CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"https://schema.org/","@type":"Article","about":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"John","familyName":"Deuchar","name":"John Deuchar","birthDate":1822,"birthPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Aberdeen","addressRegion":"Aberdeenshire","addressCountry":"Scotland"}},"deathDate":"1872-09-11","deathPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Warwick","addressRegion":"Queensland","addressCountry":"Australia"}}},"author":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"A.","additionalName":"A.","familyName":"Morrison","name":"A. A. Morrison"},"datePublished":"1972-01-01","description":"John Deuchar (1822-1872), pioneer and stock breeder, was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, son of John Deuchar, farmer, and his wife Margaret, née Rattary.","headline":"Deuchar, John (1822–1872)","keywords":"John Deuchar, biography","isPartOf":{"@type":"Book","bookEdition":4,"bookFormat":"https://schema.org/Hardcover","datePublished":1972,"description":"The Australian Dictionary of Biography contains concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.","image":"https://adb.anu.edu.au/images/covers/volume4.png","isbn":522840345,"name":"Australian Dictionary of Biography","url":"https://adb.anu.edu.au","copyrightHolder":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Australian National University","url":"https://www.anu.edu.au"},"copyrightYear":1972,"editor":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Douglas","familyName":"Pike","name":"Douglas Pike"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Melbourne University Press","url":"https://www.mup.com.au"}}} </script> <title>Biography - John Deuchar - Australian Dictionary of Biography</title> <script async src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js"></script> <script> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21252809-2']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); </script> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-RC1X4D063Z"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-RC1X4D063Z'); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/multi.php;reset.css,fixes.css,site/adb/generic.css,structure-common.css,site/adb/structure-site.css,infinite.css,shadowbox.css;208393d011387c3a59dadfeafd900bc7"/> <script type="text/javascript"> var settings = {"site_code":"adb","sites":{"adb":"adb.anu.edu.au","ia":"ia.anu.edu.au","la":"labouraustralia.anu.edu.au","oa":"oa.anu.edu.au","pa":"peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au","pib":"pib.anu.edu.au","wa":"womenaustralia.anu.edu.au"}}; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/multi.php;jquery.min.js,jqueryui/jquery-ui.custom.min.js,clearFocus.js,searchBox.js,facets.js,common-utils.js,advanced-search.js,shadowbox/shadowbox.js;ab3d74aadfe94baccb25019eb300b75e"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/site/adb/print.css" type="text/css" media="print"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/site/adb/favicon.ico"/> <style> .navi:hover { border-bottom: 0px; } </style> </head> <body class="site_adb"><script type="text/javascript">document.body.className += " js";</script> <header> <div id="masthead"> <div class="clearFix" id="topNav"> <ul> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au">Obituaries Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au">People Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://ia.anu.edu.au">Indigenous Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://womenaustralia.anu.edu.au">Women Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au">Labour Australia</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="tileAndSearchContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="titleAndSearchPage"> <h1 class="hideFromScreen">Australian Dictionary of Biography</h1> <ul id="searchSubmitPage"> <li> <form action="/biographies/search/" method="get" id="mastheadSearchForm"> <select id="scopeSelect" name="scope" onChange="searchBox.setTip();"> <option value="person">person</option> <option value="all" selected="selected">text</option> </select> <input name="query" type="text" class="searchTextInput clearMeFocus" title="Quick search" value="" /> <input name="" type="image" class="searchBttns" src="/images/site/adb/bttn_search.png" alt="Search" /> <input name="rs" type="hidden" value=''/> </form> </li> <li id="personTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> searches only the name field</span> </li> <li id="allTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> Use double quotes to search for a phrase</span></li> </ul>  </div> <nav class="main-navigation"> <ul class="navigation-menu"> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/">Home</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/about-us/">About</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/contact-us/">Contact</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/projects/">Projects</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/essays/browse/">Group Bios</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/advanced-search/">Advanced Search</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/facets/">Faceted Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search" id="browseTab"> <a class="menu-link" href="#browsePanel">Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--donate"> <a class="menu-link" href="/adb-endowment-fund/">Donate</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="panel js-hide" id="browsePanel"> <div class="panelInner clearFix"> <div class="column0203 noh3float"> <div class="browseLabelWrapper"> <h3 class="browseLabel">Browse by:</h3> </div> <div class="browseOptionWrapper"> <ul class="panelInnerNav clearFix"> <li><a href="/biographies/name/">Name</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/birth/">Date of Birth</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/death/">Date of Death</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/browse-author/">Author</a></li> <li><a href="/entities/browse/?otype=map">Maps</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="culturalWarning" data-nosnippet="true"> <h2 class="culturalWarning__heading"><span class="culturalWarning__heading--decoration">Cultural Advice</span></h2> <div class="culturalWarning__message"> <p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains names, images, and voices of deceased persons.</p> <p>In addition, some articles contain terms or views that were acceptable within mainstream Australian culture in the period in which they were written, but may no longer be considered appropriate.