Chapter:

Murdoch Family Reunion
March 1998
Hobart Tasmania
176 years of family history in Australia

In 1840, the eldest son JOHN set up as a grain factor on the Hobart old wharf, and later took his son, the Hon James Murdoch MLC as a partner to become known as John Murdoch and Son.

Dr. James's wife, Grace, died and was buried at Craigow in 1841, aged 46 years.

DR. JAMES MURDOCH died in 1848 aged 62 years and he was buried at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, later known as Scots Church. He was living in Bathurst Street Hobart at the time of his death. It is not certain as to when he moved from Craigow to Hobart. However, upon his death, Craigow passed to JOHN and for the next twenty years was leased to the McRorie family. At the time of his death, DR. JAMES Estate was valued at only 90 pounds. It was administered by JOHN, ANTONIA and JAMES.

Attracted by the riches of newly found gold, discovered in the Ballarat area of Victoria in 1851, both JAMES and PETER left Van Diemen's Land at that time to try their hand at gold mining. PETER died on the Goldfield's, without marrying, in 1852 aged only 24 years. He is buried at Geelong Cemetery.

MARY died in Scotland in 1870 aged 51 years. She had seven children whose descendants still live today predominant in the United Kingdom.

THOMAS died in Hobart the same year aged only 36 years. THOMAS did not marry.

After a period hunting gold, JAMES stayed on in Victoria farming and died in Geelong in 1871, aged 51 years. JAMES had eleven children and his descendants are predominant today in Victoria and Queensland, many of the later associated with the land in the Hughenden District.

ANTONIA died in Hobart in 1874, without having borne a family.

JOHN died in 1878 and was buried at Queenborough Cemetery, Sandy Bay. JOHN'S descendants are still very prominent in Tasmania, and in the Holbrook area of NSW. They include pastoralists, lawyers and doctors. After the end of the lease to the McRorie family, JOHN's son James managed Craigow for his father. On the death of JOHN, James inherited the property and in 1886/87 built the beautiful Craigow residence. Under his stewardship the property reached its peak. On the death of James in 1925 the property passed to his second son James. The younger James died in 1935 and the property was run under Trustee management until 1945 when it passed out of the family ownership. The present owner of Craigow, Dr. and Mrs. Edwards, kindly opened up the property for the Reunion.

WILLIAM was prominent as a grocery merchant in Hobart. He had six children, the descendants of whom are predominant in commerce in Southern Tasmania and on the land in the Darling Downs and Granite belt of S E Queensland. WILLIAM died in Hobart in 1898 aged 67 years.

The last child to die was ROBERT. He farmed in the Cambridge area and was also a shopkeeper. He had five children. Many descendants still live in Tasmania, but there is a wide spread scattering of descendants of more recent times to other states and overseas, involved in many occupations. ROBERT died in 1900 at the grand old age of 77 years.