William Gunn (1804 – 1888), of Waranga Park, Victoria, Australia - a Braehour Gunn
Summary.
This article is mainly a life of William Gunn of Waranga, Victoria, Australia. William was originally a Caithness ‘Braehour’[1] Gunn. He was a successful Scottish migrant to Victoria in the gold-rush period and acquired a massive rural property in northern Victoria due to the gold he discovered.
The article is in five parts; Part 1 - the Braehour Gunns of Scotland, Part 2 - the life of William Gunn, Part 3 - the children of William Gunn, Part 4 – From Coroner Gunn (the first Gunn known in history) to William Gunn. Finally, there is a brief bibliography.
[1] Braehour is a Caithness farm, near Olgrinbeg. See https://canmore.org.uk/site/search/result?NUMLINK=187444&view=map.
This article is mainly a life of William Gunn of Waranga, Victoria, Australia. William was originally a Caithness ‘Braehour’[1] Gunn. He was a successful Scottish migrant to Victoria in the gold-rush period and acquired a massive rural property in northern Victoria due to the gold he discovered.
The article is in five parts; Part 1 - the Braehour Gunns of Scotland, Part 2 - the life of William Gunn, Part 3 - the children of William Gunn, Part 4 – From Coroner Gunn (the first Gunn known in history) to William Gunn. Finally, there is a brief bibliography.
[1] Braehour is a Caithness farm, near Olgrinbeg. See https://canmore.org.uk/site/search/result?NUMLINK=187444&view=map.
William Gunn of Waranga.[1]
Part 1 – the Braehour Gunns of Scotland
William Gunn of Waranga was one of the Gunns of Braehour. These Gunns descend from Coroner Gunn[2] of Caithness via William Beag (sometimes Bheg) Gunn some of whose descendants became Chief of the Clan after the death of Chief William Mhor Gunn (being William Beag’s nephew) without descendants. These Gunns of Braehour descend from William Beag’s second son John Gunn in Navidale of Borroble. For further details of the descent from Coroner Gunn to William Gunn of Waranga see Part 4.
William Gunn of Waranga[3] was born in 1804. His parents were William Gunn in[4] Braehour (1750 - c.1812) and his father’s second wife Janet Sinclair. William Gunn in Braehour had with his first wife Janet (Jean) Henderson -
1. Andrew Gunn born 15 July 1781 at Forss.
2. George Gunn born 21 January 1783 at Braehour.
3. Ann Gunn born 2 January 1785 at Braehour.
4. Jean Henderson Gunn born 11 June 1786 at Braehour.
5. Barbara Gunn born in 1791.
6. Elizabeth Gunn born 1796.
7. The Hon. Donald Gunn of Manitoba, Canada (1797-1878) He was a well-known politician and scientist.[5] His entry in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography can be found at http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/gunn_donald_10E.html.
William Gunn in Braehour had with his second wife Janet Sinclair –
1. John Gunn in Braehour born in 1801 and died, unmarried, on 18 November 1887 in Ontario, Canada. [6] He was buried in Chatsworth United Church, Holland Township, Ontario. Presumably he migrated to Canada as his older half-brother had gone there.
2. David Gunn born 25 September 1801 at Braehour.
3. Marjory Gunn born 28 February 1803.
4. William Gunn of Waranga, the subject of this article, see Part 2.
5. Janet Gunn born 22 March 1806 in Braehour and christened on 22 October 1807. [7] She died on 9 March 1879.
6. Robert Gunn born 23 May 1807 at Braehour – he died on 3 May 1880 at Clyth.
7. Alexander Gunn born 1809 at Braehour.[8] He died on 31 May 1871 (perhaps 1869?).
8. Jane Gunn born 14 July 1813 in Braehour.
William Gunn of Waranga’s grandfather and grandmother were John Gunn (1722-1810) of Dalnaha, Strathmore and Marjory (Mary) Dunbar of Rowens (b. c. 1728). They had at least seven children – these were, in order, Alexander, Jean (Janet), Angus, William in Braehour (as already mentioned he was William of Waranga’s father), Mary, Margaret, George, John and Donald the Clan Gunn sennachie / historian.[9]
The last-mentioned Donald Gunn in Braehour, later of Brawlbin, married Catherine Gunn in Osclay. She is of real importance. Her great grandfather was Donald Crotach Gunn of Killernan who was Chief of the Clan Gunn.[10] From Donald and Catherine’s marriage there are many descendants – the traditional Clan Gunn Chief line is not extinct.
A story is that Donald got the lease for Braehour Farm because the Sutherland Estate was raising men for military service and none would go unless Donald went. The Sutherland Estate promised him the farm in writing so he went to Ireland for seven years and returned. The Estate then tried to get out of the lease but before going to Ireland Donald had left money and the Estate’s letters with Henderson in Thurso who was a banker and a Sheriff. In consequence, Donald got Braehour.[11] Would the Sutherland Estate documents in the National Library of Scotland completely support this story? I suspect not; there is probably fact at the core of the story but myth has overtaken it to make Donald more significant. Certainly it is true that a promise of military service for land was ‘the chief weapon’[12] of the Sutherland Estate enrolment techniques for the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders in the period 1799-1804/5 but ‘the promise was ‘that the fathers should have leases of their farms,’ and that it was ‘to a certain extent fulfilled.’’[13] On the Sutherland Estate many leases were due to be ‘out of set’[14] (meaning up for renewal – or someone else taking over) on Whitsunday 1807; the potential problems for existing leaseholders on these days are obvious. Braehour was in the possession of Donald’s father - I suspect Donald’s military service enabled the Braehour lease to be renewed. (The reason why an Estate would want people to enlist is that Estates got a bounty for every man recruited.[15]) The 93rd served mainly in Ireland but in 1806 it fought at the Cape of Good Hope including a Donald Gunn; whether that Donald Gunn was this Donald Gunn is not known.[16]
These years certainly work for Donald – he was born circa 1766, he may have enlisted in 1799 for seven years, and then may have returned say 1806 and married Catherine Gunn of Osclay in Halkirk on 3 March 1807.
Part 2 – the life of William Gunn
William Gunn was born in 1804 in Halkirk Parish, presumably at home which was the Braehour farm, and was christened on 28 April 1805.[17] It was also the home of his grandparents, and at least some of uncles, aunts and their families at various times. It seems reasonable to assume that William’s early life in rural, isolated, early nineteenth century Caithness was crowded and involved, farm work, religion and education. It was a tough environment in which to live.
By adulthood William had left the farm - he was promoted from sheriff-officer to being a messenger-at-arms on 10 November 1837 in Caithness[18] and was still a messenger-at-arms on 6 June 1841 and living at Bridge Street, Wick according to the 1841 census. Basically, such positions were about serving and enforcing court judgments and orders so were ‘law and order’ positions but not a policeman. Presumably such positions required education, good character, tact and some personal presence.
William married Cecilia Cormack on 26 July 1850 at Aberdeen, Scotland. [19] She was born in 1819 in Wick Parish, Caithness. [20] The census of 30 March 1851 recorded William, his wife and five-month old daughter Margaret (Marnie) living at Willowbank in what is now Wick.[21] William and Cecilia had six children. These were Margaret 1850 – 1929, Janet 1852 – 1888, William the younger 1853 – 1921, Elizabeth 1859-1921, Alexander 1861-1915 and Cecilia 1863-1864. For their life stories see Part 3.
It is unclear exactly when William emigrated leaving his family at home. Given the birth date of 1853[22] for his son (William the younger) then William of Waranga could not have left Scotland before April 1852.
His wife Cecilia later emigrated, first class, on the ‘Kent’ and arrived 23 October 1857 in Victoria with her son William, leaving daughters Margaret and Janet with relatives in Scotland until 1874.[23] Why were the two daughters left behind for so long, especially as William was wealthy? What impact did it have on them?
Cecilia and William’s grand-daughter Janettie MacMillan recorded that ‘I am also distantly related to the Rev. Peter Gunn … when my grandmother and father arrived out here (Victoria, Australia) in 1857 they stayed with the Rev. Peter Gunn & Mrs Gunn at Campbellfield until grandfather was able to go for them.’ The Reverend Peter Gunn is of importance not merely for his religious work in early Victoria but also as his son Aeneas married Jeannie Taylor who achieved real fame as the author Mrs Aeneas Gunn of ‘We of the Never-Never’. Thomas Sinclair in his ‘The Gunns’ records some family trees held by Aeneas Gunn of Edinburgh – I have copies of these 1868-1870 Trees which made their way to the Reverend Peter Gunn’s family.[24] These Trees suggest strong links to the Braehour Gunns but it is not quite clear how these families merge. Other evidence is also around supporting the link.[25]
One version of why William went to Victoria is recorded by William Watkins Gunn and Marcus Daniel Gunn. They were William’s first cousin twice removed being great grandsons of Donald the sennachie Gunn and Catherine ‘Osclay’ Gunn who were discussed in Part 1. William and Marcus’s father was Donald Gunn who migrated to Victoria, later the Ballarat region, in late December 1854. The Ballarat and Waranga Gunn families certainly knew each other.[26] The story was recorded by William and Marcus when they visited Scotland as part of the ‘Australian Scottish Delegation Tour of the Motherland 1928.’ It goes -
(William) was Messenger at Arms at Wick. Two young men committed a crime and a tinker named Cluny who was had up for stealing was with them. William Gunn was taking the three of them to Inverness and stopped the other side of Helmsdale for the night at an inn, putting the two prisoners and the tinker in an upstairs room while he and some more were drinking downstairs. The tinker told the other two if they wanted to go he would take the handcuffs off as he was too old to go himself, so he took their handcuffs off and they opened the window, jumped out and got away. William Gunn was held responsible and had to resign. He then went to Australia…[27]
Now this story does not show William in a good light, as such it suggests at least some of it might be true – possibly all of it. Losing such a job in such a way would impinge on how others see you which might help explain emigration. But we should also be aware of the goldrush in the colony of Victoria and the consequent allure of emigration to that colony. William had family connections in Canada – his older half-brother the Hon. Donald Gunn of Manitoba had started working for the Hudson’s Bay Company by 1813 and was certainly very established and well-known by the 1850s. William’s older brother John (and therefore younger half-brother to Donald Gunn of Manitoba) also died in Canada, it is not known when he emigrated. For William it is possible that prospects of gold and the warmth of Australia overcame the temptations of Canadian family support.
The journey time to Australia was typically two to three months which meant William arrived in Victoria, at the earliest in June – July 1852. William then successfully worked as a gold miner[28] somewhere in Victoria for no more than three years.
‘The Argus’ of 1 October 1855 recorded[29] a forthcoming auction for 10 October - ‘By Order of the executors of the late Mr John McKay … 1849 sheep with right to the station known as Waranga Park, Lower Goulburn.’ Clearly William cannot have obtained Waranga Park before this auction, but he did so fairly soon after it. The auction date clearly shows that the idea[30] William owned the property before the Waranga Gold rush which started in mid-1853, is wrong. In other words, William had succeeded where the vast majority failed – he made money from gold mining, saved it and bought (more accurately in William’s case ‘leased’ which later transferred to ownership) something significant with the proceeds.
