrard. William died in 1862 and left his estate near Bombala to his brother, Dr. John Gerrard. Likewise, another brother, Gerard Gerrard, died in 1863 and left his estate at Exeter, near Moss Vale, to Dr. Gerrard. Dr. Gerrard died in 1868 and left his estates to his wife Caroline. Caroline is believed to have given the Bombala estate to one of the McDonald/Taylor family.

7. Robinson, the visitor to Frank Gardiner in Newcastle Gaol, to whom Gardiner gave the draft of his famous poem "Darky", was born into the family that resided in the same house in Sydney as the fifth Gerrard brother, Francois (convict per Agamemnon 1820). The other brother was Manuel Gerrard of Braidwood.

8. Frank Gardiner's mother was Anna Taylor, known as Clarke, tribal name Tom Tom, held to have been the daughter of an Aborigine of the Unanaderra Tribe and William Taylor, a migrant, of the "Shoalhaven", born 1815. William Taylor was the original occupier of the land laterpurchased by his kinsman, Adam Taylor at Boro, next Gerrard/Munro property. Anna's relationships are held to be as follows;

i. 1828-1829 Convict John Clarke of Araleun, servant of Styles,

ii. 1829-1836 Dr. John Gerard of Appin

iii. 1836-1841 Charles Christie of Boro Creek and Portland, Vic.

iv. 1842 rest of life. John McDonald of Bombala, Scone and Portland,Vic. A child Flora McDonald was born in Scone in 1857 (NSW BDM).

9. My sister in law asserts that Charles Taylor, as was Anna Taylor/Clarke/McDonald, was a half caste Aborigine or the son of one.

10. According to the Marriage Certificate of Mary Ann McDonald and Charle Taylor's son John Taylor, Charles Taylor owned the "Tea Garden" at Holts Flat where the wedding took place.

Q 1. Could you give me any more information about Charles Taylor? Who was he? Who was his wife? When and where did he die.

Q. 2 What is your view on the origin of Frank Gardiner. Was he really related to these McDonalds?

Q. 3 Who was the John McDonald who partnered Anna Taylor/Clarke/McDonald? (See births NSW BDM 1857)

Q. 4. Mary Ann McDonald asserted that Flora McDonald/Mrs. Alexander Mackillop, the mother of Blessed Mary McDonald was her cousin. Her grandson, Alan Taylor, son of Mary Ann's son, Henry, told me that he personally knew this assertion before Blessed Mother Mary Mackillop was made famous. He had learned of this from his grandmother Mary Ann McDonald. I have seen that other local McDonalds have aserted the same thing.

I might add that my brother, Frank, and his wife, Annette Taylor, were not aware of the connection with Blessed Mary until they advertised the engagement of their daughter Helen-Clare Donohoe in the press. They received a letter from the Mount street Headquarters of the Sister od St. Joseph, inviting them to celebrate Helen-Clare's marriage at the altar beside Blessed Mary's grave in their chapel. They did! I was a guest.

Answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.

You might care to give me your postal address so that I can send you CDs containing my recently published 155,000 name "Paracensus of Australia 1788-1828", my 27,500 name "Births in Australia 1788-1828" and my 34,000 name "British Army in Australia 1788-1870 Index of Personnel", as gifts.

Regards

James Hugh Donohoe