Joseph Thoburn McGaw correspondence, 1856-1906

MLMSS 9572

fonds

1856-1906

1184423

0.32 meters of textual material (2 boxes)

Joseph Thoburn McGaw was born in Carnmoney, County Antrim, Ireland, 1828.

In 1856, 'Fairymount' farm was the home of Joseph McGaw, his mother Margaret, sister Eliza, and brother William John (WJ), his father, John, having died in 1836. 'Sunnyside' farm, next door, was home to his uncle William and cousin Mary, and next to them was 'Sentry Hill', home to William Fee McKinney. Two doors away again lived one of several Wilson families.

Of the three families, the Wilsons first emigrated to Australia in 1838, Joseph McGaw in 1856, and the McKinneys from 1880.

Joseph spent a year working as a surveyor's assistant before becoming an overseer for David Wilson who managed his uncles' property Avon Plains. Joe eventually became manager of not only Avon Plains, but also Longernong & then Yanko. In 1861 his brother, William John, joined him in Victoria. When he went into partnership on his own station 'Burrabogie', east of Hay, in 1866, some of the Yanko station hands went with him. In 1869 he married Francis (Fannie) McNeill, and in 1872 gave part of his share in a second property, 'Kooba', to his brother. Joe and William John later became sole owners of Kooba station.

With the problems of land legislation and a fluctuating wool industry, and the added loss of both his sister and mother in 1877 and 1879, his health declined and he spent a few months in 1880 travelling around New Zealand. Later travels abroad suggest he was even then on the lookout for grazing lands beyond Australia.

In early 1882 Joe sold Burrabogie, and later in the year resisted the urging of the community to enter into politics. Leaving Kooba under the management of his brother, he and his wife and 4 young children moved to England in early 1883. After seeing the family settled he was off travelling again, to South America in 1884, Mexico & Texas in 1886, Australia in 1887-88 (during which time he supervised the rebuilding of Kooba homestead), and in 1892 returned to Argentina to set up a partnership in a sheep and cattle station called 'Huanguelen'. He continued to supervise the management of Huanguelen from his home in Surrey, England until he died in 1898, at which time he was still on the London board of Dalgety & Co. Ltd.

BOX 1

A.
Four bound volumes (green) of letters (typed transcripts) sent by Joseph Thoburn McGaw from Australia, and some letters received. A full index to these 4 volumes, titled 'McGaw Letters, catalogues 1-7, is included with each volume. Joe's letters were all to family and relatives in Carnmoney, Ireland.

Volume 1 - Letters dated 26 September, 1856 to 15 December 1862. Written to his mother Margaret McGaw; his sister Eliza McKinney (nee McGaw); his brother William J. McGaw; his cousin Mary McGaw. Written from 'Royal Charter', steamer, 1856; Surveyor's camps Victoria, 1857; Avon Plains Station 1858-1861; Longernong Station 1861-1862; Yanko Station 1862.

Volume 2 - Letters dated 21 February, 1863 to 22 December 1867. Written to his mother Margaret McGaw; his sister Eliza McKinney (nee McGaw); his brother William J. McGaw; his brother-in-law William F. McKinney. Written from Yanko Station 1863-December 1865; Burrabogie Station, Deniliquin 1866-1867.

Volume 3 - Letters dated 13 January 1868 to 25 November 1876. Written to his mother Margaret McGaw; his sister Eliza McKinney (nee McGaw); his brother William J. McGaw; his brother-in-law William F. McKinney; Willam F.'s father Thomas G. McKinney; his business associates Macgregor and Stanbridge.

Written from Burrabogie Station, Hay, Deniliquin; Menzies Hotel and Melbourne Club, Melbourne.

Also includes letters from: Mary McGaw, August 1868; Eliza McKinney, March 1869; William McKinney, October 1875.

