Obituaries Australia

John Warren, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 October 1914

The recent death at his home, Springfield, Mt. Crawford, South Australia, of Mr. John Warren represents the passing of a strong personality and veteran pastoralist. The late gentleman was universally respected as a "grand old man," full of initiative and courage. He was a pioneer colonist in South Australia, and has been closely identified with pastoral concerns all his life. He was a son of the late Mr. John Warren, and was born at Coxton Farm, near Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland, on 3rd September, 1830. His father emigrated to South Australia in 1838, and four years later Mr. Warren also left his native land and joined his parents at Springfield, near Mount Crawford. With the exception of a visit to the Victorian goldfields in 1851, he resided at Springfield up to the time of his death. Practically the whole of his life was spent in pastoral and agricultural pursuits. He also devoted a good deal of attention to gardening, and in the early days before fruitgrowing became general his home estate was celebrated for the fruit it produced. Mr. Warren was by no means a stay-at-home farmer, and he did much to open up outlying pastoral country. Among other runs he held a large tract at Strangways Springs, where he carried on sheepfarming in conjunction with the late Mr. Thomas Hogarth until that gentleman's death. He took an active interest in the development of the Northern Territory, and as early as 1862 was largely interested in a sheep station on the route of the transcontinental telegraph line, which station he carried on in partnership with his brothers-in-law (the Messrs. Hogarth). He was never tired of urging that the Northern Territory should be governed on similar principles to those which had proved so successful in settling similar country in Queensland. Naturally, in pushing his way so far into the interior in the early days, when there were few facilities for communication or carriage of wool and other articles, Mr. Warren met with many reverses and faced dangers, hardships, and difficulties which would have discouraged one less determined. Like many other early settlers, however, he was made of stern stuff, and in his business, as in his political struggles, he never knew when he was beaten. The failures of one year were turned to account to become the successes of the next, and he was long looked upon as one of the most successful stockbreeders and pastoralists. He applied himself with energy to the study of the requirements of the country and the development of its resources. He was a member of the Legislative Council for a great many years, and was also an active member of the Pastoralists' Union. He leaves a widow and grown-up family.