Ross T. Reid
Ross Thompson Reid | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Newry, County Down, Ireland |
| Died | January 10, 1915 (aged 82) Glenelg, South Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Pastoralist, racehorse proprietor |
| Known for | Establishing Rostrevor Hall; managing Tolarno station |
Ross Thompson Reid (2 February 1832 – 10 January 1915) was a prominent pastoralist operating in South Australia and New South Wales, recognized for establishing Rostrevor Hall.
History
Originating from Newry, County Down, Ireland, Reid emigrated with his family to South Australia in 1839 aboard the Orleana, becoming among the region’s pioneering settlers at Gawler. His father, John Reid, took advantage of a short-lived land policy permitting extensive land acquisitions, selecting property at the confluence of the North and South Para rivers. Together with partners, he surveyed and planned the township that would become Gawler, apportioning the land amongst themselves. John Reid designated his parcel as "Clonlea," situated north of the North Para River.
Financial challenges beset John Reid due to escalating labor expenses driven by gold rushes and mining expansions, ultimately resulting in the loss of much of his holdings to chemist William Paxton; he retained only the family homestead with 40 acres.
Ross and his siblings engaged in pastoral enterprise: William Livingstone Reid managed Tolarno station on the Darling River from the mid-1850s through the 1890s; Ross initially oversaw Mount Murchison station until 1866 before joining William at Tolarno. In 1868, Ross married Lucy Reynell.
An accomplished racehorse proprietor, Ross Reid also developed an extensive estate in Magill, Adelaide, naming his residence "Rostrevor" after a resort near his birthplace.
By 1861, the Reid brothers possessed multiple pastoral runs near Bourke, including West Bogan and Tarcoon stations. They divested Mooculta in 1868 and Tarcoon in 1872. Tolarno station grew to become one of the largest sheep stations along the Darling River, shearing as many as 250,000 sheep annually. The brothers leveraged river transportation via steamboats on the Murray-Darling system, owning vessels such as Jane Eliza, Gem, Jupiter, Menindie, and Shannon, enabling large-scale wool exports and generating considerable profits.
During the 1880s, Tolarno suffered from severe rabbit infestations; it became a site for experimental disease control measures which ultimately proved unsuccessful. In 1887, Ross sold "Rostrevor" to Melbourne businessman J. S. Reid (no relation). The drought and economic downturn of the 1890s led to significant livestock losses and financial strain throughout Australia. Ross retired to Glenelg where he passed away aged 82 at his residence "St Leonards" and was interred at Magill.
Family
Ross Thompson Reid married Lucy Reynell (c. 1842 – c. 20 January 1921), eldest daughter of John Reynell (1809 – 15 June 1873) and Mary Reynell (née Lucas; c. 1805 – 18 November 1867), on 12 February 1868 at O'Halloran Hill, South Australia. John arrived aboard Surrey in October 1838; Mary arrived on Orleana in January 1839; they wed on 31 January 1839. Lucy passed away in Adelaide with little public acknowledgment.
Their offspring included:
- Lucy J. D. (born 1868), born at Tarcoon Station
- Olive (29 January 1870 – 7 March 1945), born at Tarcoon Station; married Edward Eversley Thomas (1861–1916) in 1899
- Mabel "Maisie" Ross (born 11 June 1871), born at Tarcoon Station; married David Alexander Murray Brown (1871–c.1938), General Manager of Pinang Gazette Press, Penang in 1901
- Reynell Ross-Reid (9 August 1872 – 29 October 1946); married Hannah Daws (c.1897–1931); resided in Leeton, New South Wales
- Lydia "Lily" Ross-Reid (born 23 September 1873); married Dr. William Frank Driscoll in Stockton, California in 1900
- Douglas Ross-Reid (5 December 1874 – 20 December 1939); married Eliza Jane Tremellen (died 1959); lived in Underdale
- Lucy Elizabeth Ross-Reid (died 1947); married Francis John "Frank" Ryder (1905–1995) in 1929
- Dorothy Olive Ross-Reid (died 1969); married George Warwick Sabey (died 1967) in 1927
- Hilda Ross-Reid (28 January 1876 – died aged nine months)
- Elliot Ross Reid (10 February 1877 – died during infancy)
- Allan Ross-Reid (31 July 1878 – 1 April 1943); married Maude "Stevie" Stevenson; resided in New South Wales
- Trevor Ross Reid (11 May 1880 – 11 February 1941)
- Eleanor Ross Reid (15 March 1881 – 9 January 1919); married Major George "Boysie" Bayard Bray of the Indian Army
Ross Thompson Reid was laid to rest within the family vault located at Magill.