William is recorded as occupying Waranga Station in the 1856 voters’ list.[31] The land laws of Victoria at this time are confusing to follow and change over time; William was a ‘squatter’ a term which originally meant with no legal rights to the land but by William’s time meant having lease rights from the Crown, often for long periods of time and for large areas and often for comparatively nominal rates. By sometime in the twentieth century such land was often owned outright. The term ‘squattocracy’ is often used to show the power and wealth of such people, with its deliberate links to ‘aristocracy.’[32]
It was a massive station - Waranga Park was 51,840 acres in 1856.[33] (By comparison the 1869 Land Act limited farms to a maximum of 320 acres.[34]) An 1888 view was that ‘Waranga Park, at the present very much circumscribed in area, but which in days of yore embraced many miles on all sides of the existing town of Rushworth. This station he (William) held through every vicissitude of fortune up to the date of his demise, contending with Scottish stolidity against droughts that to most graziers were unsurmountable, and caused them to go to the wall. In the early days Mr Gunn earned a most enviable name as being the friend of the miners, never impounding stray horses or cattle, and assisting to the best of his power the poor struggler.’[35] One wonders if the friendliness shown to the miners reflected his remembrance of being a miner, or perhaps it was just Scottish Christian charity? Or both?
William succeeded where most graziers went ‘to the wall’ - at least some of the reason for this success was that the property was also called Gunn’s swamp or Waranga Lagoon.[36] One view was that ‘Gunn’s swamp was a thickly timbered swamp and grew rushes in profusion.’[37] It was also known as a massive duck shooting spot which implies more than a swamp.[38] A modern, official view is that it was a ‘natural wetland.’[39] The word ‘waranga’ may also have been the local aboriginal term for water.[40] All of which suggests Waranga Park was a very sensible acquisition by William as the area was probably the last to lose water in summer and the first to refill which would be a real bonus in hot, northern Victoria.
By November 1863 William is recorded as being the rate-payer for ‘Waranga Park and Protectorate Stations’.[41] Protectorate Stations were established in various areas of Victoria to ‘protect’ the First Australians – the aborigines. A map showing the 1840s Squatters Runs has the Protectorate being on land next door to Waranga Park going up to the Goulburn River. William Gunn’s links to the Protectorate Station are unclear.
As said, the Waranga Station was large so William needed to employ people to help run it. But farming did not all run smoothly, normal human passion could intervene. ‘The Age’ newspaper records one such event on Wednesday 20 February 1861 –
DEATH FROM STARVATION — James Barr, a native of Glasgow, who was lost from Gunn’s Station Waranga Plains, … was found on the 10th instant, after a long search, by one of the Messrs Winter's stockmen in a fearfully decomposed state. It appears that on the 26th of January a man residing in the same locality caught the deceased in his tent with his wife, and drove him away when it is supposed he wandered away into the Garra Garra Forest, where he was found, and was afraid to return. The police removed the body from where it was lying in the bush to Mr Brasher's Hotel, Rushworth, where a magisterial investigation was held before Mr J. T. Lewis, J.P. Dr O'Connor, who made a post mortem examination, was of opinion that the deceased died from inanition (lack of nourishment) …
Other events occurred – a Waranga employed Chinese shepherd was convicted at Bendigo in August 1869[42] for killing a sheep, with intent to steal it. He had been suspected of previous ‘thieving practices.’
William was a noted, significantly wealthy man (as mentioned, his wife and son emigrated First Class in 1857) and was prepared to do the extra work expected from such people. He was voted Chair of the inaugural Waranga District Road Board on 5 August 1863.[43] He was added to the roll of Magistrates for the Colony on 16 October 1863 as a Justice of the Peace.[44] In 1868[45] he Chaired a meeting at Darby’s Hotel in Rushworth, supporting the sitting political member the Hon. J MacGregor. Presumably he would do similar work over the years. He was also a Trustee of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria by August 1867. The 1861 Moderator was the Reverend Andrew Love: he had arrived in 1840.[46] The Rev Love’s sister Margaret married Andrew Mitchell Younger Turner; their grand-daughter married John Alexander Gunn the Australian anthrax scientist and parliamentarian discussed in footnote 27 and who was a relative of William’s. The Reverend Peter Gunn who was also of significant Presbyterian Church history is also presumed to be a relative and has already been discussed; he was the sixth Minister of the Church in Victoria. William’s links with the Presbyterian Church of Victoria were at the highest level.
The farm life continued with its ups and downs; William was before the Rushworth Court in July 1864 for having over 7000 unlicensed scabby sheep on his property and some few hundred further scabby sheep on a nearby Station. It was brought by the sheep inspector for the District and William was fined the considerable some of £900.[47] The fine is large – the average yearly wage in 1863 for a ‘Generally useful man on the Station, with rations’ was 15 shillings to 18 shillings.[48] The local impact of one of the wealthiest farmers – and a J.P. - being before the court and being found guilty can be imagined. William was issued with a licence for 8,800 sheep under The Scab Act, on 7 January 1874[49]
The nature of farming was changing -
By the time the N.S.W. squatters were prepared to initiate large-scale capital outlays on fencing, Victorian attitudes had become reasonably explicit and clear-cut. A proposal to fence a section of Waranga Park in Victoria makes this essential point in 1870: ‘The absence of this fence renders unavailable about 12,000 acres of useful but scrubby country in which sheep would thrive running at large … This large area would feed 3,000 sheep …. Mr Gunn …. reckons …. He could make £400 a year off this additional country …. The erection of this fence would enable him to discharge the 4 shepherds he now employs and thus save £225….[50]
It is not clear whether William Gunn did or did not fence his property, the key point is that he was at least prepared to consider it which shows his adaptability to new events and his financial soundness.
Family life continued; William’s second daughter Janet married Alfred Collier, Manager of the Rushworth Commonwealth Bank, on 11 November 1887 at Waranga. She died at Waranga on 20 January 1888 from consumption; her brother-in-law the Presbyterian Rev. H Collier[51] who had married her also officiated at the funeral service.
The United Echuca and Waranga Waterworks Trust main water channel went through Waranga Park in 1888, the year of William’s death, showing how the shortage of water was starting to be dealt with by damming and irrigation; presumably some remuneration (and perhaps water) would have been made to the Gunns. After William’s death a survey on totally damming the Gunn’s Waranga Lagoon was started in 1890, work began on it in 1902 and was completed in in 1909 and further enlarged in 1926. The dam covered about 3,000 acres, the majority of it owned by the Gunns who were still the leaseholders of the land.[52] Again, one presumes a financial settlement[53] would have been made for the compulsory acquisition. In his grand-daughter’s view that which went underwater was ‘the best of the land.’[54] William was granted a grazing licence for 18,970 acres at an annual rent of £64/5/- on 9 January 1888.[55]
William was not a well man in his last years, from about 1872 on he had severe rheumatism which meant he was generally confined to his bed.[56] He died 22 October 1888[57] at Waranga and an obituary noted that
The deceased had far exceeded the allotted span of human life three score and ten having entered his 84th year. His remains were interred in the Rushworth Cemetery on Wednesday, in the grave of his daughter Mrs Collier. Many of his old and most intimate friends assembled to pay the last tribute and testimony to one who in life and in death well merited that tribute. He leaves a widow, two sons and two daughters to mourn their loss.[58]
Probate was granted on 20 December 1888 in the Supreme Court in Melbourne. [59] His two daughters were left £8000 each, his wife was left the Station House and furniture for life and the two sons William the younger and Alexander were left the rest, including the land.
*****
The Gunns continued at Waranga Park; they were involved with the growth of lawn tennis in the Rushworth region in the depression of the 1890s.[60] It seems that William Gunn the younger transported the original home from Waranga once it was near going under water as the dam started to flood, to Rushworth, then relocated it in 1906[61] and his family onto what is now known as Finnigan’s Island.[62] The received no compensation for the loss – or ‘moving’ if you like - of their home.[63]
Of interest is an 1893 letter by William’s wife Cecilia to her husband’s niece Janet Gunn Muckle (1846-1930) in Canada on 6 October 1893. Janet[64] was the daughter of the Honourable Donald Gunn of Manitoba, Canada (see Part 1) and she had married Alexander Montgomery Muckle. The tone and detail in the letter show a long-lasting, close link to the Canadian branch of the family. It also reveals major family tensions in the Waranga Gunns especially regarding her eldest daughter Margaret (Marnie), her second daughter Janet and her fourth daughter Elizabeth (Bessie). Alexander is also mentioned, being the second son and fifth child. The wealth of the family is obvious given it includes international travel in the major depression which impacted on Victoria in the 1890s.
Waranga Park,
October 6, 1893
My Dear Mrs Muckle
… We are here moving along in the old way and each doing his and her duties as well we can. Our boys are here preparing for the shearing which begins in a fortnight. We have had a very wet winter and the earth has got a fine soaking a state of things very desirable here and now as the warm weather advances everything looks lovely and green. Our garden looks charming at the present the flowers these gems of the earth being all in bloom and in all the gayest hues of color. Our homestead is very pleasantly situated on rising ground which slopes down to a small watercourse where Alexander made an embankment which conserves a fine sheet of water for our garden. But I am forgetting that Marnie has been with you for I am sure her valuble tongue will have described everything here to you.
I suppose you hear from Marnie oftener than we do for she seemed to enjoy herself very much while with you. Don’t you think it very queer of her staying there among strangers so far from her own family more especially while her old mother is in the land of the living. I must tell you Janet that I was very angry with Marnie before she left here and I think you will say I had reason when I tell you that she never entered her sister Bessie’s home since she was married although her place is not two miles from here and I must tell you Bessie did not make a low marriage by any means. The Ingrams are all very respectable and Bessie chose Mr. Alex from among many wooers. They are a very happy couple and she has a neat and pretty country home and a freehold of over 1000 acres of good land. Bessie has been in better health lately since the last operation was performed, she has improved greatly. I forget whether I told you that Bessie had a second operation we had her over here for a time and two doctors attended her. Her side being probed four times while under the influence of chloroform. I don’t know whether Marnie knows all this or not as I never wrote her about it. As it seems to me Marnie estimation to be married is to have committed the unpardonable sin. I have no doubt that Marnie will be very much disappointed at her brother not taking the trip home that he intended taking when she left here. Since then our monetary institutions have been tumbling down one after another and causing a great deal of anxiety and loss to many who had their all invested in them. This state of things doubtless influenced Alex to give up his trip to the old country and to your big country and its big show. Some little time before I received your letter I noticed in a newspaper the death of your husband’s relative Sir McClure and I was wondering whether any of his wealth would come your way but in your letter you say not. Well never mind Janet … I had a letter from Jane McDonald a short time complaining greatly of Marnie for not paying her a visit when she was so near you. Do you think Marnie knew their whereabouts when she left you… With kind love and regards to Mr Muckle self and young folks. Believe me ever your afftly.
CC GUNN (signed)
Cecilia Cormack died 18 October 1906 in Rushworth, Vic. She died two months after the land where the old home had been flooded, so she had moved in with her daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Alexander Ingram. [65]
*****
Waranga Park was sold by auction on 14 September 1953. William Gunn the younger had continued to run it – see his life – until 1921. Then his daughter Janettie and her husband ran it; she sold what was left of the Estate after her husband’s death in 1953.[66] It then consisted of 2700 acres including frontage to the Waranga Basin dammed area.
Part 3 – the children of William Gunn
Summary
Rushworth events may have happened at Waranga; Rushworth was the official place of recording of births and deaths.
