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...do YOUR families link back to first South Australian wheat growers?
Christina and Donald McLEAN from Scotland 1837
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 1857 - 1932 (75 years)
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| Name |
Donald ('The Rover') MCLEAN [1] |
| Nickname |
Donald the Rover |
| Born |
8 Mar 1857 |
Milang SA  [2, 3] |
- On other sources (meaning NOT the official website of births deaths and marriages of South Australia), Donald is recorded as born in Alexandrina. Of course Alexandrina is a regional area.
ON SAGHS OFFICAL BDM WEBSITE;-Donald is recorded as born at Milang which is within the region/district of Alexandrina. SA
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| Gender |
Male |
| Biography Notes |
8 Mar 1857 |
Milang SA [1] |
| DONALD McLEAN born 8/3/1857. Gaelic Bible and registration. Known to the family as "Donald the Rover" and hereafter as "Donald Rover" to distinguish him from other Donald McLeans. He had an interesting life and a large family so there is a good deal to set out. |
- The first two children were born at Auburn, S.A. By late 1883, Donald had gone to N.S.W. to see what possibilities presented themselves. By the November, he was at Narrabeen NSW. The Manly "Daily" of May 1924 had a full page article on the history of Narrabeen with a heading "at Narrabeen - 41 years with Donald McLean". A sub-heading said "Donald McLean discovers Narrabeen". This page can be obtained from D. & C. McLean Genealogical Council, cost $5. A summary begins that the year 1884 when Donald McLean's whiskers were not as iron grey as after 41 years residence when as a vigorous young man of 27 he had the map of Scotland on his weather worn countenance, but continued that he was a dinkum Aussie born at Milang near Lake Alexandrina in S.A. He settled at Narrabeen NSW in June 1884 and remained there. He entered the employ of O. B, West of the Mt Ramsay Estate and was in charge of growing com, wheaten hay, sorghum, and reared store cattle. lt also said (erroneously) that his grandfather Donald McLean grew the first wheat in S.A. near " Glen Osborne" S.A. now a suburb of Adelaide (meaning Glen Osmond perhaps).
In 1904 he began a boating business and store with contract work interspersed. On his arrival in 1884 there were only 3 other families as neighbours. His own first house was near Wetherill Street, but in 1687 he moved to the corner of Devitt St. and Pittwater Road. Others arrived but until the advent of the tram the area was sparsely populated with only 21 residents within 2 miles of the Narrabeen Receiving (Postal) Office in January 1894. On 11/11/1896 Donald succeeded as
Post Master and the office was moved to his house which became also the Telephone Of in January 1897 and his salary was increased by 10 pounds ($20) per annum as an Operator to add to his annual 15 pounds ($30) for his services.
He built a new brick two storey house in 1912 and the P.O. and Telephone exchange were moved there. The population had risen to 115 persons and Donald only resigned in 1930 in favour of his son Kindor. The P.O. was in McLean hands for 65 years. The Rover had been busy otherwise over the years. He had built his boat in 1904 and by 1924 had 14 on the Lake which he hired out for fishing and pleasure parties, however he had long since ceased to rove. He fathered 14 children, 12 of whom survived. As the newspaper article expressed it "Verily he had his quiver full".
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In 1885, his third child, Mary, was born at the "Rock Lily" Tavern, Mona Vale which was then the staging post for the northern coast. Donald built a small wooden house at Narrabeen where there is now the median strip of a 6 lane highway. lt eventually became the back scullery and laundry of the 2 storey brick house already mentioned as being both home and Post Office until the new P.O. was erected, (information from Betty O'Gorman, daughter of Kindor McLean).
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| Occupation |
1875 |
India |
HORSE TRADER; Donald Rover left from Meningie SA aged 18 years in 1875 before his father's death there in 1876. By the time he was 19 he had reached Scotland and was soon shipping horses to India. This promising line of business failed due to a famine in that country which caused a decline in trading. He trained riders and supervised the breaking-in of horses after he joined the Indian Police Force, as a trooper, the first European to do so.
Then came an accident at Calcutta and he was in hospital there for three months. He left India to return to South Australia on 19/6/1877. |
| Occupation |
19 Jun 1877 |
Calcutta India |
| Donald Rover left from Meningie SA aged 18 years in 1875 before his father's death there in 1876. By the time he was 19 he had reached Scotland and was soon shipping horses to India. This promising line of business failed due to a famine in that country which caused a decline in trading. He trained riders and supervised the breaking-in of horses after he joined the Indian Police Force, as a trooper, the first European to do so. Then came an accident at Calcutta and he was in hospital there for three months. He left India to return to South Australia on 19/6/1877. Unfortunately his discharge papers and effects were lost at Adelaide. |
| Marriage/Wedding |
1880 |
Madalya Vic |
| MARRIAGE: details from the certificate - to Mary Hillary, spinster aged 18 (Donald was 23), daughter of Anthony Hillary. Donald's residence was then at Kapunda and hers at Nadalya, Woolshed Flat. They married at the Jesuit Chapel at Seven Hills near Clare, S.A. The witnesses were J. Corcoran of Auburn, S.A. and Margaret Hillary, spinster, of Nadalya, Woolshed Flat, S.A. |
| Biography Notes |
1883 |
Narrabeen NSW |
| HISTORY: He was born at "Coewey",near Milang, Lake Alexandrina SA. A newspaper article of later years said he was well known at the Coorong and at Kingston where his brother Hughie's family was. He was a pioneer of Narrabeen, SA from 1883 |
| Biography Notes |
26 Apr 1921 |
Strathalbyn SA |
Southern Argus, 26th April 1921, p3
JOTTINGS by J.W.Elliott
I had a visit for a few minutes only the other day from one of the very first-born of Strathalbyn, a son of the late Mr. Hugh McLean, sen., and nephew of our pioneer of the same name. He was born in the old homestead near Mr. F. W. Allison's present residence, but left here very many years ago to seek his fortune abroad, Victoria owning his home for most of his life. Mrs. Edward Warland, of Victor Harbor, is a sister, as is Mrs. Bundey, of Adelaide.
The name of McLean is a very closely bound up with the records of Strathalbyn, for the family was the secondto arrivee after the Rankine's had established the settlement, and for many years the different members of the clan took a leading part in all local affairs, doing much to build up the future prosperity of the town and district. This is ancient and well-known history, but anyhow. I was glad to have a few minutes' chat with one of the few left of the fine old stock.
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| Residence |
31 May 1932 |
Narrabeen NSW |
| Died |
31 May 1932 |
Narrabeen NSW [1] |
| Obituary |
2 Jun 1932 |
Narrabeen NSW |
| DEATH: Donald died aged 75 years at Narrabeen NSW on 31/5/1932 and was buried at Manly on 2/6/1932. Mary's death date is not available but was in the 1938/9 period. A photograph (photocopy) of Donald the Rover aged 18 (and another dated 26/12/1910 of himself, Mary his wife and 12 children) is with the McLean memorabilia. |
| Occupation |
1890's |
Narrabeen NSW |
| He found contract work more rewarding and constructed Middle Head Wharf roads, bridges and wharves and rebuilt the Manly Bridge, constructed Middle Head Wharf for the Defence Dept in the 1890s. The floodgate bridge at Kogarah and another at Belmore. He rebuilt the Pittwater Wharves near Church Point and repaired the Narrabeen Bridge and was so occupied for over 20 years. |
| Occupation |
1870's |
Clare SA |
OSTLER; He found work at the Jesuit College vineyards near Clare SA, 84 miles north of Adelaide and at the time of his marriage his occupation was that of ostler.
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| Buried |
2 Jun 1932 |
Manly NSW [1] |
| Person ID |
I-2481 |
Christina and Donald McLean | Ewen (Hugh the elder) McLean's descendants |
| Last Modified |
30 Jun 2021 |
| Father |
Ewen (Hugh the elder) MCLEAN, b. 00 Jan 1814, Blaich Scotland , d. 28 May 1876, Meningie SA (Age ~ 62 years) |
| Relationship |
-764 |
| Mother |
Christina BLACK, b. 1831, Iona Scotland , d. 13 Feb 1907, Albert Hill SA (Age 76 years) |
| Relationship |
-764 |
| Married |
15 May 1849 |
Adelaide SA [4, 5] |
- MARRIED AT Church of Scotland, Hindley St, Adelaide SA
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| Children of marriage |
Christina and Hugh had 10 children from 1850 to 1869. |
| Marriage/Wedding |
Christina and married Hugh McLean just six months after she arrived in the colony.
She was 18 yrs and he was 35 yrs.