Volume 4 - Letters dated 17 February 1877 to ca 1901.
17 February 1877 to 27 December 1896 - Written to his mother Margaret McGaw; his sister Eliza McKinney (nee McGaw); his brother William J. McGaw; his brother-in-law William F. McKinney; Willam F.'s brother Hugh McKinney; his nephew Joseph McKinney; his wife Fannie (nee McNeill); his children Edie, Jack, Ninie and Maddie; his sister-in-law Sarah McGaw (nee McKinney).

Written from Burrabogie & Kooba Stations, Melbourne and Sydney 1877-1882; England and Argentina 1883-1884; England, France, Ireland & Scotland 1885-1886; West Indies, Mexico, Texas, Cairo, Australia, New Zealand, America 1886-1888; England & Argentina 1889-1892; England 1892-1896.

Includes 10 letters from William McKinney to Jack & Ninie 1898-1901.

BOX 2

B.
Bone cloth spine, Copy letter book Australian and Joseph McGaw's deceased estate letters by Jack McGaw, 17 October 1899 to 16 February 1906. Manuscript and typescript copy letters concerning business matters, income tax, shares, estate duties, and accounts. (cover has Aug 26th, 99).

C.
Red leather spine, Copy letter book, 4 November 1893 to 13 January 1897. Manuscript copy letters relating to Huanguelen (Argentina) sheep and cattle station, bought by Joe in 1891 with partner Andrew Learmonth, former stud-breeder on Groongal station in N.S.W.

People and firms mentioned in letters:
Andrew Learmonth died in 1892 and letters to Learmonth family often relate to his estate.
"Noel" (Learmonth) was possibly a book-keeper in England for Joseph McGaw & Co., appears to be son of Andrew and co-inheritor of Huangueleln with Jack McGaw.
Letters to "Mair" relate to Australia. George Mair was manager of Groongal station NSW, and took over as attorney for Kooba station after Joe McGaw's brother, William John, died in 1894.
"Krabbe Higgins & Co." were possibly station agents/accountants for Huanguelen, based in Buenos Aires.
"Mr. Pettigrew" was station manager of Huanguelen until January 1895.
"Mr. Pearson" took over as manager of Huanguelen in 1895. Letters to Pearson are of great interest, concerning day-to-day running of a station, especially the 14-page letter of 21.12.1894 titled "Memorandum", page 250.

D.
Business correspondence of Joseph McGaw and Co., 8 August 1893 to 14 August 1894. Includes copy letters; original manuscript, and typescript letters.

E.
Original correspondence from 5 July 1876 to 7 May 1901. Typescripts are in Vol. 3 and Vol. 4.

F.
Miscellaneous textual material. Includes newspaper clipping from the Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser dated 24 December 1881. Auction sales of the Burrabogie Estate; Summer excursions on Lough Erne; Selection of Sacred Music of the Presbyterian Churches, Synod of Ulster, 3rd edition 1837; Church of Ireland Young Men's Magazine ca 1889; Copy letters of Joseph McGaw 1856; Index to letters 1860-1862; Population of New South Wales; Poem to Joseph McGaw 30 July 1883; Envelope address to Miss McGaw, Surrey; envelope of Year Tags with string; Six manuscript copies of letters, dated between 1887 and 1892 (these also appear as typescripts in bound vols. 1-4; brochure on Sentry Hill; Photocopies of original newspaper clippings concerned with Joseph McGaw.

Copyright status:: In copyright
Research & study copies allowed:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Ian McGaw and Graham McKinney

Index to Letter books, biographical information, and provenance history is filed with collection. -

Sentry Hill, an Ulster farm and family by Brian M. Walker. Dundonald: Blackstaff Press, 1981.¶¶William Fee McKinney of Sentry Hill: his family and friends by Mrs. I. R. Crozier, Coleraine, N.I.: Impact Printing, 1985.¶¶Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre¶http://www.sentryhill.net/¶¶William Fee McKinney of Sentry Hill was the recipient of many of Joseph McGaw's letters. These publications and website also include information on the McGaws.