├── William GUNN of Waranga, b. 1804 Braehour, Caithness, d. 1888 Waranga
│ │ +Cecilia CORMACK, b. 1820 Wick Parish, Caithness, m. 1850 Aberdeen, Grampian, d. 1906 Rushworth
│ │ ├── Margaret Elizabeth GUNN, b. 1850 Caithness, d. 1929 Hawthorn, Melbourne.
│ │ ├── Janet GUNN, b. 1852 Wick Parish, Caithness, d. 1888 Waranga
│ │ │ +Alfred COLLIER, m. 1887 Melbourne
│ │ ├── William GUNN, b. 1853 Wick Parish, Caithness, d. 1921 Waranga
│ │ │ +Julia Janet INGRAM, b. 1860 Rushworth, m. 1889 South Melbourne, d. 1957 Murchison
│ │ │ ├── William Ingram GUNN, b. 1890 Rushworth d. 1891 Rushworth
│ │ │ ├── Julia Janet ‘Janettie’ GUNN, b. 1894 Rushworth, d. 1992 Mooroopna
│ │ │ └── William GUNN, b. 1896 Waranga, d. 1896 Waranga
│ │ ├── Elizabeth GUNN, b. 1859 Rushworth, m. 1888, d. 1921 Elsternwick, Melbourne
│ │ │ +Alexander INGRAM, b. 1845 Gambia, m. 1888, d.1909 Rushworth
│ │ │ ├── Cecilia Catherine INGRAM, b. 1890 Rushworth, d. 1976, Murchison
│ │ │ └── Marie Elizabeth Gunn INGRAM, b. 1898 Rushworth, d. 1956 Queensland
│ │ ├── Alexander GUNN, b. 1861 Waranga, d. 1915 Rushworth
└── Cecilia Jane GUNN, b. 1863 Waranga, d. 1864 Waranga
Lives
The children of William Gunn of Waranga and Cecilia Cormack were:
1. Margaret (Marnie) Gunn was born in October 1850 in Caithness. She was on the census of 30 March 1861 in the household of her uncle James and aunt Margaret Cormack in Sinclair Terrace, Pulteney East, Wick, Caithness.[67] She and her younger sister Janet emigrated in 1874 to Melbourne. It seems unusual that Marnie and her younger sister Janet waited so long to emigrate given their mother and brother William the younger left in 1857 - and first class. Marnie still lived at Rushworth in the 1909 electoral roll but later moved - she died, unmarried, on 16 September 1929 at ‘Longford’, Riversdale Road, Hawthorn, Melbourne in a large, two-storey Victorian home.[68] She was buried in the ‘family vault’ at Rushworth.[69]
2. Janet Gunn was born in 1852 in Wick Parish, Caithness. She was on the census of 30 March 1861 in the household of her uncle James and aunt Margaret Cormack in Wick Parish, Caithness. She and Marnie emigrated in 1874 to Melbourne.[70] Janet married Alfred Collier[71] in November 1887 at Waranga.[72] She died in 1888 at Waranga, with no issue.[73]
3. William Gunn[74] the younger was born in 1853 in Wick Parish, Caithness.[75] He married Julia Janet Ingram, daughter of Robert Ingram and Emma Gifford, in August 1889 in St Barnabas Church, South Melbourne.[76] Julia[77] was born in 1860 in Rushworth. She was a teacher in 1889 in Murchison, a town very near Waranga and Rushworth. She died in 1957 in Murchison.
The Ingram family is of interest; Julia’s grandfather Thomas Lewis Ingram[78] (1807-1868) was the acting colonial governor of the Gambia on five occasions. William’s younger sister Elizabeth married Alexander Ingram in 1888. He was the son of the younger brother of Thomas Lewis Ingram. Alexander had been born in the Gambia. The Ingram land was very close to Waranga Park and probably abutted it – it had been left to Alexander and his brother Robert when their uncle Thomas Powell died. It is probable that various generations of closely linked Ingram families lived and worked on that land.
William emigrated in 1857 to Melbourne with mother Cecilia. He and his brother Alexander were named as Lessees in Arrear under Section 20 of the Land Act 1869, of leases number 2970 Waranga and number 2730 Murchison on 1 April 1888. He was a beneficiary of the estate of William Gunn of Waranga on 20 December 1888 in the Supreme Court of Victoria.[79] He was appointed as Manager of the newly gazetted Waranga Common on 24 February 1891.[80] He was Chair of the Waranga United Common committee in 1914[81] which implies earlier work on that committee.
There were bushfires in the Rushworth district in February 1893 which cleared the Waranga Estate (and many other places) of all grass and fencing.[82] Other scattered fires occurred over the years but a huge fire occurred in February 1905 covering fifteen miles by six miles with consequent massive destruction to Waranga Park which lost all its grass, several hundred sheep including high priced stud ewes and rams, the woolshed, stables, fences and outhouse.[83] The ‘homestead had a narrow escape, as the stable within a few yards of the house was demolished, and the men were all away from home to fight the fire, and were unable to return. The ladies of the house, however, worked hard for some considerable period, and were then helped by some of the neighbours.’[84] One feels the Gunns were comparatively lucky that day.
William was the Waranga Shire Councillor between 1896[85] and 1919 at Rushworth, and Shire President in 1899, again in 1908, and again from September 1914 to 1915. [86] His allowance for his final term was 2½ per cent of the Shire’s gross revenue of 1914 – an interesting payment.[87]
William was also a member of the Repatriation Committee, a Commissioner for many years on the Echuca and Waranga Waterworks Trust, President of the Rushworth Mechanics Institute for over twenty years, Chief of the Caledonian Society of Rushworth and a member of the Council of the Victorian Scottish Union.[88]
William died on 16 November 1921.[89] His will left £16,668 pounds to his widow.[90]
*****
More follows after these footnotes.
[1] I believe this image to be of William Gunn. I suspect it came into my possession via his granddaughter Janettie McMillan in the early 1970s. The title of his land in Victoria has varied over time – Waranga, Waranga Park, Waranga Swamp are but some names used.
[2] The Coroner died c.1452 and is sometimes wrongly called Crowner Gunn. He was the first Gunn known to history.
[3] Waranga is roughly in the triangle between the rural towns of Shepparton, Nagambie and Rushworth.
[4] The ‘in’ and ‘of’ is significant in Scottish history – ‘in’ means a person lived somewhere but ‘of’ meant a person owned it. More accurately, ‘of’ generally meant a person had the wadset of a property – a sort of long-term rent. In other words, parents were more likely to be ‘of’ a property but children would be ‘in’ a property.
[5] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[6] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[7] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[8] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[9] For further information on these children including marriages and descendants see pages 350-428 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour). The book is a little out-of-date in a few areas.
[10] In reality the position of ‘Chief of the Clan Gunn’ did not exist until the Countess of Sutherland required one in the early 1800s to match the social demands of the time. There are no historic records showing that Clan Gunn Chiefs existed from the pre-1800s and as the Gunns were by origin an unrelated tribe of original settlers of northern mainland Scotland there was never a founding father which is required to be a Clan – and so there was never any Clan Gunn Chief. See https://clangunn1.blogspot.com accessed 27 April 2021 for more detail on this idea.
[11] Page 338, Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour).
[12] Page xxvii, ed R. J Adams, Papers on Sutherland Estate Management Volume 1.
[13] Footnote 3, quoting from the Royal Commission on the Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland 1884, page xxvii, R. J Adams, Papers on Sutherland Estate Management Volume 1.
[14] Page xxvii, ed R. J Adams, Papers on Sutherland Estate Management Volume 1.
[15] Page 126 http://theses.gla.ac.uk/680/1/1995mackillopphd.pdf accessed 27 March 2021.
[16] Page 11, R. H. Burgoyne, Historical Records of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, 1883, London, Richard Bentley and Sons.
[17] Caroline Armstrong, e-mail message to Donald Gunn, 20 Mar 2006.
[18] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[19] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[20] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[21] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[22] Many places give this date including the Australian Cemetery Index 1808-2007.
[23] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[24] See page 13, Alastair Gunn Clan Gunn Family Trees: From Killernan (Clan Gunn Chief) to Corrish, Kinbrace and Osclay Gunns.
[25] My suspicion is that the link is through a younger brother of Alexander Gunn of Osclay.
[26] Letters written in 1974 exist from Janettie Gunn, William Gunn’s granddaughter, where mention is made of knowing the Millers ‘in my early days very well’. Catherine Gunn married James Miller - she was the sister of Donald Gunn, they migrated to Australia together. Mention is also made of Janettie meeting the Surman family of Ballarat - Donald had another sister Janet who married John Surman. Janettie had also met Gladys Gunn a couple of times; Gladys was the niece of William Watkins Gunn and Marcus Daniel Gunn, being the daughter of their brother John Alexander Gunn, the noted colonial scientist (he invented an anthrax vaccine suitable for Australian conditions) and member of the New South Wales Parliament. These letters can be found on pages 447-448 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn Dalanaha, Strathmore and Braehour.
[27] From Gunn family papers originally held by Barbara Gunn Padgett (Austin). Notes by William Watkins & Marcus Daniel Gunn made during a visit to Dirlot cemetery Scotland. 1928. See pages 338-344 Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour). The notes were written on paper from the Station Hotel Wick in June 1928, given to Sylvia Bairstow nee Padgett, daughter of Norman Gunn Padgett by her aunt Barbara Gunn Padgett who, on 16 February 2011, passed them to Donald Gunn, son of Malcolm Gunn.
[28] There is no other logical way to have earnt such money at this time. I think that in the 1990s a William Gunn Miner’s licence was sold by a Melbourne (Victoria) Philatelic Auction House – and it was for the Waranga Gold Rush. Another document with it linked the licence to ‘our’ William Gunn. It is therefore possible that William went to the Waranga Gold Rush, made his money and so decided to buy the place. But this is memory and without the actual catalogue the idea is but a possibility.
[29] ‘The Argus’ 1 October 1855, page 3.
[30] One example of this error can be found at https://www.g-mwater.com.au/downloads/gmw/LOWMPs/Waranga_LOWP_Web.pdf accessed 20 April 2021 being the ‘Waranga Basin Land and On-Water Management Plan of 2011.’
[31] Page 17, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[32] For an outline of this area see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting_(Australian_history).
[33]Letter, Edith Christoe to Donald Gunn, 29 Nov 2005. Edith Christoe was William Gunn of Waranga’s great granddaughter.
[34] Page 73, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[35] From an obituary published in ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ Friday 2nd November 1888.
[36] See, for example, pages 75 and 142, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[37] ‘The Argus’ Friday 8 February 1907.
[38] ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 1 April 1909.
[39] See https://www.g-mwater.com.au/downloads/gmw/Storages/27_Nov_-_Waranga_Brochure_WEB.pdf accessed 26 April 2021 for the Goulburn Valley Water’s ‘Waranga Basin Recreation Guide’ which has an example of this idea.
[40] According to The Argus page 10, 1 July 1927.
[41] Page 130, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[42] ‘Bendigo Advertiser’ 23 August 1869.
[43] ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 14 August 1863.
[44] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[45] ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ Friday 7 February 1868.
[46] Page 3, ‘Bendigo Advertiser,’ 20 August 1867.
[47] ‘The Age’ 15 July 1864.
[48] Page 25, The Victorian Year-Book 1873.
[49] Victoria Government Gazette, 1874.
[50] Being from p. 93 N. G. Butlin, Investment in Australian Economic Development 1861-1900, Cambridge University Press.
[51] ‘Rushworth Chronicle’, 20 January 1888.
