Obituaries Australia

Mr. Hugh McRostie, one of the few remaining pioneers of the district, died at his late residence, Red Hills, on Tuesday night.

Deceased, who was a man of sterling worth, was (states the "Mercury") born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1811 [sic], where his father was a tenant farmer on the estate of Sir John Stewart Menzie, of Chesterhill, so that, at an early date, he received a thoroughly practical training in agricultural pursuits, and in 1838 was one of 16 picked agriculturists whom Mr. Tryon Campbell, a wealthy gentleman, induced to emigrate to New South Wales. In 1839 Mr. McRostie was entrusted with the overlanding of 4000 sheep and 800 head of Mr. Campbell's cattle from Snowy river to near Melbourne, the trip occupying over three months. Mr. McRostie's most intimate fellow-drover en route was the late Mr. McKinnon, founder of the "Argus" newspaper, who was in charge of another large flock. In 1841 deceased came to Tasmania to manage the Alveston estate, adjoining Deloraine, for the late Mr. James McArthur, and with the exception of a few years spent in Longford district, where he was manager for one of the Mr. Archers, he has resided here ever since, during which time he has, in addition to managing the Cheshunt estate for a few years in the early fifties, farmed for himself on Calstock, Cheshunt, Middle Plains, and other estates, and was at one time in very good circumstances, but has had reverses of late years. Honest, intelligent, and fearless-spoken, he was much esteemed by all whose esteem was worth having, and his demise leaves one good man less in this district. Deceased married a Miss Cox, of Longford, and his widow and an only son survive him, the latter being at present in New Zealand.