</p> <p>These articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian National University.</p> <p>Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context.</p> </div> <div class="culturalWarning__control"> <button id="culturalWarningHide" class="culturalWarning__button">Hide message</button> </div> </div> </header> <div id="pageContentContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="pageContent"> <div id="pageColumnMain"> <h2>John Deuchar (1822–1872)</h2> <p class="authorName">by <a href="/biographies/author/?author=2661">A. A. Morrison</a></p> <div class="publish-notice publish-notice--major-project" style="background-color:#dee9f2;color:#153449;"> <p>This article was published:</p> <ul> <li> in the <a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biographies/project/?name=australian-dictionary-biography-volume-4" style="color:#905d27;"> <span class="publish-notice__project-name">Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4</span> </a> , 1972 </li> <li>online in 2006</li> </ul> </div> <div class="biographyContent textContent" id="5167">  <p> John Deuchar (1822-1872), pioneer and stock breeder, was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, son of John Deuchar, farmer, and his wife Margaret, née Rattary. He migrated to New South Wales in 1840, gained pastoral experience in the Hunter River district, and about 1842 drove sheep from Maitland to the Darling Downs for the Aberdeen Co., later the North British Australian Co. From 1844 he was cattle overseer for <a href="leslie-patrick-2351" title="Leslie, Patrick (1815 - 1881)">Patrick Leslie</a> at Goomburra. After two years, with support from Walter Grey of Ipswich, he bought Canal Creek well stocked with Talgai merinos. In 1848 Deuchar sold Canal Creek, and succeeded <a href="bracker-frederick-john-henry-3039" title="Bracker, Frederick John Henry (1798? - 1870)">Fred Bracker</a> as manager of Rosenthal for the Aberdeen Co.; he also became travelling superintendent of the company's properties. On Rosenthal Deuchar had the first two thoroughbred merino rams on the Darling Downs, Camden Billy, already there when he took over the property, and German Billy, which he brought with him from Canal Creek. A fine merino stud was developed from a blend of Negretti and Rambouillet strains.</p> <p> Deuchar also began breeding cattle, especially Shorthorns, and brought to Rosenthal Lord Raglan, the first imported Shorthorn bull to reach the Downs, and well-bred cattle from the Australian Agricultural Co.'s properties farther south. A lover of good horseflesh and specially dependent on it for his inspections, he also developed a racing stud. His stallion, Grey Arab, bought from one of the Aberdeen Co.'s properties, sired many fine horses, some of which Deuchar rode successfully at race meetings both on the flat and over the fences. He also introduced Omar Pasha, one of the first Clydesdale stallions on the Downs. In 1855 he went into partnership with Charles H. Marshall on Glengallan, also near Warwick, where he continued his work in stock breeding. His overseer, William Anderson, had been at school with him and had come to the colony on the same ship. Deuchar insisted on building up his own teams of employees; on taking over both Rosenthal and Glengallan he had dispersed the families on the properties and replaced them with other employees already known to him. Most of those displaced moved to Warwick and many became well-known pioneers of that town.</p> <p> On 4 May 1857 at Paddington, Sydney, Deuchar married Eliza Charlotte, sixteen-year-old sister of Dr Lee of Warwick. In 1858-60 with his wife and infant daughter he visited Scotland. On his return he continued his developmental work at Glengallan and in 1867 built at a cost of £12,000 an impressive two-storied homestead with white stone quarried on the property. Although still standing (1968) the house is no longer in use. In 1870 he dissolved partnership with Marshall and retired to Mile End in Warwick, where he died aged 50 on 11 September 1872, survived by his wife, two daughters and six sons.</p> </div> <div class="infoList"> <h3>Select Bibliography</h3> <ul> <li>T. Hall, <i>The Early History of Warwick District</i> (Toowoomba, 1923)</li><li>D. Gunn, <i>Links with the Past</i> (Brisb, 1937)</li><li><i>Brisbane Courier</i>, 16 Sept 1872</li><li>Leslie letters (State Library of Queensland).</li> </ul> </div> <div class="infoList"> <h3>Additional Resources and Scholarship</h3> <ul> <li><a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/result?q=john+deuchar" target="_blank">Trove search</a></li> <li><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62166779" target="_blank">profile</a>, Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld), 9 August 1938, p 4</li> </ul> </div> <div class="infoList"> <div class="treelink"><h3 class="treelink">Related Entries in NCB Sites</h3><p class="treelink"><a class="treelink" href="/treeview/3404">view family tree</a></p></div> <ul> <li><strong><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-john-3404">Deuchar, John</a></strong> <span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-john-3404"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/wilson-eliza-charlotte-14467">Wilson, Eliza Charlotte</a> (wife)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/wilson-eliza-charlotte-14467"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-william-glen-14457">Deuchar, William Glen</a> (son)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-william-glen-14457"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-lindsay-14468">Deuchar, Lindsay</a> (son)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-lindsay-14468"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gunn-donald-10377">Gunn, Donald</a> (son-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gunn-donald-10377"><img src="/images/site/adb/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to ADB entry" title="go to ADB entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-george-14456">Deuchar, George</a> (brother)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-george-14456"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-louisa-14458">Deuchar, Louisa</a> (sister-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-louisa-14458"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/lee-archibald-14405">Lee, Archibald</a> (brother-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/lee-archibald-14405"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/lee-james-archibald-14406">Lee, James Archibald</a> (nephew by marriage)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/lee-james-archibald-14406"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/lee-joseph-d-14407">Lee, Joseph D.