[52] ‘Leader’ 29 March 1902.
[53] 6,000 acres of land was bought from farmers at £10 an acre – it is not clear the cost paid for leased land. See ‘Leader’ 29 March 1902.
[54] As mentioned in a letter written in 1974 from Janettie Gunn, William Gunn’s granddaughter. See pages 447-448 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn Dalanaha, Strathmore and Braehour.
[55] Victoria Government Gazette, 1888.
[56] From an obituary in the ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 2 November 1888.
[57] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[58] From an obituary in the ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 2 November 1888.
[59] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[60] Page 87, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[61] ‘The Riverine Herald’ 21 April 1906.
[62] See http://www.rushworthtourism.com.au/Stanhope.html
[63] ‘The Argus’ 3 August 1906.
[64] For more on Janet, her marriage to Alexander Muckle and life at the Red River Settlement see https://www.redriverancestry.ca/MUCKLE-ALEXANDER.php.
[65] ‘The Argus’ Saturday 20 October 1906.
[66] From letters written in 1974 by Janettie Gunn which can be found on pages 447-448 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn Dalanaha, Strathmore and Braehour.
[67] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[68] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[69] ‘Rushworth Chronicle’ 26 July 1929.
[70] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[71] Alfred Collier was a bank manager in 1887 in Rushworth.
[72] ‘The Age’ 10 November 1887.
[73] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[74] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[75] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[76] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[77] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[78] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Lewis_Ingram for the life and times of the man and his family.
[79] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[80] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[81] ‘Murchison Advertiser and Murchison, Toolamba, Mooroopna and Dargalong Express’ 19 June 1914.
[82] ‘The Herald’ 13 February 1893.
[83] ‘The Argus’ Wednesday 4 January 1905. ‘The Age’ Saturday 19th November 1921 highlight his interest in merino wool production.
[84] ‘The Age’ Wednesday 4 January 1905.
[85] ‘The Elmore Standard’ 7 February 1896.
[86] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[87] ‘Shepparton News’ 7 September 1914.
[88] ‘The Argus’ 18 November 1921.
[89] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[90] ‘The Herald’ Monday 23rd January 1922.
Part 1 – the Braehour Gunns of Scotland
William Gunn of Waranga was one of the Gunns of Braehour. These Gunns descend from Coroner Gunn[2] of Caithness via William Beag (sometimes Bheg) Gunn some of whose descendants became Chief of the Clan after the death of Chief William Mhor Gunn (being William Beag’s nephew) without descendants. These Gunns of Braehour descend from William Beag’s second son John Gunn in Navidale of Borroble. For further details of the descent from Coroner Gunn to William Gunn of Waranga see Part 4.
William Gunn of Waranga[3] was born in 1804. His parents were William Gunn in[4] Braehour (1750 - c.1812) and his father’s second wife Janet Sinclair. William Gunn in Braehour had with his first wife Janet (Jean) Henderson -
1. Andrew Gunn born 15 July 1781 at Forss.
2. George Gunn born 21 January 1783 at Braehour.
3. Ann Gunn born 2 January 1785 at Braehour.
4. Jean Henderson Gunn born 11 June 1786 at Braehour.
5. Barbara Gunn born in 1791.
6. Elizabeth Gunn born 1796.
7. The Hon. Donald Gunn of Manitoba, Canada (1797-1878) He was a well-known politician and scientist.[5] His entry in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography can be found at http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/gunn_donald_10E.html.
William Gunn in Braehour had with his second wife Janet Sinclair –
1. John Gunn in Braehour born in 1801 and died, unmarried, on 18 November 1887 in Ontario, Canada. [6] He was buried in Chatsworth United Church, Holland Township, Ontario. Presumably he migrated to Canada as his older half-brother had gone there.
2. David Gunn born 25 September 1801 at Braehour.
3. Marjory Gunn born 28 February 1803.
4. William Gunn of Waranga, the subject of this article, see Part 2.
5. Janet Gunn born 22 March 1806 in Braehour and christened on 22 October 1807. [7] She died on 9 March 1879.
6. Robert Gunn born 23 May 1807 at Braehour – he died on 3 May 1880 at Clyth.
7. Alexander Gunn born 1809 at Braehour.[8] He died on 31 May 1871 (perhaps 1869?).
8. Jane Gunn born 14 July 1813 in Braehour.
William Gunn of Waranga’s grandfather and grandmother were John Gunn (1722-1810) of Dalnaha, Strathmore and Marjory (Mary) Dunbar of Rowens (b. c. 1728). They had at least seven children – these were, in order, Alexander, Jean (Janet), Angus, William in Braehour (as already mentioned he was William of Waranga’s father), Mary, Margaret, George, John and Donald the Clan Gunn sennachie / historian.[9]
The last-mentioned Donald Gunn in Braehour, later of Brawlbin, married Catherine Gunn in Osclay. She is of real importance. Her great grandfather was Donald Crotach Gunn of Killernan who was Chief of the Clan Gunn.[10] From Donald and Catherine’s marriage there are many descendants – the traditional Clan Gunn Chief line is not extinct.
A story is that Donald got the lease for Braehour Farm because the Sutherland Estate was raising men for military service and none would go unless Donald went. The Sutherland Estate promised him the farm in writing so he went to Ireland for seven years and returned. The Estate then tried to get out of the lease but before going to Ireland Donald had left money and the Estate’s letters with Henderson in Thurso who was a banker and a Sheriff. In consequence, Donald got Braehour.[11] Would the Sutherland Estate documents in the National Library of Scotland completely support this story? I suspect not; there is probably fact at the core of the story but myth has overtaken it to make Donald more significant. Certainly it is true that a promise of military service for land was ‘the chief weapon’[12] of the Sutherland Estate enrolment techniques for the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders in the period 1799-1804/5 but ‘the promise was ‘that the fathers should have leases of their farms,’ and that it was ‘to a certain extent fulfilled.’’[13] On the Sutherland Estate many leases were due to be ‘out of set’[14] (meaning up for renewal – or someone else taking over) on Whitsunday 1807; the potential problems for existing leaseholders on these days are obvious. Braehour was in the possession of Donald’s father - I suspect Donald’s military service enabled the Braehour lease to be renewed. (The reason why an Estate would want people to enlist is that Estates got a bounty for every man recruited.[15]) The 93rd served mainly in Ireland but in 1806 it fought at the Cape of Good Hope including a Donald Gunn; whether that Donald Gunn was this Donald Gunn is not known.[16]
These years certainly work for Donald – he was born circa 1766, he may have enlisted in 1799 for seven years, and then may have returned say 1806 and married Catherine Gunn of Osclay in Halkirk on 3 March 1807.
Part 2 – the life of William Gunn
William Gunn was born in 1804 in Halkirk Parish, presumably at home which was the Braehour farm, and was christened on 28 April 1805.[17] It was also the home of his grandparents, and at least some of uncles, aunts and their families at various times. It seems reasonable to assume that William’s early life in rural, isolated, early nineteenth century Caithness was crowded and involved, farm work, religion and education. It was a tough environment in which to live.
By adulthood William had left the farm - he was promoted from sheriff-officer to being a messenger-at-arms on 10 November 1837 in Caithness[18] and was still a messenger-at-arms on 6 June 1841 and living at Bridge Street, Wick according to the 1841 census. Basically, such positions were about serving and enforcing court judgments and orders so were ‘law and order’ positions but not a policeman. Presumably such positions required education, good character, tact and some personal presence.
William married Cecilia Cormack on 26 July 1850 at Aberdeen, Scotland. [19] She was born in 1819 in Wick Parish, Caithness. [20] The census of 30 March 1851 recorded William, his wife and five-month old daughter Margaret (Marnie) living at Willowbank in what is now Wick.[21] William and Cecilia had six children. These were Margaret 1850 – 1929, Janet 1852 – 1888, William the younger 1853 – 1921, Elizabeth 1859-1921, Alexander 1861-1915 and Cecilia 1863-1864. For their life stories see Part 3.
It is unclear exactly when William emigrated leaving his family at home. Given the birth date of 1853[22] for his son (William the younger) then William of Waranga could not have left Scotland before April 1852.
His wife Cecilia later emigrated, first class, on the ‘Kent’ and arrived 23 October 1857 in Victoria with her son William, leaving daughters Margaret and Janet with relatives in Scotland until 1874.[23] Why were the two daughters left behind for so long, especially as William was wealthy? What impact did it have on them?
Cecilia and William’s grand-daughter Janettie MacMillan recorded that ‘I am also distantly related to the Rev. Peter Gunn … when my grandmother and father arrived out here (Victoria, Australia) in 1857 they stayed with the Rev. Peter Gunn & Mrs Gunn at Campbellfield until grandfather was able to go for them.’ The Reverend Peter Gunn is of importance not merely for his religious work in early Victoria but also as his son Aeneas married Jeannie Taylor who achieved real fame as the author Mrs Aeneas Gunn of ‘We of the Never-Never’. Thomas Sinclair in his ‘The Gunns’ records some family trees held by Aeneas Gunn of Edinburgh – I have copies of these 1868-1870 Trees which made their way to the Reverend Peter Gunn’s family.[24] These Trees suggest strong links to the Braehour Gunns but it is not quite clear how these families merge. Other evidence is also around supporting the link.[25]
One version of why William went to Victoria is recorded by William Watkins Gunn and Marcus Daniel Gunn. They were William’s first cousin twice removed being great grandsons of Donald the sennachie Gunn and Catherine ‘Osclay’ Gunn who were discussed in Part 1. William and Marcus’s father was Donald Gunn who migrated to Victoria, later the Ballarat region, in late December 1854. The Ballarat and Waranga Gunn families certainly knew each other.[26] The story was recorded by William and Marcus when they visited Scotland as part of the ‘Australian Scottish Delegation Tour of the Motherland 1928.’ It goes -
(William) was Messenger at Arms at Wick. Two young men committed a crime and a tinker named Cluny who was had up for stealing was with them. William Gunn was taking the three of them to Inverness and stopped the other side of Helmsdale for the night at an inn, putting the two prisoners and the tinker in an upstairs room while he and some more were drinking downstairs. The tinker told the other two if they wanted to go he would take the handcuffs off as he was too old to go himself, so he took their handcuffs off and they opened the window, jumped out and got away. William Gunn was held responsible and had to resign. He then went to Australia…[27]
Now this story does not show William in a good light, as such it suggests at least some of it might be true – possibly all of it. Losing such a job in such a way would impinge on how others see you which might help explain emigration. But we should also be aware of the goldrush in the colony of Victoria and the consequent allure of emigration to that colony. William had family connections in Canada – his older half-brother the Hon. Donald Gunn of Manitoba had started working for the Hudson’s Bay Company by 1813 and was certainly very established and well-known by the 1850s. William’s older brother John (and therefore younger half-brother to Donald Gunn of Manitoba) also died in Canada, it is not known when he emigrated. For William it is possible that prospects of gold and the warmth of Australia overcame the temptations of Canadian family support.
The journey time to Australia was typically two to three months which meant William arrived in Victoria, at the earliest in June – July 1852. William then successfully worked as a gold miner[28] somewhere in Victoria for no more than three years.
