John Graham Macdonald

Pioneer Pastoralist Dies

A large circle of friends throughout Queensland will regret to hear of the death on the morning of May 29, of Mr. J. G. Macdonald, lately visiting magistrate, stationed in Brisbane, at the age of 84 years.

He had been ill for some weeks, and died in a hospital quite peacefully after a severe experience. He leaves a widow, one son. Mr. W. B. Macdonald, who is practicing as a solicitor at Hughenden, and two daughters— Mrs. E. B. Wareham and Mrs. J. A. Rae of Inkerman station N.Q.

Burdekin Valley Explorer

John Graham Macdonald, F.R.G.S., was the last of Queensland's early explorers, and one of the last of Queensland's pastoral pioneers.

He had a loveable personality and a remarkable record of public service—surveyor, explorer, pastoralist, gold commissioner, police magistrate, and visiting justice.

Victorian Farmer

Mr. Macdonald was born at Campbelltown, near Sydney, in September, 1834 - more than 20 years before the constitution of Queensland at a separate colony.

At the age of 18 years he joined his brother, a civil engineer, in Victoria, and gained a considerable knowledge of engineering and surveying.

A few years later he took up farming near Geelong, and became not only the model farmer of the district, but the chairman of a local farmers' association—probably the first farmers' association established in Australia—the chairman of the local road board, and a judge for the Geelong Agricultural Society.

Queensland Exploration

In May, 1859, he sold out his Victorian interests, and came to Queensland, joining another brother, Mr. P. F. Macdonald, Yaamba, near Rockhampton.

Two years after the constitution of Queensland as a separate colony, Mr. J. G. Macdonald explored the districts drained by the Burdekin, Einasleigh, and Lynd Rivers, and, on behalf of Southern financiers, amongst whom were John Robertson, afterwards Sir John, and the late Captain Towns, he established the Inkerman, Strathbogie, Dalrymple, Kirknie, Leichhardt Downs, and Carpentaria Downs stations.

Gulf Country Expedition

In the following year, on behalf of this adventurous firm of station promoters, Mr. Macdonald, accompanied by two stockmen and some black boys, explored the Gulf country, and took up great pastoral areas in the neighborhood of where Burketown and Normanton now stand.

For more than 10 years Mr. Macdonald managed Stations stretching between Inkerman, near Bowen, and the Plains of Promise near the present site of Burketown, contending against floods, droughts, and a score of privations unknown to the pastoralist of to-day.

Land Commissioner

In 1872 he relinquished his pastoral pursuits, and was appointed police magistrate and gold commissioner at Gilberton. Soon afterwards be was transferred to Charters Towers. He performed splendid service at Charters Towers, especially during the very disturbed period of 1873 on that field.

During the next twenty years he filled positions of police magistrate, mining warden, and land commissioner at Springsure, Bowen, Townsville, and Warwick, and in 1903 he was appointed police Magistrate at South Brisbane, an office which he filled until his retirement under the age limit in 1905.

Chairman Wages Board

Mr. Macdonald, though over 70 years of age when he retired from the magisterial bench, was much too active to live a life of inactivity, so he became the chairman of probably a dozen wages boards, just then being established in accordance with an Act passed by the Kidston Government.

Subsequently he became visiting Justice to St. Helena, Brisbane gaol, and the various industrial schools and benevolent and mental asylums in the metropolitan district, an office which he filled with great tact and ability until the time of his death.

Evenhanded Magiastrate

As a magistrate, visiting justice, and chairman of wages boards Mr. Macdonald was dominated wholly by sweet reasonableness. He did not browbeat a witness, or lecture an accused person, or dictate, to the persons seeking to arrive at some agreement.

Amiability was the keynote of his success -amiability combined with the rare gift of summing up human nature.

Thorough Gentleman

As a private citizen Mr. Macdonald was much beloved. Even when Pressmen occasionally went to him, and had to leave without getting what they sought, they were able to take their leave feeling that Mr. Macdonald’s refusal was a great deal more kind and considerate than the granting of a request by many other officials.

Mr. Macdonald had no more sincere admirers in the community than the Pressmen, who so frequently met him and the officials on his own staff. They knew him to be a thorough gentleman in the truest meaning of the word.

The funeral will leave the late residence of Mr. Macdonald, "Kotoro" Merivale Street, South Brisbane, at 3 o'clock. (Thursday, 30 May 1918)

Source: The Queenslander - 8 June 1918
Trove Digitized Newspapers