"Jim" James NAIRN
Born 16 March 1817 in London, England [33]
Son of "Billy" William NAIRN and Mary Ann RAWLINGSON [33] [37]
He was baptised at Saint Dunstan in Stephney, London, England on 20 April 1817 [33]
Arrived in the Swan River Colony of Western Australia with his parents on the ship Marquis of Anglesea on 23 August 1829 [37]
Apprentice Blacksmith and Whitesmith with his father William NAIRN in Perth [104]
He became a member of The Sons of Australia Benefit Society on 20 September 1837 [225: 20-Jan-1893]
Married Sarah PETTIT in Perth on 16 March 1840 [37]
Initiated as a member of the Lodge of Saint John No.712 of the United Grant Lodge of England Freemason in 1844 [393]
Member of the Sons of Australia Benefit Society - was Secretary in 1849 [160: 10-Jan-1949, 7-Mar-1949]
Shipping Agent in Western Australia in partnership with Wesley J. BATEMAN 1850-1857 [104]
By 1854 the partners Nairn & Bateman were working as import and export merchants and owned several ships [104]
Among their ships were the Typo and William Pope; he sold out share of the partnership to Wesley's brother Walter in 1857 [104]
His brother-in-law Walter PADBURY offered him the management of Yathroo Station in Dandaragan in 1855 [522: page 56]
He was unable to accept the offer due to his existing business interests [522: page 56]
For a period he was the Licensee of the Perth Hotel in Perth [104]
Farmer of Daliak Farm in York, Western Australia [148]
Won 1st and 2nd prizes for Best Cow at the York Agricultural Society's Annual Meeting & Show in York in 1861 [140: 1-Nov-1861]
Committee Member of the York Agricultural Society in 1862 and 1865 [140: 1-Nov-1861, 4-Nov-1864]
Signatory to letter calling for a special meeting of the York Agricultural Society in 1862 to consider a Scab Act [140: 30-May-1862]
Judged the Implements at the York Agricultural Society's Shows in York in 1862, 1863 and 1864 [140: 5-Sep-1862, 4-Sep-1863, 19-Aug-1864]
The York Agricultural Society chose him to be a judge of the Implements & Produce section at their show in 1865 [140: 14-Oct-1864]
During September 1862 a cow, heifer, steer and bull calf strayed onto his Daliak Farm in York [140: 1, 8 & 15-May-1863]
Advertised descriptions of the strayed cattle in May 1863 with them returnable on payment of expenses, otherwise he'd sell [140]
He bred a cart horse named Young Horkstow, the offspring of "the celebrated cart horse Horkstow out of Darling" [140: 22-Sep-1865]
Young Horkstow was dark brown with a white star on its forehead and its mother had one prizes in York as best cart mare [140]
With Young Horkstow he won 1st for Best Yearling Cart Colt at the York Agricultural Show in 1862 [140: 7-Nov-1862, 17-Aug-1866]
The next year, in 1863, he won 2nd prize for Colonial-bred Cart Horses at the York Agricultural Show[140: 6-Nov-1863, 17-Aug-1866]
By 1866 Young Horstow was five years old and owned by William STOKES of Resolution Farm in Greenough [140: 17-Aug-1866]
He was "over 16 hands high, of immense bone and substance, very superior action, and totally free from all hereditary taint" [140]
Member of the York Cricket Club in 1864 [140: 11-Nov-1864]
Grazier of Noolooloo Station in Carnamah, Western Australia [148]
His daughter Charlotte was said to have been taken to Noolooloo at the age of 10 - which would be in 1861 or 1862 [148]
By 1866 he had permanently left York, settled near Noolooroo Spring and established Noolooloo Station [148] [245]
He was living with his wife and children on Noolooloo Station when his son Henry was born and his birth registered in 1866 [245]
The station was also referred to as "Farther-back" in the Victoria Plains and as "Farther-back Victoria Station" [140: 14-Sep-1866] [245]
In September and October 1866 there was "a mixed flock of fine-wool sheep" on the station [140: 14, 21 & 28-Sep-1866, 5 & 12-Oct-1866]
His Noolooloo Station was 33,764 acres in size, consisting of Pastoral Leases A317, A318 and A3169 [111]
Lease A317 contained Dinaba Spring, Ylgabale Rock Hole and Murungara Spring [68]
Lease A318, contained Noolooroo Spring, Pimpaba Spring and Tabua Spring [68]
Lease A3169, also known as Lease 8588, contained Billeroo Spring [68] [111]
He later purchased freehold 40 acres of land surrounding Billeroo Spring, which became Victoria Location 885 [8: page 7]
Also purchased another 100 acres freehold surrounding Noolooroo Spring, which became Victoria Location 1126 [68]
Advertised in late 1871 and early 1872 that a dark bay mare with foal was running in his herd at Noolooloo [140: 22-Dec-1981, 5-Jan-1872]
If the mare and foal, which weren't his, weren't claimed within the time allowed by law he was to sell them to defray expenses [140]
Noolooroo Spring and Noolooloo Station were situated between Carnamah and Coorow, around what later became Winchester [148]
Resided with his family at Noolooloo until moving to Dongara, when his son Frank took over Noolooloo Station [148]
He resided on Noolooloo Station until at least 1873 [322: 8-Nov-1873]
Farmer and Grazier of Claremont Farm in Dongara [104]
In Dongara he established the property Claremont, and resided at Claremont House until his death in 1897 [P3]
Served on the Irwin Road Board - was Chairman in 1874 and again from 1878 to 1883 [104]
In December 1875 advertised that a strayed light bay mare with white face and feet was in his paddock at Claremont [322: 18-Dec-1875]
A fire on his farm destroyed 50 aces of his crop before being extinguished with neighbours who beat out the flames [322: 18-Dec-1875]
Vestryman of the Dongara Anglican Church in 1887 [120: 14-May-1887]
Travelled from Dongara to Perth by the steamship Rob Roy, arriving in Fremantle on 29 December 1889 [39: 30-Dec-1889]
In 1874 he shifted northward for a period where he obtained land and established Byro Station at Murgoo in the Murchison [104]
Alternatively an article in The West Australian newspaper in 1925 put his family's possession of Byro Station as 1889 [39: 30-May-1925]
His sons William and Walter ran Byro Station in the Murchison while his son Frank managed his Noolooloo Station [148]
In 1885 wrote to Bishop Rosendo SALVADO of New Norica offering his Noolooloo Station for sale in exchange for £1,000 [68]
In the letter he revealed the station contained three wells, two freehold blocks, a house, stockyards and a large stable [68]
Bishop SALVADO didn't wish to purchase Noolooloo Station [68] and it continued to be managed by his son Frank [19]
His son Frank caught wild horses on the station and nearby and after breaking them in took them to Dongara to be sold [P3]
In later years Noolooloo Station was also used for the breeding and grazing of livestock [P3]
In March and April 1890 he advertised that a branded Chestnut filly, which wasn't his, was on his Noolooloo Station [120: 12-Apr-1890]
He was reported to have been suffering from a diseased eye in 1893 [225: 20-Jan-1893]
Father of five sons - William John, Frank Edward, Walter James, Charles Joseph and Henry Robert Rawlingson [15]
Father of seven daughters - Amelia, Clementina, Sarah, Charlotte, Emma, Jane and Mary Elizabeth [15]
Died 10 December 1897 at Claremont in Dongara; buried at the Dongara Cemetery in Dongara, Western Australia [40]
Following his death Letters of Administration for his estate valued at £75 were granted to his son William J. NAIRN [39: 25-Feb-1898]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'James Nairn' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 20 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/james-nairn [reference list] |
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