‘The Argus’ of 1 October 1855 recorded[29] a forthcoming auction for 10 October - ‘By Order of the executors of the late Mr John McKay … 1849 sheep with right to the station known as Waranga Park, Lower Goulburn.’ Clearly William cannot have obtained Waranga Park before this auction, but he did so fairly soon after it. The auction date clearly shows that the idea[30] William owned the property before the Waranga Gold rush which started in mid-1853, is wrong. In other words, William had succeeded where the vast majority failed – he made money from gold mining, saved it and bought (more accurately in William’s case ‘leased’ which later transferred to ownership) something significant with the proceeds.
William is recorded as occupying Waranga Station in the 1856 voters’ list.[31] The land laws of Victoria at this time are confusing to follow and change over time; William was a ‘squatter’ a term which originally meant with no legal rights to the land but by William’s time meant having lease rights from the Crown, often for long periods of time and for large areas and often for comparatively nominal rates. By sometime in the twentieth century such land was often owned outright. The term ‘squattocracy’ is often used to show the power and wealth of such people, with its deliberate links to ‘aristocracy.’[32]
It was a massive station - Waranga Park was 51,840 acres in 1856.[33] (By comparison the 1869 Land Act limited farms to a maximum of 320 acres.[34]) An 1888 view was that ‘Waranga Park, at the present very much circumscribed in area, but which in days of yore embraced many miles on all sides of the existing town of Rushworth. This station he (William) held through every vicissitude of fortune up to the date of his demise, contending with Scottish stolidity against droughts that to most graziers were unsurmountable, and caused them to go to the wall. In the early days Mr Gunn earned a most enviable name as being the friend of the miners, never impounding stray horses or cattle, and assisting to the best of his power the poor struggler.’[35] One wonders if the friendliness shown to the miners reflected his remembrance of being a miner, or perhaps it was just Scottish Christian charity? Or both?
William succeeded where most graziers went ‘to the wall’ - at least some of the reason for this success was that the property was also called Gunn’s swamp or Waranga Lagoon.[36] One view was that ‘Gunn’s swamp was a thickly timbered swamp and grew rushes in profusion.’[37] It was also known as a massive duck shooting spot which implies more than a swamp.[38] A modern, official view is that it was a ‘natural wetland.’[39] The word ‘waranga’ may also have been the local aboriginal term for water.[40] All of which suggests Waranga Park was a very sensible acquisition by William as the area was probably the last to lose water in summer and the first to refill which would be a real bonus in hot, northern Victoria.
By November 1863 William is recorded as being the rate-payer for ‘Waranga Park and Protectorate Stations’.[41] Protectorate Stations were established in various areas of Victoria to ‘protect’ the First Australians – the aborigines. A map showing the 1840s Squatters Runs has the Protectorate being on land next door to Waranga Park going up to the Goulburn River. William Gunn’s links to the Protectorate Station are unclear.
As said, the Waranga Station was large so William needed to employ people to help run it. But farming did not all run smoothly, normal human passion could intervene. ‘The Age’ newspaper records one such event on Wednesday 20 February 1861 –
DEATH FROM STARVATION — James Barr, a native of Glasgow, who was lost from Gunn’s Station Waranga Plains, … was found on the 10th instant, after a long search, by one of the Messrs Winter's stockmen in a fearfully decomposed state. It appears that on the 26th of January a man residing in the same locality caught the deceased in his tent with his wife, and drove him away when it is supposed he wandered away into the Garra Garra Forest, where he was found, and was afraid to return. The police removed the body from where it was lying in the bush to Mr Brasher's Hotel, Rushworth, where a magisterial investigation was held before Mr J. T. Lewis, J.P. Dr O'Connor, who made a post mortem examination, was of opinion that the deceased died from inanition (lack of nourishment) …
Other events occurred – a Waranga employed Chinese shepherd was convicted at Bendigo in August 1869[42] for killing a sheep, with intent to steal it. He had been suspected of previous ‘thieving practices.’
William was a noted, significantly wealthy man (as mentioned, his wife and son emigrated First Class in 1857) and was prepared to do the extra work expected from such people. He was voted Chair of the inaugural Waranga District Road Board on 5 August 1863.[43] He was added to the roll of Magistrates for the Colony on 16 October 1863 as a Justice of the Peace.[44] In 1868[45] he Chaired a meeting at Darby’s Hotel in Rushworth, supporting the sitting political member the Hon. J MacGregor. Presumably he would do similar work over the years. He was also a Trustee of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria by August 1867. The 1861 Moderator was the Reverend Andrew Love: he had arrived in 1840.[46] The Rev Love’s sister Margaret married Andrew Mitchell Younger Turner; their grand-daughter married John Alexander Gunn the Australian anthrax scientist and parliamentarian discussed in footnote 27 and who was a relative of William’s. The Reverend Peter Gunn who was also of significant Presbyterian Church history is also presumed to be a relative and has already been discussed; he was the sixth Minister of the Church in Victoria. William’s links with the Presbyterian Church of Victoria were at the highest level.
The farm life continued with its ups and downs; William was before the Rushworth Court in July 1864 for having over 7000 unlicensed scabby sheep on his property and some few hundred further scabby sheep on a nearby Station. It was brought by the sheep inspector for the District and William was fined the considerable some of £900.[47] The fine is large – the average yearly wage in 1863 for a ‘Generally useful man on the Station, with rations’ was 15 shillings to 18 shillings.[48] The local impact of one of the wealthiest farmers – and a J.P. - being before the court and being found guilty can be imagined. William was issued with a licence for 8,800 sheep under The Scab Act, on 7 January 1874[49]
The nature of farming was changing -
By the time the N.S.W. squatters were prepared to initiate large-scale capital outlays on fencing, Victorian attitudes had become reasonably explicit and clear-cut. A proposal to fence a section of Waranga Park in Victoria makes this essential point in 1870: ‘The absence of this fence renders unavailable about 12,000 acres of useful but scrubby country in which sheep would thrive running at large … This large area would feed 3,000 sheep …. Mr Gunn …. reckons …. He could make £400 a year off this additional country …. The erection of this fence would enable him to discharge the 4 shepherds he now employs and thus save £225….[50]
It is not clear whether William Gunn did or did not fence his property, the key point is that he was at least prepared to consider it which shows his adaptability to new events and his financial soundness.
Family life continued; William’s second daughter Janet married Alfred Collier, Manager of the Rushworth Commonwealth Bank, on 11 November 1887 at Waranga. She died at Waranga on 20 January 1888 from consumption; her brother-in-law the Presbyterian Rev. H Collier[51] who had married her also officiated at the funeral service.
The United Echuca and Waranga Waterworks Trust main water channel went through Waranga Park in 1888, the year of William’s death, showing how the shortage of water was starting to be dealt with by damming and irrigation; presumably some remuneration (and perhaps water) would have been made to the Gunns. After William’s death a survey on totally damming the Gunn’s Waranga Lagoon was started in 1890, work began on it in 1902 and was completed in in 1909 and further enlarged in 1926. The dam covered about 3,000 acres, the majority of it owned by the Gunns who were still the leaseholders of the land.[52] Again, one presumes a financial settlement[53] would have been made for the compulsory acquisition. In his grand-daughter’s view that which went underwater was ‘the best of the land.’[54] William was granted a grazing licence for 18,970 acres at an annual rent of £64/5/- on 9 January 1888.[55]
William was not a well man in his last years, from about 1872 on he had severe rheumatism which meant he was generally confined to his bed.[56] He died 22 October 1888[57] at Waranga and an obituary noted that
The deceased had far exceeded the allotted span of human life three score and ten having entered his 84th year. His remains were interred in the Rushworth Cemetery on Wednesday, in the grave of his daughter Mrs Collier. Many of his old and most intimate friends assembled to pay the last tribute and testimony to one who in life and in death well merited that tribute. He leaves a widow, two sons and two daughters to mourn their loss.[58]
Probate was granted on 20 December 1888 in the Supreme Court in Melbourne. [59] His two daughters were left £8000 each, his wife was left the Station House and furniture for life and the two sons William the younger and Alexander were left the rest, including the land.
*****
The Gunns continued at Waranga Park; they were involved with the growth of lawn tennis in the Rushworth region in the depression of the 1890s.[60] It seems that William Gunn the younger transported the original home from Waranga once it was near going under water as the dam started to flood, to Rushworth, then relocated it in 1906[61] and his family onto what is now known as Finnigan’s Island.[62] The received no compensation for the loss – or ‘moving’ if you like - of their home.[63]
Of interest is an 1893 letter by William’s wife Cecilia to her husband’s niece Janet Gunn Muckle (1846-1930) in Canada on 6 October 1893. Janet[64] was the daughter of the Honourable Donald Gunn of Manitoba, Canada (see Part 1) and she had married Alexander Montgomery Muckle. The tone and detail in the letter show a long-lasting, close link to the Canadian branch of the family. It also reveals major family tensions in the Waranga Gunns especially regarding her eldest daughter Margaret (Marnie), her second daughter Janet and her fourth daughter Elizabeth (Bessie). Alexander is also mentioned, being the second son and fifth child. The wealth of the family is obvious given it includes international travel in the major depression which impacted on Victoria in the 1890s.
Waranga Park,
October 6, 1893
My Dear Mrs Muckle
… We are here moving along in the old way and each doing his and her duties as well we can. Our boys are here preparing for the shearing which begins in a fortnight. We have had a very wet winter and the earth has got a fine soaking a state of things very desirable here and now as the warm weather advances everything looks lovely and green. Our garden looks charming at the present the flowers these gems of the earth being all in bloom and in all the gayest hues of color. Our homestead is very pleasantly situated on rising ground which slopes down to a small watercourse where Alexander made an embankment which conserves a fine sheet of water for our garden. But I am forgetting that Marnie has been with you for I am sure her valuble tongue will have described everything here to you.
I suppose you hear from Marnie oftener than we do for she seemed to enjoy herself very much while with you. Don’t you think it very queer of her staying there among strangers so far from her own family more especially while her old mother is in the land of the living. I must tell you Janet that I was very angry with Marnie before she left here and I think you will say I had reason when I tell you that she never entered her sister Bessie’s home since she was married although her place is not two miles from here and I must tell you Bessie did not make a low marriage by any means. The Ingrams are all very respectable and Bessie chose Mr. Alex from among many wooers. They are a very happy couple and she has a neat and pretty country home and a freehold of over 1000 acres of good land. Bessie has been in better health lately since the last operation was performed, she has improved greatly. I forget whether I told you that Bessie had a second operation we had her over here for a time and two doctors attended her. Her side being probed four times while under the influence of chloroform. I don’t know whether Marnie knows all this or not as I never wrote her about it. As it seems to me Marnie estimation to be married is to have committed the unpardonable sin. I have no doubt that Marnie will be very much disappointed at her brother not taking the trip home that he intended taking when she left here. Since then our monetary institutions have been tumbling down one after another and causing a great deal of anxiety and loss to many who had their all invested in them. This state of things doubtless influenced Alex to give up his trip to the old country and to your big country and its big show. Some little time before I received your letter I noticed in a newspaper the death of your husband’s relative Sir McClure and I was wondering whether any of his wealth would come your way but in your letter you say not. Well never mind Janet … I had a letter from Jane McDonald a short time complaining greatly of Marnie for not paying her a visit when she was so near you. Do you think Marnie knew their whereabouts when she left you… With kind love and regards to Mr Muckle self and young folks. Believe me ever your afftly.
