| Comment | Died from Old age
The Longreach Leader – Saturday 13 June 1942
OBITUARY MR. JOHN MUNRO
The death occurred in the Longreach Hospital on Saturday night of Mr. John Munro. a well known grazier,of the Central West and Western Queensland pioneer. Mr. Munro had been almost continually in hospital since the New Year, first in the Muttaburra Hospital, from where he was transported by the Longreach Ambulance to the Longreach Hospital.
Mr. Munro, who was 82 years of age, was a native of Scotland. He started work at the age of eight and as a young man he decided to go overseas. It took him some time to decide whether to go to America or Australia, and the latter was favoured. In 1882 Mr. Munro left Scotland for Australia in the old sailing ship, “The South Esk.” The voyage took 104 days.
The first position taken by Mr. Munro in Queensland was on a sugar plantation outside of Brisbane at 15/- a week. There he worked for 8 months and was at Mitchell in the West, during the big railway strike of 1883. In 1886 he went to the gold rush at Croydon but had no luck there. Later he was droving from Aramac to Bourke and after 13 weeks on the road, arrived back in Barcaldine.
He then went with another mob of sheep, (which was sold in Rutherglen Victoria), the trip being made via Bathurst, Goulburn and Bungendore, Cooma and across the Australian Alps to Possum Point, where they struck the Murray River, which was followed to Cowra and then across to Victoria and up to Rutherglen. There were 20,000 sheep in the mob and Mr. Munro was the first man to cross the Australian Alps in a spring cart.
Later Mr. Munro took another mob of sheep from Togenmain to Queensland. He then learned to shear and shore with the blades in some of the largest sheds in Queensland. He worked as a head stockman on Lerida Station for several years and was the overseer there for a number of years. In 1904 he selected Aviemore, a resumption of Bowen Downs, where he has since made his home. He purchased Cairnhope, a resumption of Lerida in the Stamford district, in 1932, and later added to his possessions by the purchase of Coorabah in the Aramac district.
He is survived by his widow, who resides at Aviemore. His remains were taken to his Aviemore home, where a service was conducted on Monday morning by Rev. W. R. W. Roberts. From there the cortege moved to the Muttaburra cemetery at which there was a large and representative at tendance of Muttaburra and district residents. Rev. W. R. W. Roberts officiated at the graveside.
The following floral tributes were received: From his sorrowing wife: Lynn family; N. McKinnon (Coorabah): Meacham & Leyland, Pty. Ltd. (Barcaldine); Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Kingston (Aramac); Mr. and Mrs. J. Wearne (Aramnac); Mr. and Mrs. M. Munro (Pembroke); Agnes, Mac and Ben; James Nennas (Aramac) Spero Nennas (Townville); Mr. and Mrs. .Gray. (Brompton and Lorn): Mr. and Mrs. J. Munro (Aramac); Mrs. Rivers and family (Coorabah); Rivers family (Sydney); Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald (Muttaburra); Mr. and Mrs. B. Jones and family (Muttaburra); Robinson family (Muttaburra); Mr. and Mrs. Moffat (Harwood, Corfield); Mr. and Mrs. Anderson (Burniside Corfield); Tamblyn family (Lake Dunn); Charlie and Mainie Kelly (Barcoorah); Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Anderson. (Rockhampton); Muriel Goodsell (Muttaburra); Dr. and Mrs. J. A. Arratta (Muttaburra); Matron and Staff Muttaburra Hospital; Jackie and Jimmy Lynn; Mr. and Mrs. R. Seaton (Tragowel); