Obituaries Australia

John Macmichael, n.d.

from Australasian Pastoralists' Review, 15 June 1897

It is our painful duty to record the death of Mr. John Tillotson Macmichael, of Toowoomba, Queensland. The deceased gentleman had been in his usual state of health until quite recently, when, acting on the advice of his medical attendant, he decided to visit the seaside for a short time, with the object of throwing off an apparently ordinary attack of influenza. Serious symptoms, however, soon manifested themselves, and quickly developed into a most severe attack of inflammation of the lungs. After a few days' illness, Mr. Macmichael died at Southport, near Brisbane, on the 4th inst.

Mr. Macmichael was born in Yorkshire, and after completing his education, received a thorough commercial training in England and on the Continent. He came out to Queensland as a young man, nearly thirty years ago, and after gaining some knowledge of station affairs, assumed charge of Condamine Plains Estate, on the Darling Downs, which property he most successfully managed for a considerable time. About ten years ago he became a partner in the firm of Kennard and Co., the well-known stock and station agents, of Toowoomba.

Mr. Macmichael took a prominent part in the formation of the Darling Downs Pastoralists' Association, one of the earliest organised bodies of pastoralists in Australia, and continued to act as secretary until his death. He also rendered yeoman service as member on the council of the United Pastoralists' Association of Queensland, and his thorough businesslike grasp of affairs made his advice invariably sought in all times of difficulty.

Of a kindly and warm-hearted nature, his ready help was always at hand in all social or benevolent movements in the district, and his strictly honourable and sterling character endeared him to a large circle of personal friends throughout Southern Queensland. His untimely death at the early age of forty-six years will leave a blank hard indeed to fill, and his genial face will be missed by all classes of Queensland society.