Obituaries Australia

Charles McDougall, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 June 1923

The death of Mr. Charles Edward McDougall took place at Warwick on the 16th May, after a short illness, and that of his mother, on the 26th of the same month.

The passing away of this well-known breeder of stock, cast a gloom not only over the town of Warwick, but all over the country, and his death is a national loss, for good breeders are born, not bred, and his fame as a breeder of blood horses and Shorthorn cattle was known all over Australia and part of Africa. He was a good and dutiful son to his aged mother, and for that reason probably he never married, but remained single in the old home of Lyndhurst to the end.

Mr. Charlie McDougall, the name by which he was so lovingly known, was the third of six sons of his parents, and he had two sisters. His father, Mr. Malcolm Septimus McDougall, was so christened because he was the seventh of eight sons. There was only one sister, who remained single, a noble woman, universally loved and respected for her charitable actions in her native State (New South Wales).

Mrs. Malcolm McDougall, who has just followed her son, was a daughter of Captain Weston, of Horseley; her late mother, who was 98 when she died, was a daughter of Colonel Johnstone; names which are written largely on the history of New South Wales. Lyndhurst has always been proverbial for its hospitality, and it has been the home of many old country friends.

The McDougall family, who were born on the Hunter, were all men of magnificent physique, the eldest being Hon. J. F. McDougall, who originally owned Tucka Tucka, on the McIntyre River, and was a member of the Upper House in Queensland. This station, a grand property, he sold to the Dights, who owned Yetman and Boonal on each side. He then purchased Rosalie Plains and Cooyar, and came to live at Milton about 1858 or 1859. After leaving school his elder son, Mr. Darcy F., managed these properties. Two brothers, Donald and Wallace, took up Texas Station, on the Sovereign River, then a very large property, on both sides of the river, about 1840 or 1841. After a time Mr. Malcolm assumed the management. It was there that Mr. C. E. McDougall was born in 1865. The station brands were IMD and TXS, and the cast of cattle were well known on the Hunter River, where they were sold and fattened to be near the markets. After some years at Texas Mr. Malcolm bought Goonian (not Gunyan, as now spelt), between Texas and Bonshaw, and with his family resided there, giving up the management of Texas.

Later Mr. Malcolm parted with Goonian to Mr. W. H. Hetherington, the owner of Bonshaw, who was the first settler in that part.

Mr. Malcolm McDougall then purchased Clifton, a cattle station on the Maranoa, and desiring to be near a school for younger members of the family, purchased Lyndhurst Estate, on the Condamine, near Warwick, from the executors of the late St. George Ralph Gore, where he lived until he died, regretted by all who knew him, for he was a gentleman in every sense of the word, upright in all his dealings and as straight as a gun barrel, as the old saying hath it.

All the McDougalls were fond of horses, and bred a splendid type of such, animals that could carry a man all day and every day, so it was natural that Mr. Charlie should become a breeder of blood horses, and for that purpose leased the Lyndhurst estate from the family, later purchasing some of the freeholds in the vicinity.

The first job he went at after leaving school, early in 1882, was with his elder brother, Mr. W. N. McDougall, to take a lot of bulls, bred by Charles Baldwin, which their father had purchased from Bracker for Clifton. Strange, what a conspicuous place the Baldwin-bred cattle and type would later occupy in the success of his own stud. After that job he went to look after a property of his cousin's (Mr. Darcy T. McDougall), near Cooyar, which latter place and Rosalie Plains, Darcy was managing for his father. Both his cousin and his wife (also a cousin) were exceedingly good judges of Shorthorn cattle, and no doubt he somewhat profited by their tuition.

On the advice of Mr. Bracker he decided to start breeding Durham cattle, so bought 10 heifers from Mrs. Waddell, of Benvenue, which he got at 5 guineas each. These turned out really well, and one of them, by Deronda (by Lord Red Rose 12th), bred by A. A. Dangar at Baroona, became the dam of Lady Beverley, by Beverley Duke 20th (Angus bred). She mated with Baldwin's Peer and produced the old unbeaten favourite Lyndhurst Royal Peer, a magnificent beast and sire, and winner of many championships.

At the dispersal of the Canning Downs stud by the late J. D. Macansh's Executors he bought 27 cows descended from the imported cows Saphrina, Double Gloster, Ino, and Jessie. The most successful cow of these was Duchess of York. Lady Baldwin was a big roan bred at Lyndhurst, another champion, ex a Baldwin-bred dam. Princess Imperial 2nd, roan in colour, was also a champion, as was Lyndhurst Royal Rose, a double champion, both home bred. Another successful sire and prizewinner was the 11th, another Peer; many more of the Peers were good.

Of the many sires got for Lyndhurst, Baldwin's Peer was the most successful, and he gained many champion ribbons. After him came Clipper Duke (imp.), 92178 C.H.B., a very fine red and a good handler of the Kirklevington tribe, tracing back to the famous Nell Gwynne. Clogher Augustus, a roan, bred in Ireland, 114735 C.H.B., was introduced later. He was remarkably good on crops and chine. The stock of these two bulls proved quick fatteners with fine constitutions, and were much appreciated in North Queensland.

In 1916 Mr. McDougall asked me to accompany him to Dulacca West, where I stayed two days riding through about 200 beautiful breeding cows and heifers mated with the sires, and although my friend asked me to be critical and point out any he ought to take out and fatten, there were only five or six, and they were fair. They were certainly a fine lot to breed herd bulls, and to please the most captious critic. As the old-time breeders, such as the Lees, of Bylong, Halls, Baldwins, would say: "They were bred to please the eyes of a judge, not to please paper pedigrees."

To do this you must cull out and not be guided by sentiment. Of late years Mr. McDougall purchased Murweh, where another large stud is kept.