Obituaries Australia

Russell Ralston, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 October 1915

Mr. Russell Harold Ralston, a well-known pastoralist of Western and Central Queensland, died at Wellcamp, Toowoomba, on the 21st September, aged fifty-four years. He arrived in Queensland from Tasmania in 1883, and soon after took up and stocked Miranda and Meba Downs Stations, on the Diamantina River, South-west Queensland, for MacGregor and Co., and successfully managed these places for some years. Afterwards he moved farther out, and took up and stocked Glengyle Station, situated on the Georgina River, on the South Australian border. He managed this place for the same owners up till 1900. At the time he took up this station a great deal of the country was unknown, and the blacks were very troublesome, and many hardships had to be endured in the early days. After a trip to New Zealand and southern States in 1901, he took up the management of Roxmere and Bridgewater Stations, in the Cloncurry district, for the Queensland National Bank, and afterwards managed Wetheron, on the Burnett, and Cork Station, in the Central district, for the same owners. In 1907 he purchased Kinbombi Station, on the Burnett, and later Withersfield, in the Central district. After disposing of these properties, he formed Ralston and Co., and purchased Wrotham Park, Gamboola, and Drumduff Stations, situated on the Walsh, Mitchell, and Palmer Rivers, in the Cook district, North Queensland, the area of thse stations being 4000 square miles, and was managing director for the firm at the time of his death.

Russell Harold Ralston was a son of the late John Ralston, of Logan, Tasmania. He married Margaret, daughter of the late Hugh Campbell, of Poukawa, Hawkes Bay, and is survived by his widow.