CC GUNN (signed)
Cecilia Cormack died 18 October 1906 in Rushworth, Vic. She died two months after the land where the old home had been flooded, so she had moved in with her daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Alexander Ingram. [65]
*****
Waranga Park was sold by auction on 14 September 1953. William Gunn the younger had continued to run it – see his life – until 1921. Then his daughter Janettie and her husband ran it; she sold what was left of the Estate after her husband’s death in 1953.[66] It then consisted of 2700 acres including frontage to the Waranga Basin dammed area.
Part 3 – the children of William Gunn
Summary
Rushworth events may have happened at Waranga; Rushworth was the official place of recording of births and deaths.
├── William GUNN of Waranga, b. 1804 Braehour, Caithness, d. 1888 Waranga
│ │ +Cecilia CORMACK, b. 1820 Wick Parish, Caithness, m. 1850 Aberdeen, Grampian, d. 1906 Rushworth
│ │ ├── Margaret Elizabeth GUNN, b. 1850 Caithness, d. 1929 Hawthorn, Melbourne.
│ │ ├── Janet GUNN, b. 1852 Wick Parish, Caithness, d. 1888 Waranga
│ │ │ +Alfred COLLIER, m. 1887 Melbourne
│ │ ├── William GUNN, b. 1853 Wick Parish, Caithness, d. 1921 Waranga
│ │ │ +Julia Janet INGRAM, b. 1860 Rushworth, m. 1889 South Melbourne, d. 1957 Murchison
│ │ │ ├── William Ingram GUNN, b. 1890 Rushworth d. 1891 Rushworth
│ │ │ ├── Julia Janet ‘Janettie’ GUNN, b. 1894 Rushworth, d. 1992 Mooroopna
│ │ │ └── William GUNN, b. 1896 Waranga, d. 1896 Waranga
│ │ ├── Elizabeth GUNN, b. 1859 Rushworth, m. 1888, d. 1921 Elsternwick, Melbourne
│ │ │ +Alexander INGRAM, b. 1845 Gambia, m. 1888, d.1909 Rushworth
│ │ │ ├── Cecilia Catherine INGRAM, b. 1890 Rushworth, d. 1976, Murchison
│ │ │ └── Marie Elizabeth Gunn INGRAM, b. 1898 Rushworth, d. 1956 Queensland
│ │ ├── Alexander GUNN, b. 1861 Waranga, d. 1915 Rushworth
└── Cecilia Jane GUNN, b. 1863 Waranga, d. 1864 Waranga
Lives
The children of William Gunn of Waranga and Cecilia Cormack were:
1. Margaret (Marnie) Gunn was born in October 1850 in Caithness. She was on the census of 30 March 1861 in the household of her uncle James and aunt Margaret Cormack in Sinclair Terrace, Pulteney East, Wick, Caithness.[67] She and her younger sister Janet emigrated in 1874 to Melbourne. It seems unusual that Marnie and her younger sister Janet waited so long to emigrate given their mother and brother William the younger left in 1857 - and first class. Marnie still lived at Rushworth in the 1909 electoral roll but later moved - she died, unmarried, on 16 September 1929 at ‘Longford’, Riversdale Road, Hawthorn, Melbourne in a large, two-storey Victorian home.[68] She was buried in the ‘family vault’ at Rushworth.[69]
2. Janet Gunn was born in 1852 in Wick Parish, Caithness. She was on the census of 30 March 1861 in the household of her uncle James and aunt Margaret Cormack in Wick Parish, Caithness. She and Marnie emigrated in 1874 to Melbourne.[70] Janet married Alfred Collier[71] in November 1887 at Waranga.[72] She died in 1888 at Waranga, with no issue.[73]
3. William Gunn[74] the younger was born in 1853 in Wick Parish, Caithness.[75] He married Julia Janet Ingram, daughter of Robert Ingram and Emma Gifford, in August 1889 in St Barnabas Church, South Melbourne.[76] Julia[77] was born in 1860 in Rushworth. She was a teacher in 1889 in Murchison, a town very near Waranga and Rushworth. She died in 1957 in Murchison.
The Ingram family is of interest; Julia’s grandfather Thomas Lewis Ingram[78] (1807-1868) was the acting colonial governor of the Gambia on five occasions. William’s younger sister Elizabeth married Alexander Ingram in 1888. He was the son of the younger brother of Thomas Lewis Ingram. Alexander had been born in the Gambia. The Ingram land was very close to Waranga Park and probably abutted it – it had been left to Alexander and his brother Robert when their uncle Thomas Powell died. It is probable that various generations of closely linked Ingram families lived and worked on that land.
William emigrated in 1857 to Melbourne with mother Cecilia. He and his brother Alexander were named as Lessees in Arrear under Section 20 of the Land Act 1869, of leases number 2970 Waranga and number 2730 Murchison on 1 April 1888. He was a beneficiary of the estate of William Gunn of Waranga on 20 December 1888 in the Supreme Court of Victoria.[79] He was appointed as Manager of the newly gazetted Waranga Common on 24 February 1891.[80] He was Chair of the Waranga United Common committee in 1914[81] which implies earlier work on that committee.
There were bushfires in the Rushworth district in February 1893 which cleared the Waranga Estate (and many other places) of all grass and fencing.[82] Other scattered fires occurred over the years but a huge fire occurred in February 1905 covering fifteen miles by six miles with consequent massive destruction to Waranga Park which lost all its grass, several hundred sheep including high priced stud ewes and rams, the woolshed, stables, fences and outhouse.[83] The ‘homestead had a narrow escape, as the stable within a few yards of the house was demolished, and the men were all away from home to fight the fire, and were unable to return. The ladies of the house, however, worked hard for some considerable period, and were then helped by some of the neighbours.’[84] One feels the Gunns were comparatively lucky that day.
William was the Waranga Shire Councillor between 1896[85] and 1919 at Rushworth, and Shire President in 1899, again in 1908, and again from September 1914 to 1915. [86] His allowance for his final term was 2½ per cent of the Shire’s gross revenue of 1914 – an interesting payment.[87]
William was also a member of the Repatriation Committee, a Commissioner for many years on the Echuca and Waranga Waterworks Trust, President of the Rushworth Mechanics Institute for over twenty years, Chief of the Caledonian Society of Rushworth and a member of the Council of the Victorian Scottish Union.[88]
William died on 16 November 1921.[89] His will left £16,668 pounds to his widow.[90]
*****
More follows after these footnotes.
[1] I believe this image to be of William Gunn. I suspect it came into my possession via his granddaughter Janettie McMillan in the early 1970s. The title of his land in Victoria has varied over time – Waranga, Waranga Park, Waranga Swamp are but some names used.
[2] The Coroner died c.1452 and is sometimes wrongly called Crowner Gunn. He was the first Gunn known to history.
[3] Waranga is roughly in the triangle between the rural towns of Shepparton, Nagambie and Rushworth.
[4] The ‘in’ and ‘of’ is significant in Scottish history – ‘in’ means a person lived somewhere but ‘of’ meant a person owned it. More accurately, ‘of’ generally meant a person had the wadset of a property – a sort of long-term rent. In other words, parents were more likely to be ‘of’ a property but children would be ‘in’ a property.
[5] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[6] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[7] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[8] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[9] For further information on these children including marriages and descendants see pages 350-428 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour). The book is a little out-of-date in a few areas.
[10] In reality the position of ‘Chief of the Clan Gunn’ did not exist until the Countess of Sutherland required one in the early 1800s to match the social demands of the time. There are no historic records showing that Clan Gunn Chiefs existed from the pre-1800s and as the Gunns were by origin an unrelated tribe of original settlers of northern mainland Scotland there was never a founding father which is required to be a Clan – and so there was never any Clan Gunn Chief. See https://clangunn1.blogspot.com accessed 27 April 2021 for more detail on this idea.
[11] Page 338, Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour).
[12] Page xxvii, ed R. J Adams, Papers on Sutherland Estate Management Volume 1.
[13] Footnote 3, quoting from the Royal Commission on the Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland 1884, page xxvii, R. J Adams, Papers on Sutherland Estate Management Volume 1.
[14] Page xxvii, ed R. J Adams, Papers on Sutherland Estate Management Volume 1.
[15] Page 126 http://theses.gla.ac.uk/680/1/1995mackillopphd.pdf accessed 27 March 2021.
[16] Page 11, R. H. Burgoyne, Historical Records of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, 1883, London, Richard Bentley and Sons.
[17] Caroline Armstrong, e-mail message to Donald Gunn, 20 Mar 2006.
[18] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[19] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[20] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[21] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[22] Many places give this date including the Australian Cemetery Index 1808-2007.
[23] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[24] See page 13, Alastair Gunn Clan Gunn Family Trees: From Killernan (Clan Gunn Chief) to Corrish, Kinbrace and Osclay Gunns.
[25] My suspicion is that the link is through a younger brother of Alexander Gunn of Osclay.
[26] Letters written in 1974 exist from Janettie Gunn, William Gunn’s granddaughter, where mention is made of knowing the Millers ‘in my early days very well’. Catherine Gunn married James Miller - she was the sister of Donald Gunn, they migrated to Australia together. Mention is also made of Janettie meeting the Surman family of Ballarat - Donald had another sister Janet who married John Surman. Janettie had also met Gladys Gunn a couple of times; Gladys was the niece of William Watkins Gunn and Marcus Daniel Gunn, being the daughter of their brother John Alexander Gunn, the noted colonial scientist (he invented an anthrax vaccine suitable for Australian conditions) and member of the New South Wales Parliament. These letters can be found on pages 447-448 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn Dalanaha, Strathmore and Braehour.
[27] From Gunn family papers originally held by Barbara Gunn Padgett (Austin). Notes by William Watkins & Marcus Daniel Gunn made during a visit to Dirlot cemetery Scotland. 1928. See pages 338-344 Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour). The notes were written on paper from the Station Hotel Wick in June 1928, given to Sylvia Bairstow nee Padgett, daughter of Norman Gunn Padgett by her aunt Barbara Gunn Padgett who, on 16 February 2011, passed them to Donald Gunn, son of Malcolm Gunn.
[28] There is no other logical way to have earnt such money at this time. I think that in the 1990s a William Gunn Miner’s licence was sold by a Melbourne (Victoria) Philatelic Auction House – and it was for the Waranga Gold Rush. Another document with it linked the licence to ‘our’ William Gunn. It is therefore possible that William went to the Waranga Gold Rush, made his money and so decided to buy the place. But this is memory and without the actual catalogue the idea is but a possibility.
[29] ‘The Argus’ 1 October 1855, page 3.
[30] One example of this error can be found at https://www.g-mwater.com.au/downloads/gmw/LOWMPs/Waranga_LOWP_Web.pdf accessed 20 April 2021 being the ‘Waranga Basin Land and On-Water Management Plan of 2011.’
[31] Page 17, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[32] For an outline of this area see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting_(Australian_history).
[33]Letter, Edith Christoe to Donald Gunn, 29 Nov 2005. Edith Christoe was William Gunn of Waranga’s great granddaughter.
[34] Page 73, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[35] From an obituary published in ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ Friday 2nd November 1888.
[36] See, for example, pages 75 and 142, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[37] ‘The Argus’ Friday 8 February 1907.
[38] ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 1 April 1909.
[39] See https://www.g-mwater.com.au/downloads/gmw/Storages/27_Nov_-_Waranga_Brochure_WEB.pdf accessed 26 April 2021 for the Goulburn Valley Water’s ‘Waranga Basin Recreation Guide’ which has an example of this idea.
[40] According to The Argus page 10, 1 July 1927.
