The late Mrs. Jamison - The last of a Great Family

Mrs. Jamison Senior, whose death was reported in last Thursday's Guardian", 1st September, 1921, was the third daughter-of the late Mr. JOHN MacLEAN of GLEN ALICE STATION, Capertree Valley. By a strange coincidence John MacLean early in the nineteenth century married an Isle of Skye girl who bore the same surname - Marion Effie MacLean - but who was no way related to him. About the year 1820 Mr. John MacLean, born at Coudrae House, Isle of Skye, Scotland, came to Australia and with him many of the fine old Scottish families who afterwards settled in the Nile and various parts of the Rylstone district. A few years subsequent to his arrival in New South Wales Mr. MacLean acquired the Glen Alice property by purchase at auction, from the late Sir James James, for whom a highly lucrative appointment had been found by the British Government in India.

Glen Alice in the heyday of Mr. MacLean’s ownership held 25,000 sheep, in addition to several thousand head of cattle and horses. The old homestead, modelled on English lines, was widely known because of its comfort, beauty, and the hospitality of its Highland Chieftain. It was said of Mr. MacLean that he never permitted a swagman to travel past his home with empty ration bags, or tattered boots or clothing. Glen Alice retained bootmakers and tailors, and the wants of the needy at the request of the owner, were invarioubly made good.

In these days there were no railway lines, motor cars, telephones, or telegraph lines; not even distant centres of country civilisation. The requirements of a property supporting seventy odd shepherds and station hands had to be met by the services of the early gig and bullock dray, having contact across the Blue Mountain chain, nearly 200 miles away, with Sydney. Sugar and flour, and other requisites cost more than was ever paid during the submarine crisis in Britain in 1918. Wild blacks were numerous, and bushranging episodes were not infrequent.

Upon one occasion Mr. MacLean was returning from Sydney with over £200 in cash in his possession to pay his servants, when riding back back he was accosted by a horseman in wild bush garb. The stranger drew a pistol and levelling it at John MacLean's head cried angrily - "Hands up, or I’ll blow your brains out”. The old man, who latterly wore a glowing white beard, obeyed the command. McIntyre, the bushranger, hesitated for an instant then broke in sternly - "What's your name"? "John MacLean", was the reply. "of Glen Alice"? asked the desperado. "Yes”. said Mr. Maclean. "Then you can go on, I wouldn't hurt a hair of your head. I thought you were Billy B . . . and if it had been I'd have shot you as dead as a crow and then scalped you - But mind I warn you, don't look back".

The temptation was too great, and before dipping the range a backward glance was made. McIntyre shook his fist in the air and roared an injunction, but did not fire.

Mr. MacLean was renowned for his physique and strength. In the early sixties at Glen Alice (recorded in Australian, "Men of Neath") for a wager of £5 he carried a spade pressed bale of wool weighing 553 lbs. a distance of 150 yards on his back. It was a usual feat to take a full sized merino wetter in each hand and cast both with comparitive ease in the wash pool.

Between the years 1860 and 1880 wild horse chasing and bull shooting were amongst the outdoor sports. Old hands - like Mr. Samuel Nicholson of Glen Alice, well remember the heroic feat performed during the seventies by the late owner of Glen Alice, when with his old horse pistol he destroyed an infuriated wild bull on the Blue Rock Flat in close proximity to the old Crown Station. He was walking across the flat with the bridle of his pony upon his arm when the bull broke from a mob of cattle nearby. Turning like a flash to mount his charger Mr. MacLean was amazed to find that the bridle, had been slipped and the pony was not there. Wonderful presence of mind stood him in good stead and calmly drawing the horse pistol from its holster he levelled the weapon at the charging moster, which fell in a lifeless heap at his feet. The home of Mr. MacLean was open to all comers and strict Presbyterian as he was, Monsignor O’Donovan was always hospitably entertained at Glen Alice.

Mrs. Jamison's maiden name was Margaret Effie MacLean. She married William Henry Jamison, youngest son of Sir John Jamison M.D. of Regentville, Penrith. Sir John Jamison was a son of Dr. Thomas Jamison, surgeon of the Royal Navy who landed in Sydney Cove with Governor Phillip in 1788 and was the first medical officer of the City of Sydney. He came to Australia as Assistant Surgeon of H.M.S. Sirius (1788). Sir John was the first president of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales, Deputy Grandmaster of the Masonic Lodge, and was the organiser of the first race meeting ever held in the State. Binnalong, his blood sire, received the first award given by the Royal Society.

Sir John left two sons, Robert Thomas, Member of the first Parliament of the Nepean, and William Henry (husband of the late Mrs. Jamison, of Warrangee) who owned Baanbaa and Ingelobah Stations in Queensland and Warrangee in New South Wales.

Some years after Mr. and Mrs. John MacLean were living at Glen Alice, two of Mrs. MacLean's brothers came to Australia. These were Jonathan and J.D. MacLean. The former was Curator of the Sydney Botanical Gardens in approximately 1833, subsequently becoming Administrator of Newfolk Island. The latter became the owner of the famous 'Westbrook" estate on the Darling Downs. Before his untimely decease at Westbrook, Mr. J.D. MacLean was premier of Queensland, and upon one occasion lent £300,000 to the Queensland Government to tide it over a period of financial depression.

Mrs. Jamison's brothers were the late Donald Martin MacLean of "The Crown" Station; the late George MacLean of Sydney: the late Alexander MacLean of "Co Co Creek"; the late Jonathon MacLean of Mungrabambone Station. There were two sisters, Kate, who was married to Murray Davidson (son of the Surveyor General of New South Wales) and Jessie, whose husband was a professional man named Marshall.

Mrs. Jamison was born at old Warrangee Station in the year 1846. Her husband died at the Globe Hotel, Rylstone in 1891, as the result of an accident, leaving seven young children and a station of 16,000 acres in extent, who were to become the charge of his widow. The business acumen and ability of the late Mrs. Jamison may be gauged by the fact that she personally controlled her interests with success, only relinquishing the actual management of the Warrangee Station a few years before its sale to take up residence on the Blue Mountains and later in North Sydney. During the days of its late owner, Warrangee may have been likened unto an elastic house for it was always possible to find room for the visitor and traveller as well as a pleasure to dispense hospitality.

The removal of one of the most picturesque figures in the social and industrial life of the Rylstone District takes place with the decease of Mrs. Jamison, and moreover, it means the entire disappearance of the last Australian link of a grand old Scottish Pioneering family. There are many good people within the precincts of the old home who will long remember her neighbourly propensities and kindly humanitarianism acts. For many years in the Capertee Valley were the homes of the sick and afflicted visited by the late deceased at all hours of the day and night, and it was always a great pleasure to her to be able to administer or bring comfort to suffering humanity.

Like her late father, whose memory is reverred at Glen Alice today, she never permitted a poor swagman or destitute wayfarer to pass the door of her home without dispensing whatever aid lay within her power. Eloquent testimony of a sorrowing and grateful community to this was borne by the graveside at the Glen Alice Cemetery by the large number of residents who came to pay their last tribute of respect last Tuesday afternoon.

The cause of the decease of the late Mrs. Jamison was cerebal haemorrhage. The end was doubtless hastened by war anxiety, but specialists agreed that the life could habe veen prolonged for another 15 to 20 years but for the cerebal rupture.

The end came peacefully in the presence of members of her family at North Sydney, her last wish being that her remains be interred in the old cemetery at Glen Alice. The children surviving are six in number :- Marion E. Ashe; Mary R. Jamison; Kathleen Jamison; Duart MacLean Jamison; William James Jamison; Lyndon G. Jamison - Deceased H.J.C. Jamison.