John Livingston

[Bruce]

I came across this obituary from 1935 published in the "Border Watch' Newspaper, Mt Gambier, South Australia 1935- it may fit into ancestor exploration some where .Further information can be searched without charge by anybody on the "Trove" site ...an excellent Govt.source of Australian Newspapers

Article

3/14/24, 9:15 AM 05 Sep 1935 - DEATH OF MR. JOHN LIVINGSTON. PASTORALIST AND POLITICIAN.

Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 - 1954), Thursday 5 September 1935, page 1

Mr. John Livingston, well known pastoralist, former member of both the State and Federal Houses of
Parliament and for many years one of the most prominent men of the Mount Gambier district, died in
hospital in Melbourne yesterday
afternoon.
About two months ago Mr. Livingston consulted a specialist in Mel-bourne and entered hospital with leg
trouble. Complications followed, and although hope of his recovery was
held out he died about 3.150 p.m. yesterday afternoon.
PROMINENT CITIZEN
The passing of Mr. Livingston re-moves a romantic figure from the ranks of the pastoralists, and severs
another line of the chain of men who,
in their practical advocacy of primary production, helped to make Australia what it is today. He played a very
prominent part in life commercial,
civic, and political life of the State of South Australia, and in a bigger political sphere in the Commonwealth
Parliament, where his wise counsel was always heeded, and where he
earned the respect of all shades of
politics.
He was a scion of an historically famed family in Scotland, his father coming from Oban, in Scotland, and his
mother from a line of warriors, one of her cousins being Sir Colin Campbell, a hero at the Indian Mutiny. His
father took up a large pastoral holding in the South-East in 1843, situated 18 miles from Mount Gam-bier,
which he called Curratum. It was there that John Livingston, his eldest son, was born on March 24, 1853:
GORDON ASSOCIATIONS
Early youth associated him closely with the poet Adam Lindsay Gordon, who was a frequent visitor to his
fathers station. It was during a visit to the station, shortly after the wreck of the Admella, that the poet gained
the impression from which he later wrote his immortal poem, "The Ride From the Wreck." The survivors
from the wreck stayed at Curratum for some days. The Admella Survivors Relief Committee subsequently
wrote a special message of thanks to the Livingston family for their kindness and hospitality in their distress,
and this letter is still a treasured possession of the present generation of Livingstons. The old tree, the eagle
hawk's nest mentioned in Gordon's poem, is within half a mile of the old Curratum homestead. The stump of
it still remains, and many a time John Livingston looked at it as boy and man and reflected on the great
adventure that was brought into his young life. It may have been that this early impression sowed in his mind
the spirit of adventure.
PASTORAL ACTIVITIES
He travelled extensively in the out-back areas looking for pastoral land in Western Australia, New South
Wales, and Queensland, and eventually took up Colarena station, near
Bourke, in New South Wales, with his brother, which they held for
many years.
Mr. Livingston returned to Mount Gambier, where he held part of his fathers station until his death.
3/14/24, 9:15 AM 05 Sep 1935 - DEATH OF MR. JOHN LIVINGSTON. PASTORALIST AND POLITICIAN.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rend ... print=true 2/3
He early realized the possibilities of frozen lamb export and he organised the first shipment, of fat lambs
which left South Australia for export to England, together with Mr. H. Hart, of Millicent, Mr R. M.Gardiner,
of Mount Schank, and Mr. W. Wehl, of Millicent. The lambs were frozen at Newport and sent to Lon-don as a
trial at the expense of these pioneers. From this experimental be- ginning has grown an export trade,
colossal in its ramifications, its re- turn of wealth to Australia, and its huge advertising medium.
POLICITAL CAREER
Mr. Livingston was a member of the first District Council of Benara. He was elected Mayor of Mount
Gambier in 1899, and was elected to the South Australian Parliament in that year. In 1906 he was chosen to
represent-Barker in the House of Representatives in succession to Sir Langdon Bonython, and on his
election he re-signed from the State House and worthily carried out, his duties in the Federal sphere. He
represented Barker continuously for about 17 years. He was President of the first stockowners' association in
Mount Gambler, whose interests were greatly advanced by his continual advocacy. He was a great advocate,
for the South-East of South Australia, and his earnestness and sincerity of purpose influenced many to visit
the district, including Lord Forrest, Sir George Reid, Mr. Alfred Deacon, the British Delegation headed by
Lord Sheffield. He was chosen as one of the delegates to re-present the Commonwealth Government at the
coronation of King George V. in 1911.
()n his return he published a book of his travels entitled "Three Australians Abroad," and also lectured
throughout South Australia, on the methods used in agriculture in the United States of America, and other
countries which he visited.
He was the founder of the firm of Livingston & Yates about 1900, and production of sugar beet, which he
studied in Germany and the United States. In co-operation with the Government of South Australia, he was
instrumental in having many places tested for the, growing of sugar beet, which tests, especially at Mount
THE LATE MR. JOHN LIVINGSTON
Gambier and Millicent, were highly
successful.
LOCAL INTERESTS
Among Mr. Livingston's many activities was a deep interest in the School of Mines at Mount Gambier. Hoe
was closely interested with its commencement and was a member of the Council from its inception till the
time of his death. He was also a prime mover in the construction of the railway from Mount Gambier to
Glencoe, and for his services was presented with a rug and walking stick
by the citizens, which he greatly
treasured. During the Jubilee celebrations he was the recipient of a Jubilee medal.
Mr. Livingston was one of the earliest members of the Mount Gambier Caledonian Society, and was chief'
for a term. He was a most re-gular attendant at the annual New Year's Day gathering and took a keen interest
in the Society's activities to the end of his life.
He was a very successful amateur rider. It is recorded that there was
great rejoicing when, in the seventies, he won a steeplechase on Touchit, carrying 13 st. He judged stock sections, particularly horses, at many agricultural shows in South Australia and the Western Districts of Victoria, including the Adelaide Show, where he judged on several occasions.