[41] Page 130, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[42] ‘Bendigo Advertiser’ 23 August 1869.
[43] ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 14 August 1863.
[44] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[45] ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ Friday 7 February 1868.
[46] Page 3, ‘Bendigo Advertiser,’ 20 August 1867.
[47] ‘The Age’ 15 July 1864.
[48] Page 25, The Victorian Year-Book 1873.
[49] Victoria Government Gazette, 1874.
[50] Being from p. 93 N. G. Butlin, Investment in Australian Economic Development 1861-1900, Cambridge University Press.
[51] ‘Rushworth Chronicle’, 20 January 1888.
[52] ‘Leader’ 29 March 1902.
[53] 6,000 acres of land was bought from farmers at £10 an acre – it is not clear the cost paid for leased land. See ‘Leader’ 29 March 1902.
[54] As mentioned in a letter written in 1974 from Janettie Gunn, William Gunn’s granddaughter. See pages 447-448 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn Dalanaha, Strathmore and Braehour.
[55] Victoria Government Gazette, 1888.
[56] From an obituary in the ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 2 November 1888.
[57] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[58] From an obituary in the ‘The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser’ 2 November 1888.
[59] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[60] Page 87, Harley M. Foster Waranga 1865-1965; A Shire History.
[61] ‘The Riverine Herald’ 21 April 1906.
[62] See http://www.rushworthtourism.com.au/Stanhope.html
[63] ‘The Argus’ 3 August 1906.
[64] For more on Janet, her marriage to Alexander Muckle and life at the Red River Settlement see https://www.redriverancestry.ca/MUCKLE-ALEXANDER.php.
[65] ‘The Argus’ Saturday 20 October 1906.
[66] From letters written in 1974 by Janettie Gunn which can be found on pages 447-448 of Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn Dalanaha, Strathmore and Braehour.
[67] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[68] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[69] ‘Rushworth Chronicle’ 26 July 1929.
[70] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[71] Alfred Collier was a bank manager in 1887 in Rushworth.
[72] ‘The Age’ 10 November 1887.
[73] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[74] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[75] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[76] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[77] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[78] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Lewis_Ingram for the life and times of the man and his family.
[79] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[80] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[81] ‘Murchison Advertiser and Murchison, Toolamba, Mooroopna and Dargalong Express’ 19 June 1914.
[82] ‘The Herald’ 13 February 1893.
[83] ‘The Argus’ Wednesday 4 January 1905. ‘The Age’ Saturday 19th November 1921 highlight his interest in merino wool production.
[84] ‘The Age’ Wednesday 4 January 1905.
[85] ‘The Elmore Standard’ 7 February 1896.
[86] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[87] ‘Shepparton News’ 7 September 1914.
[88] ‘The Argus’ 18 November 1921.
[89] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[90] ‘The Herald’ Monday 23rd January 1922.
William Gunn the younger
One obituary[1] read -
RUSHWORTH.
Quite a gloom was cast over the entire district when it became known that Mr William Gunn, J.P., of “Waranga Park," Waranga, had passed away after an illness of only a couple of days duration. When his condition did not improve Dr Utber was called in. He at once recognised the seriousness of the trouble, and Dr Florence (Mooroopna) and Dr W. E. Hewitt (Murchison) were called in consultation, and they later decided upon an operation. This was undertaken, but the patient did not survive it.
Deceased was the eldest son of the late Mr William Gunn, who established the old Waranga Homestead in the early days. The site of the old homestead became submerged in the Waranga Basin, but there are many, who remember it well, as it was only three miles from Rushworth, and situated on Gunn’s Creek.
Mr Gunn was a man of many parts taking an active interest for very many years in practically every public movement for the benefit of the district. For over 20 years he was a member of the Waranga Shire Council, and resigned the position of his own free will some 2 1/2 years ago. Through all his public and private life also, he maintained a degree of straightforwardness and general uprightness of character which gained for him the respect and goodwill of all who knew him, and he was a man who was known far and wide. He was a Chief of the Rushworth Caledonian Society and was president of the Rushworth Mechanics’ Institute for over 20 years. He was an active member of the local Repatriation Committee, and for many years filled the position of commissioner of the old Echuca and Waranga Waterworks Trust when the present irrigation scheme was in its Infancy. His death will be a sad blow …
A pathetic circumstance in connection with the death of deceased is the fact that he had already booked his passage for a trip to the land of his birth in February next in company with his daughter and two of his nieces. (His nieces Marie and Elizabeth did go to the United Kingdom in 1922 – but his daughter Janettie did not as she, along with her husband, took over the running of Waranga.)
Deceased was 68 years of age. The remains were interred in the Rushworth cemetery, the funeral
being very largely attended, amongst the mourners being quite a number, of his late colleagues of
the Waranga Shire Council. The Rev. Nelson conducted the service.
Children of William Gunn and Julia Janet Ingram were:
i. William Ingram Gunn who was born 6 December 1890 at Waranga.[2] He died on 4 January 1891.[3]
ii. Julia Janet (Janettie) Gunn was born 6 February 1894 at Waranga.[4] She married John Archibald Wyld McMillan, son of Robert Neil McMillan and Christina Wyld, on 5 September 1925 in the Holy Trinity Church, Oakleigh, Melbourne. John McMillan was born in 1900 at Murchison[5] and died in 1953 at Tatura. Janettie died in 1992 in Mooroopna, age 98.[6] She was the informant at the death of her brother Alexander on 31 Aug 1915 in Rushworth following injury he sustained after being thrown from a gig.[7]
iii. William Gunn who was born 25 September 1896 and died the following day.[8]
4 Elizabeth Gunn was born in 1859[9] and died in 1921. She married Alexander Ingram (1845-1909) in 1888.[10] Children of Elizabeth and Alexander were:
i. Cecilia Catherine Ingram who was born in 1890.[11] She married William Tait, son of William Tait and Elizabeth Gunn Finlayson, in 1936 in Victoria.[12] William Tait was born in 1872 in Mt Prospect, Victoria [13] and he died in 1948 in Murchison, age 77.[14] Cecilia toured Britain in 1922 along with her sister Marie – this they had been planned to do with her grandfather William the younger but he died before he could go. Cecilia also went again in 1955. She died in 1976, aged 86.[15]
ii. Marie Elizabeth Gunn Ingram was born in 1898. [16] Marie toured Britain in 1922 along with her sister Cecilia. She married Frederick Esmonde King circa 1930. She died in 1957. Frederick Esmonde King was born in Roma Queensland in 1896, was a pastoralist by 1920 in Clermont, Queensland[17] and died at Townsville, Queensland in January 1986. How did Marie and Frederick meet? The physical distance between them was vast.
5 Alexander (Tal) Gunn was born 11 January 1861 at Waranga.[18]
Alexander was involved in a legal dispute with Thomas Harrison concerning what seems to have been markers indicating ownership of land showing the border between the Gunn and Harrison properties around April 1901. Alexander was legally found to be in the wrong and fined in May, and was also found guilty of assault for the same event in June. Harrison had started both actions.[19] Thomas Harrison only had 25 acres and was an orchardist; the contrast in land size and purpose with the Gunns is obvious.[20] Alexander’s behaviour seems odd given his obituary - which follows - which describes him as ‘quiet, unassuming.’ Was it an out of character action by Alexander or perhaps a grudge borne by Harrison, manipulated into court cases?
Alexander and his brother William were named as Lessees in Arrears under Section 20 of the Land Act 1869, of leases number 2970 Waranga and number 2730 Murchison on 1 April 1888. He was a beneficiary of the estate of his father William Gunn of Waranga on 20 December 1888.[21]
Alexander died on 31 August 1915 in Rushworth, unmarried, following injury sustained after being thrown from a gig whilst driving into the town with his niece Janettie.[22] One report[23] read –
An accident, which, unfortunately, had a fatal termination, happened to Mr Alexander Gunn, of Waranga Park, on Friday afternoon last while driving to Rushworth with his niece (Miss Jeannette Gunn). It appears that they had just crossed the bridge, opposite where the old Foresters' Arms hotel stood on the Murchison road, when the horse suddenly shied and "propped" and Mr Gunn was thrown with great force on to the hard metal roadway. When thrown out Mr Gunn carried the reins with him and this left Miss Gunn in an unenviable predicament. The horse at once made off and Miss Gunn was soon thrown out. She, however, had a fortunate escape in that she received but a severe shaking and some minor injuries to the back, which necessitated her remaining in bed for a few days. On Mr Gunn being picked up it was at once recognised that he had been very seriously injured. Blood was running from his mouth, nose, and ears, and he was unconscious. He was taken to Mr George Anderson's residence and medical aid summoned as speedily as possible. Later he was taken home, but from the first little hope was held out for his recovery. He, however, lingered on unconscious until Tuesday evening, when he passed away.
The late Alexander Gunn was the second eldest son of the late Mr Wm. Gunn, and was also a brother of Mr Wm. Gunn, of Waranga Park. Deceased was a native of Rushworth, having been born at the old Waranga Park homestead on the southern edge of Gunn's swamp, so named after his father. Here he grew up and continued to reside with his brother and other members of the family until compelled to remove to his late place of abode owing to the construction of the Waranga Reservoir. At the time of his death deceased was 54 years of age, and, although he took no part in public affairs, he was pretty widely known. He was one of those quiet, unassuming persons whose chief pleasures in life are derived from pottering about and minding their own affairs. He interfered with no one, and it can of a truth be said that no man was held in higher respect than the late Mr "Tal." Gunn. No wonder then that the news of his death was received on Wednesday morning with general expressions of regret, and the utmost sympathy was felt for his sorrowing relatives. The funeral, which took place yesterday afternoon was very largely attended.
The service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev. Ingram.[24]
6. Cecilia Jane Gunn was born in 1863 and died in 1864 at Waranga. [25]
*****
Part 4 – From Coroner Gunn (the first Gunn known in history) to William Gunn
For supportive detail of this descent line see Alastair Gunn’s The Gunns: History, Myths and Genealogy.
Generation 1
Coroner Gunn of Caithness
Generation 2
James Gunn
Generation 3
William MacHamish ‘Cattaig’ Gunn
Generation 4
William MacHamish Gunn
Generation 5
Unknown MacHamish Gunn
Generation 6
David MacHamish Gunn
Generation 7
William ‘Beag’ Gunn being the2nd son
Generation 8
John Gunn in Navidale of Borroble being the 2nd son
Generation 9
George ‘Borroble’ Gunn
Generation 10
John Gunn, Kinsuer and Guamhay
Generation 11
Alexander Gunn of Dalnaglaton and Strathmore
Generation 12
John Gunn of Dalnaha and Braehour, and his wife Marjory Dunbar of Rowens had many children. These include William Gunn in Braehour and Donald the sennachie, see Part 1.
Generation 13
William Gunn in Braehour, father of William in Waranga. And
Donald ‘Braehour and Brawlbin’ Gunn (13, 65) married Catherine ‘Osclay’ Gunn a direct descendant of the Clan Gunn Chief line.
Bibliography
This article should be viewed as draft chapter for a book about Braehour Gunns.
It is a revised and expanded version of material originally in Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour), Lulu, 2012.
*****
Only significantly used works are listed below.
The main works are based on my research (including family papers and the Sutherland Estate documents in the National Library of Scotland) on Gunn history and genealogy. These include -
Alastair Gunn, Clan Gunn Family Trees: From Killernan (Clan Gunn Chief) to Corrish, Kinbrace and Osclay Gunns, Lulu, 2021.
