Summary of Meeting 15 July 2014

Sergeant’s Session: Ian Jagelman 

Lindsay and Tania:

Stayed in the same place in Cappadacia as Ian and Jeannie. 

Lindsay on the stage at intl convention and appearing in RDU. 

 

Intro of Guest Speaker by John Donald: 

Alan Maclean - graduated from Nth Syd Tech High - Frank Rule and Bluey, and Alan all connect by the Greenwood grape vine 

 

Alan Maclean on Lachlan Macquarie (LM): 

Pronounced laklan (Loch is a lake.) Investigated Maclean family roots in Scotland, discovered close connection with Macquarie’s family. 

Discovered LM’s tomb. Maintained by Aust taxpayers. Tracked family connections back to 1696. 

LM Born in Ulva. Tenant farmers. Left home for school and the Army at 14. His uncle Murdoch MacLaine paid for his education. Could read and write. Purchased him a commission. Ensign in regiment in 1774 almost caught in Yorktown when it was surrounded but luckily he was in Jamaica at time. March 88 in India as ensign and in debt back home. Service in Ceylon. wife Jane died in Bombay after 3 yrs.  Later married his cousin.  Major in 86, after beating Napoleon in one of his early battles in Egypt.

LM - threatened with famine and in poverty. Appointed CaptGen and Gov of NSW in 1810.  

Rum Corps still in control of colony. Dismissed all rum corps officials. Set out to improve colony. 

Emancipated convicts to be equals. Hospital built on rum. Replaced rum currency with holey dollar. Aboriginal house in Parramatta. 

Employed convicts in public works. Avoided slavery by rehab system. LM gave 366 convicts pardons and 2319 tickets of leave. Some became employers and Mounties. 

LM changed name used for Colony to Australia. Agreed to in London in 1824. 

Lived in Govt house at Parramatta. opened up Cow Pastures or Camden via land grants. 

In 1815 sent MacLaine(Jnr) to England to see lord Bathurst. He saw Napoleon surrender and then was killed in Ceylon. Maclaines plains in Tas, and peaks in central west.  Encouraged explorers, discovered the Lachlan river. 

LM fell out with the “exclusives” for creating a legal infrastructure in NSW and giving land grants. Resigned in 1822 and died in England in poverty and betrayal in 1824. 

Vote of Thanks by Lindsay May: 

Thanks for the informative talk. MacQuarie considered our George Washington. Interesting to learn that he was a humble farmer. 

Raffle Winner:  Ian Jagelman 

19 Rotarians 1 guest 2 apologies