He was the founder of the firm of Livingston & Yates about 1900, and the business was acquired by Elder,
Smith & Co. Ltd. in 1900, Mr Livingston continued to act as an auctioneer, until 1925, when he retired.
Mr. Livingston is dead, and the tale is poorer for him passing. His
many friends throughout Australia will share the grief of his famliy at the passing of a man who throughout
his life always had the welfare of his district at heart.
Mr. Livingston's wife, who survives
him, was a daughter of the late Mr. William Paltridge, of Mount Gambier and a grand-daughter of the Hon.
John Dunn, of Mount Barker. He leaves five daughters and two sons to mourn their great loss. Mrs Roy
Meynink, Sydney; Mrs. Roger Ibbott, 'Worongorong," Coonamble; Miss L.
E. Livingst0n, Melbourne; Messers F W. and J. M. Melbourne; Misses E. C. and C. R., Mount Gambier.
There are five grandchildren.
Mr. Livingston's remains will be brought to Mount Gambier, and the funeral is advertised to leave the
Presbyterian Church at 3 p.m. to-morrow. The flags of the Mount Gambier Caledonian Society and the
Municipality were flown at halfmast to-day.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Bruce,
I no longer have ancestry.com but there may well be some interesting family info available regarding John Livingston and of particular interest his mentioned Livingston father from Oban,Argllshire Scotland available there for those who do have access to ancestry.com. Most definitely would be of interest to this forum As you may have noticed in the past we had some discussions regarding Argyllshire Livingstons that settled in New Zealand and Australia and back then I did a bit of digging in some available records I located at the time to expand a bit with the names of some Argyllshire LIvingstons who had settled in Australia in the 1800s thinking that might be some interest to our Aussie Livingstons or their relatives who might visiting this Forum in the future. Hopefully we can at some point in the future trace John Livingston father's origins in Argyllshire and family there further. Appreciate you sharing this info with the Forum.

Donald (Livingstone) Clink
Historian
Clan Maclea Livingstone Forum

regards,
Donald