Obituaries Australia

Russell Barton, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 August 1916

Born at Penge, Surrey, near London, in 1830, the late Mr. Russell Barton, who died in Sydney at the end of June, landed in Adelaide in 1839. He commenced to earn his own living when about 12 years of age, and overlanded from South Australia to Sydney with stock in 1845. From 1845 to 1851 he was engaged in contracting and carrying, and in 1851 went to the Victorian goldfields, where he remained for about two years. From 1853 to 1864 he was managing sheep and cattle stations in South Australia, and in 1864 made an overland journey with 10,000 sheep from South Australia to Bourke, New South Wales, forming and stocking two stations, "Mooculta" and " Tarcoon," on the Darling and Bogan. Later, with his brother, W. C. Barton, he purchased Brindingabba, on the Cuttaburra, and Willara, on the Paroo. In 1874 he took a large interest in the Great Cobar Mine, predicting a great future for it, became a director and managing director, and made a highly payable proposition of it. Later he purchased and floated the Nymagee copper mine, working it successfully for some years. The late Mr. Barton was elected M.P. for Bourke, the largest electorate in New South Wales, in 1880, a position he held for six years, but retired owing to ill health. He was a ready and forcible speaker in Parliament. He was the founder and chairman of the Pastoral Finance Association, a director of the Mercantile Mutual Company, and was also on many other important boards. He married in 1855 Miss Jane McCulloch Davie, and his wife and eight children survive him.