Donald McTavish- b.1813 d. 1862

Donald was a carpenter and shepherd born in Scotland in 1813. Conditions were extremely hard and there was mass emigration to America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand at this time, helped by the subsidized fares from these countries.

Donald also had a wealthy cousin Dugald McPherson whom he thought would offer him employment on his holding near Horsham in the Wimmera.

The McTavishes sailed from Liverpool on the “Wanata” on18-6-1852. Unfortunately 37 died on the voyage- 6 adults and 33 children- mainly of Typhoid. John (9 years old) was very ill but recovered. The ship arrived in Melbourne on 15-9-1852 but was put into quarantine until 4-10-1852.

They soon discovered that no arrangements had been made for their transport to Ashens but Donald was offered work in Hedi (near Wangaratta) with free transport. They left Melbourne on the 11th of October and arrived at Hedi on the 21st.

Donald was a light hearted man, fun loving and gregarious. A good worker but a bit too fond of the drink. He  worked hard at Hedi as a shepherd and carpenter- making furniture, repairing buildings and vehicles and making shepherds’ watchboxes.

The family were happy here but when the owner died suddenly conditions changed.

Dugald McPherson offered work at Ashens- they arrived 14-2-1856. He soon settled into the same sort of work and the family settled in a recently built wood hut near Taylors Lake.

Janet and Donald were determined to buy property of their own and had saved a sizeable sum towards this -tragically Donald decided to visit McSweenys’ Halfway Inn at Ashens  on Christmas day 1862. He was drowned in a waterhole on the way home. He was 49 years old.

Taken from “Thy Portion”- J.L. Turner.