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| Family ID |
F-764 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Mary HILLARY, b. 5 Aug 1862, Auburn SA , d. 21 Oct 1940, Narrabeen NSW (Age 78 years) |
| Children |
| | 1. Mary MCLEAN, b. 9 Oct 1881, Auburn SA , d. 17 Nov 1881, Auburn SA (Age 0 years) [] |
| | 2. Florence MCLEAN, b. 23 Jun 1883, Auburn SA [] |
| | 3. Mary Margaret MCLEAN, b. 28 Oct 1885, Monavale NSW , d. 22 Sep 1962, Chatswood NSW (Age 76 years) [] |
| | 4. Adelaide Narrabeen MCLEAN, b. 1887, Narrabeen NSW , d. 1978 (Age 91 years) [] |
| | 5. Donald MCLEAN, b. 18 Dec 1889, Narrabeen NSW , d. 14 Jul 1986 (Age 96 years) [] |
| | 6. Christabel MCLEAN, b. 1891, Narrabeen NSW , d. 1943 (Age 52 years) [] |
| | 7. Anthony Hugh MCLEAN, b. 27 Aug 1895, Narrabeen NSW , d. 13 Jul 1978, Ballarat Vic (Age 82 years) [] |
| | 8. Amy Maude Hillary MCLEAN, b. 4 Apr 1897, Narrabeen NSW , d. 10 Jun 1991, Monavale NSW (Age 94 years) |
| | 9. John Thomas (Jack) MCLEAN, b. 18 Dec 1899, Narrabeen NSW , d. 22 Jul 1960, Narrabeen NSW (Age 60 years) [] |
| | 10. Allan Christopher Lancelot Duncan MCLEAN, b. 20 Jan 1903, Narrabeen NSW , d. 15 Nov 1934 (Age 31 years) |
| | 11. Archibald Edward Frederick Baden MCLEAN, b. 20 Jan 1903, Narrabeen NSW , d. 27 Mar 1982, Sydney NSW (Age 79 years) [] |
| | 12. Kindor Lawrence Geoffrey MCLEAN, b. 13 Mar 1905, Narrabeen NSW , d. 19 Dec 1981, Narrabeen NSW (Age 76 years) [] |
| | 13. Septimus MCLEAN, b. 22 Jul 1907, Narrabeen NSW , d. 3 Aug 1907, Narrabeen NSW (Age 0 years) |
| | 14. Honor Victoria MCLEAN, b. 23 Jan 1909, Narrabeen NSW , d. 20 Oct 1962, Narrabeen NSW (Age 53 years) |
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| Last Modified |
19 Jan 2018 06:35:01 |
| Family ID |
F-823 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| STORIES |
 | Donald Rover McLean+wife Mary Hillary
Hugh the elders son Donald McLean and wife Mary Hillary with first two of 14 children born Mary in centre b.1881 and baby Florence in Donalds arms b.1883 |
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| Sources |
- [S-3] PUBLICATION BRB 'Donald & Christina McLean & Their Descendants', 1995 copies available, Copies of the BRB available Strathalbyn National Trust Museum & Library, several libraries around Australia including State Library SA, and Western Australian Genealogical Society Bayswater WA Request assistance for locating a copy through 'Contact us' on this website. .
- [S-59] Family History Group SA-COLONISTS, Barry Leadbetter, 4, 5 Dec 2016 Researcher Lorna McLean.
MCLEAN Hugh, Christina BLACK, parents of child born 1857-03-08 named [?] at Lake Alexandrina SA Confirmed by the said website and nothing altered.
Website by Barry Leadbetter
- [S-75] BDM SA, https://www.genealogysa.org.au requires log in , 25 Jun 2021 Researcher Lorna McLean.
Surname:MCLEAN Donald Birth Date:08-Mar-1857 Birth Details:Milang SA Death Date:31-May-1932 Death Details:Narabeen, New South Wales Parent Fact:Not Recorded Baptism:Not Recorded Alt. Names: MACLEAN (married as) Burial:Not Recorded Emigration: Not Recorded Immigration:Not Recorded Occupation:Not Recorded Religion:Not Recorded Residence:Not Recorded Notes:Not Recorded Father: Ewan Hugh MCLEAN Mother: Christina BLACK Spouse: Mary HILLARY Marriage:1880-12-27: Sevenhill SA
- [S-11] Birth record attached to this profile.
- [S-59] Family History Group SA-COLONISTS, Barry Leadbetter, 4.
MCLEAN Hugh, Christina BLACK married 1849-05-15 at Adelaide, aged 32=Hugh b 1817, and Christina at 18=b1831
confirmed by the said website of Barry Leadbetter found by researcher Lorna McLean 05/12/2016
I have NOT altered Hughs birthdate from 1814 to 1817 BECAUSE of the citation on his birth stating his baptism year/date 1814 in some detail; - confirmed by the said website of Barry Leadbetter found by researcher Lorna McLean 05/12/2016
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