Alastair Gunn, Donald Gunn J. P. 1832-1901: from Brawlbin, Caithness, Scotland to Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, Lulu, 2021.
Alastair Gunn, The Gunns: History, Myths and Genealogy, Lulu, 2019.
Alastair Gunn, The real history of (Clan) Gunn, Lulu, 2020.
The above texts can be found at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/awgunn. For more information about Clan Gunn history see https://clangunn1.blogspot.com or https://clangunn.weebly.com or https://www.facebook.com/ClanGunn1.
*****
Also -
Harley W. Forster, Waranga 1865-1965: A Shire History, Cheshire, 1965.
*****
[1] ‘Shepparton Advertiser’ 24 November 1921.
[2] For details See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[3] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[4] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[5] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[6] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[7] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[8] ‘The Argus’ 28 September 1896.
[9] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[10] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[11] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[12] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[13] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[14] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[15] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[16] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[17] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[18] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[19] See ‘Benalla Standard’ 31 May 1901 and ‘The Age’ 22 June 1901.
[20] ‘Leader’ 29 March 1902.
[21] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[22] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[23] ‘Murchison Advertiser and Murchison, Toolamba, Mooroopna and Dargalong Express’ Friday 3 September, 1915.
[24] Presumably the Reverend Ingram was a relative.
[25] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
One obituary[1] read -
RUSHWORTH.
Quite a gloom was cast over the entire district when it became known that Mr William Gunn, J.P., of “Waranga Park," Waranga, had passed away after an illness of only a couple of days duration. When his condition did not improve Dr Utber was called in. He at once recognised the seriousness of the trouble, and Dr Florence (Mooroopna) and Dr W. E. Hewitt (Murchison) were called in consultation, and they later decided upon an operation. This was undertaken, but the patient did not survive it.
Deceased was the eldest son of the late Mr William Gunn, who established the old Waranga Homestead in the early days. The site of the old homestead became submerged in the Waranga Basin, but there are many, who remember it well, as it was only three miles from Rushworth, and situated on Gunn’s Creek.
Mr Gunn was a man of many parts taking an active interest for very many years in practically every public movement for the benefit of the district. For over 20 years he was a member of the Waranga Shire Council, and resigned the position of his own free will some 2 1/2 years ago. Through all his public and private life also, he maintained a degree of straightforwardness and general uprightness of character which gained for him the respect and goodwill of all who knew him, and he was a man who was known far and wide. He was a Chief of the Rushworth Caledonian Society and was president of the Rushworth Mechanics’ Institute for over 20 years. He was an active member of the local Repatriation Committee, and for many years filled the position of commissioner of the old Echuca and Waranga Waterworks Trust when the present irrigation scheme was in its Infancy. His death will be a sad blow …
A pathetic circumstance in connection with the death of deceased is the fact that he had already booked his passage for a trip to the land of his birth in February next in company with his daughter and two of his nieces. (His nieces Marie and Elizabeth did go to the United Kingdom in 1922 – but his daughter Janettie did not as she, along with her husband, took over the running of Waranga.)
Deceased was 68 years of age. The remains were interred in the Rushworth cemetery, the funeral
being very largely attended, amongst the mourners being quite a number, of his late colleagues of
the Waranga Shire Council. The Rev. Nelson conducted the service.
Children of William Gunn and Julia Janet Ingram were:
i. William Ingram Gunn who was born 6 December 1890 at Waranga.[2] He died on 4 January 1891.[3]
ii. Julia Janet (Janettie) Gunn was born 6 February 1894 at Waranga.[4] She married John Archibald Wyld McMillan, son of Robert Neil McMillan and Christina Wyld, on 5 September 1925 in the Holy Trinity Church, Oakleigh, Melbourne. John McMillan was born in 1900 at Murchison[5] and died in 1953 at Tatura. Janettie died in 1992 in Mooroopna, age 98.[6] She was the informant at the death of her brother Alexander on 31 Aug 1915 in Rushworth following injury he sustained after being thrown from a gig.[7]
iii. William Gunn who was born 25 September 1896 and died the following day.[8]
4 Elizabeth Gunn was born in 1859[9] and died in 1921. She married Alexander Ingram (1845-1909) in 1888.[10] Children of Elizabeth and Alexander were:
i. Cecilia Catherine Ingram who was born in 1890.[11] She married William Tait, son of William Tait and Elizabeth Gunn Finlayson, in 1936 in Victoria.[12] William Tait was born in 1872 in Mt Prospect, Victoria [13] and he died in 1948 in Murchison, age 77.[14] Cecilia toured Britain in 1922 along with her sister Marie – this they had been planned to do with her grandfather William the younger but he died before he could go. Cecilia also went again in 1955. She died in 1976, aged 86.[15]
ii. Marie Elizabeth Gunn Ingram was born in 1898. [16] Marie toured Britain in 1922 along with her sister Cecilia. She married Frederick Esmonde King circa 1930. She died in 1957. Frederick Esmonde King was born in Roma Queensland in 1896, was a pastoralist by 1920 in Clermont, Queensland[17] and died at Townsville, Queensland in January 1986. How did Marie and Frederick meet? The physical distance between them was vast.
5 Alexander (Tal) Gunn was born 11 January 1861 at Waranga.[18]
Alexander was involved in a legal dispute with Thomas Harrison concerning what seems to have been markers indicating ownership of land showing the border between the Gunn and Harrison properties around April 1901. Alexander was legally found to be in the wrong and fined in May, and was also found guilty of assault for the same event in June. Harrison had started both actions.[19] Thomas Harrison only had 25 acres and was an orchardist; the contrast in land size and purpose with the Gunns is obvious.[20] Alexander’s behaviour seems odd given his obituary - which follows - which describes him as ‘quiet, unassuming.’ Was it an out of character action by Alexander or perhaps a grudge borne by Harrison, manipulated into court cases?
Alexander and his brother William were named as Lessees in Arrears under Section 20 of the Land Act 1869, of leases number 2970 Waranga and number 2730 Murchison on 1 April 1888. He was a beneficiary of the estate of his father William Gunn of Waranga on 20 December 1888.[21]
Alexander died on 31 August 1915 in Rushworth, unmarried, following injury sustained after being thrown from a gig whilst driving into the town with his niece Janettie.[22] One report[23] read –
An accident, which, unfortunately, had a fatal termination, happened to Mr Alexander Gunn, of Waranga Park, on Friday afternoon last while driving to Rushworth with his niece (Miss Jeannette Gunn). It appears that they had just crossed the bridge, opposite where the old Foresters' Arms hotel stood on the Murchison road, when the horse suddenly shied and "propped" and Mr Gunn was thrown with great force on to the hard metal roadway. When thrown out Mr Gunn carried the reins with him and this left Miss Gunn in an unenviable predicament. The horse at once made off and Miss Gunn was soon thrown out. She, however, had a fortunate escape in that she received but a severe shaking and some minor injuries to the back, which necessitated her remaining in bed for a few days. On Mr Gunn being picked up it was at once recognised that he had been very seriously injured. Blood was running from his mouth, nose, and ears, and he was unconscious. He was taken to Mr George Anderson's residence and medical aid summoned as speedily as possible. Later he was taken home, but from the first little hope was held out for his recovery. He, however, lingered on unconscious until Tuesday evening, when he passed away.
The late Alexander Gunn was the second eldest son of the late Mr Wm. Gunn, and was also a brother of Mr Wm. Gunn, of Waranga Park. Deceased was a native of Rushworth, having been born at the old Waranga Park homestead on the southern edge of Gunn's swamp, so named after his father. Here he grew up and continued to reside with his brother and other members of the family until compelled to remove to his late place of abode owing to the construction of the Waranga Reservoir. At the time of his death deceased was 54 years of age, and, although he took no part in public affairs, he was pretty widely known. He was one of those quiet, unassuming persons whose chief pleasures in life are derived from pottering about and minding their own affairs. He interfered with no one, and it can of a truth be said that no man was held in higher respect than the late Mr "Tal." Gunn. No wonder then that the news of his death was received on Wednesday morning with general expressions of regret, and the utmost sympathy was felt for his sorrowing relatives. The funeral, which took place yesterday afternoon was very largely attended.
The service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev. Ingram.[24]
6. Cecilia Jane Gunn was born in 1863 and died in 1864 at Waranga. [25]
*****
Part 4 – From Coroner Gunn (the first Gunn known in history) to William Gunn
For supportive detail of this descent line see Alastair Gunn’s The Gunns: History, Myths and Genealogy.
Generation 1
Coroner Gunn of Caithness
Generation 2
James Gunn
Generation 3
William MacHamish ‘Cattaig’ Gunn
Generation 4
William MacHamish Gunn
Generation 5
Unknown MacHamish Gunn
Generation 6
David MacHamish Gunn
Generation 7
William ‘Beag’ Gunn being the2nd son
Generation 8
John Gunn in Navidale of Borroble being the 2nd son
Generation 9
George ‘Borroble’ Gunn
Generation 10
John Gunn, Kinsuer and Guamhay
Generation 11
Alexander Gunn of Dalnaglaton and Strathmore
Generation 12
John Gunn of Dalnaha and Braehour, and his wife Marjory Dunbar of Rowens had many children. These include William Gunn in Braehour and Donald the sennachie, see Part 1.
Generation 13
William Gunn in Braehour, father of William in Waranga. And
Donald ‘Braehour and Brawlbin’ Gunn (13, 65) married Catherine ‘Osclay’ Gunn a direct descendant of the Clan Gunn Chief line.
Bibliography
This article should be viewed as draft chapter for a book about Braehour Gunns.
It is a revised and expanded version of material originally in Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn’s Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour), Lulu, 2012.
*****
Only significantly used works are listed below.
The main works are based on my research (including family papers and the Sutherland Estate documents in the National Library of Scotland) on Gunn history and genealogy. These include -
Alastair Gunn, Clan Gunn Family Trees: From Killernan (Clan Gunn Chief) to Corrish, Kinbrace and Osclay Gunns, Lulu, 2021.
Alastair Gunn, Donald Gunn J. P. 1832-1901: from Brawlbin, Caithness, Scotland to Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, Lulu, 2021.
Alastair Gunn, The Gunns: History, Myths and Genealogy, Lulu, 2019.
Alastair Gunn, The real history of (Clan) Gunn, Lulu, 2020.
The above texts can be found at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/awgunn. For more information about Clan Gunn history see https://clangunn1.blogspot.com or https://clangunn.weebly.com or https://www.facebook.com/ClanGunn1.
*****
Also -
Harley W. Forster, Waranga 1865-1965: A Shire History, Cheshire, 1965.
*****
[1] ‘Shepparton Advertiser’ 24 November 1921.
[2] For details See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[3] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[4] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[5] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[6] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[7] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[8] ‘The Argus’ 28 September 1896.
[9] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[10] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[11] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[12] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[13] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[14] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[15] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[16] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[17] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[18] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[19] See ‘Benalla Standard’ 31 May 1901 and ‘The Age’ 22 June 1901.
[20] ‘Leader’ 29 March 1902.
[21] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[22] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.
[23] ‘Murchison Advertiser and Murchison, Toolamba, Mooroopna and Dargalong Express’ Friday 3 September, 1915.
[24] Presumably the Reverend Ingram was a relative.
[25] See https://www.academia.edu/45595274/Hon_Donald_Gunn_of_Manitoba_Canada_1797_1878.