Person Page - 220

Mr. Murdoch Morrison, who passed away at his residence, Kooringa, on July 4th, was a resident of Burra and district for 73 years.

Born at Inverness, Scotland, in 1844, he left with his parents for South Australia, when about eleven years of age, sailing in the ship 'Royal Albert.' Four months later they arrived at Pt. Adelaide and for one year lived in Adelaide. The family then moved to World's End where his father was engaged looking after sheep. At this time the country was not fenced and many aboriginals resided in the locality.

From World's End Mr. Morrison came to Burra and worked when a lad for several business people. He later worked in the Burra Mine as a horse-driver for several years. From the Mine he went to work for the late Mr. William Barker, at Baldina station, the grandfather of the present owner, where he remained for 18 years. While in Mr. Barker's employ he had many varied experiences with the natives who were numerous out there. At one time a tribe of northern natives came down and camped in the vicinity of Chalk Cliffs and held a corroboree. They invited Mr. Barker and Mr. Morrison to come along which they did and thoroughly enjoyed the sight. The blacks started throwing spears at one another and some of the natives came across to them and said, “White fella better go home.” They found out afterwards that this particular tribe were on their way to fight the Murray natives. The battle never came off as the police got wind of the affair and stopped it. Mr. Morrison always got on well with the natives as if treated with firmness as well as kindness he found them fairly tractable.

After leaving Baldina station he, with his brother, Norman, bought Westbury Farm, just behind the Flagstaff, near Burra, and farmed there for a number of years. It was while resident there he lost his first wife and eldest son Donald who were accidentally drowned. They later sold the farm to the late Mr. W. H. Field and Mr. Morrison bought a place at Booborowie and farmed there for some years. In 1895 he came to Burra where he remained until his death.

Other than his vocation Mr. Morrison's only hobby was horses and he was at all times interested in racing, in fact, in his younger days trained and raced horses successfully in various picnic race meetings. Naturally his great age told on him in late years but previously his Scotch extraction was always to the fore, hard working, he was also a man of sterling integrity and greatly respected.

His first wife was Miss Jane Lambert and of a family of four only one daughter, Christina, Mrs. H. Schultz, of Salisbury, survives. His second wife was Miss Emma Talbot, who survives, also three sons, Messrs Albert Morrison, Kooringa; Murdoch Morrison, Adelaide; David Morrison, Kooringa, and two daughters, Mrs. D. Turnbull, Mt Gambier; Mrs. W. Young, Kooringa, one son, William, predeceased his father. There are 13 grandchildren. His two brothers, Messrs Norman and Donald are both dead and his sisters were the late Mrs. F. Gebhardt sen., late Mrs. D. Blair and Miss Mary Morrison..