</a> (nephew by marriage)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/lee-joseph-d-14407"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-cecil-audley-14469">Deuchar, Cecil Audley</a> (grandson)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-cecil-audley-14469"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gunn-walter-27195">Gunn, Walter</a> (grandson)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gunn-walter-27195"><img src="/images/site/adb/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to ADB entry" title="go to ADB entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-erle-14470">Deuchar, Erle</a> (grandson)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/deuchar-erle-14470"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/willett-george-14426">Willett, George</a> (employee)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/willett-george-14426"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hodgson-sir-arthur-1155">Hodgson, Arthur</a> (acquaintance)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hodgson-sir-arthur-1155"><img src="/images/site/adb/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to ADB entry" title="go to ADB entry"/></a></span><span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/hodgson-sir-arthur-1155"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/leslie-patrick-2351">Leslie, Patrick</a> (employer)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/leslie-patrick-2351"><img src="/images/site/adb/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to ADB entry" title="go to ADB entry"/></a></span><span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/leslie-patrick-2351"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="citation"> <h3>Citation details</h3> <p>A. A. Morrison, 'Deuchar, John (1822–1872)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/deuchar-john-3404/text5167, published first in hardcopy 1972, accessed online 27 February 2025.</p> <p id="origPubDetails"><strong>This article was published in hardcopy in <em><strong>Australian Dictionary of Biography</strong></em>, Volume 4, (Melbourne University Press), 1972</strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 20px;">View the <a href="/frontpages/fp4.pdf" target="_blank">front pages</a> for Volume 4</p> </div> <div id="printFooter"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2025</p> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $(function() { Shadowbox.init({ counterType: 'skip', continuous: true, overlayOpacity: 0.80 }); }); </script> <div id="pageSidebar"> <div class="lifeSummary"> <h3>Life Summary <span><a href ="/lifesummary/deuchar-john-3404" target="_blank">[details]</a></span></h3> <h5>Birth</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/birth/?bdate=1822">1822</a> <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Aberdeen%2C%20Aberdeenshire%2C%20Scotland%22">Aberdeen</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Aberdeenshire%2C%20Scotland%22">Aberdeenshire</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Scotland%22">Scotland</a> </p> <h5>Death</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=11091872">11 September</a>, <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=1872">1872</a> (aged ~ 50) <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Warwick%2C%20Queensland%2C%20Australia%22">Warwick</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Queensland%2C%20Australia%22">Queensland</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Australia%22">Australia</a> </p> <h5>Cause of Death</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=causeOfDeath%3A%22pneumonia%22">pneumonia</a> </p> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Cultural Heritage</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-cultural"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-cultural"> Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=ethnicity%3A%22Scottish%22">Scottish</a> </li> </ul> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Religious Influence</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-religious"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-religious"> Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=religion%3A%22Anglican%22">Anglican</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Occupation or Descriptor </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=cattle%20breeder&rpp=200">cattle breeder</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=drover&rpp=200">drover</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=grazier%20%28sheep%29&rpp=200">grazier (sheep)</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=racehorse%20breeder&rpp=200">racehorse breeder</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=sheep%20breeder&rpp=200">sheep breeder</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Clubs </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%224086%22&re=true&rpp=200">Union Club (Sydney)</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Key Events </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%223583%22&re=true&rpp=200">settler/indigenous contact</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Key Organisations </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%226002%22&re=true&rpp=200">North British Australian Co</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Properties </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%221727%22&re=true&rpp=200">Goomburra (Qld)</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%226001%22&re=true&rpp=200">Canal Creek (Qld)</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%223372%22&re=true&rpp=200">Rosenthal (Qld)</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%225955%22&re=true&rpp=200">Glengallan (Qld)</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Stately Homes </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%226003%22&re=true&rpp=200">Glengallan Homestead (Qld)</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer> <div class="clearFix" id="footer"> <h3>Australian Dictionary of Biography</h3> <p>An initiative of the <a href="https://history.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/ncb">National Centre of Biography</a> at the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a></p> <div class="clearFix"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2025</p> <p class="floatLeft cdp"><a href="/copyright/">Copyright</a> · <a href="/disclaimer/">Disclaimer</a> · <a href="/privacy/">Privacy Policy</a> · <a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></p> </div> </div> </footer> </body> </html>