Obituaries Australia

J. W. McGregor, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 14 April 1925

By the death of Mr. J. W. McGregor, of Adelaide, Australia has lost one of its most enterprising and successful pastoralists and wool merchants. Mr. McGregor was on a visit to Melbourne when he was attacked by an illness, which at first gave his relatives no special anxiety. He was moved to a private hospital, but when there pneumonia supervened and death came suddenly.

Mr. McGregor, who was born at Hawick, South Scotland, in 1861, was at the time of his death very largely interested in pastoral properties in South Australia, in the woollen industry, and in wool buying throughout the Commonwealth. Amongst his many activities he was chief of the Caledonian Society of South Australia, whilst at all times he took a reat interest in the work of the Chambers of Commerce and Manufactures, and in all public matters calculated to advance the Commonwealth and strengthen the ties of Empire, for he was a great Imperialist. He went to South Australia in 1882, and subsequently had charge of the Lobethal Tweed Mills in that State. He afterwards became a proprietor of woollen mills in South Australia, also a prominent buyer at the Australian wool sales, and built up the firm of J. W. McGregor and Sons Limited. Some years ago he bought Melton Station, a very fine sheep run in the north-east of South Australia, while he was also interested in other pastoral properties in that State and New South Wales.

Mr. McGregor was a man of strong personality, and throughout the war, and subsequently, threw his whole weight into philanthropic service. He was largely instrumental in the establishment of Scotch College, the extension of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, while his voice and purse were always available for any movement calculated to be for the betterment of the community. Numerous friends throughout Australia mourn his death, and extend their sympathy to his widow and sons.