Archibald Clunes Innes
Archibald Clunes Innes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1799 |
| Died | 1857-08-29 |
| Occupation(s) | Military officer, pastoral entrepreneur, magistrate |
| Years active | 1822–1857 |
| Known for | Commandant at Port Macquarie penal settlement; pioneering squatter in New England; founder of Lake Innes residence; namesake of Glen Innes |
Archibald Clunes Innes (1799–1857) was a Scottish military officer and pastoral entrepreneur who arrived in Australia in 1822 as a captain with the Third Regiment (Buffs), responsible for supervising 170 convicts aboard the Eliza. He held the position of commandant at the Port Macquarie penal settlement from 1826 to 1827, subsequently served as brigade major in Sydney, and later took on roles as superintendent of police and magistrate in Parramatta until 1829.
In 1830, Innes established himself on a 2,568-acre land grant near Port Macquarie, where he constructed the expansive 22-room Lake Innes residence between 1831 and 1843, employing convict labor. By 1837, he had engaged 85 convicts in his operations at Port Macquarie. His spouse, Margaret—daughter of Alexander Macleay—was also granted land close to Rollands Plains.
As a significant landholder, Innes possessed estates such as Innestown on the Manning River and Yarrows along the Hastings River. He was among the pioneering squatters in New England, acquiring Waterloo Station in 1836, along with Kentucky Station, Beardy Plains, Dundee Station, and Furracabad Station. The latter location evolved into Glen Innes, named in his honor and officially founded in 1851.
During the 1830s, Innes was counted among Australia's most affluent settlers; however, he faced financial ruin amid the credit crisis of the 1840s and declared bankruptcy in 1852. Subsequently, he served as assistant gold commissioner and magistrate at Nundle and later as police magistrate in Newcastle.
Archibald Innes passed away in Newcastle on 29 August 1857 and was interred there; his gravestone was moved to Port Macquarie’s Pioneer Cemetery during the 1960s.
See also
External links
- Colonial Secretary's papers 1822-1877, State Library of Queensland – digitised letters and correspondence from Innes to the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, relating to the Moreton Bay settlement and Melville Island settlement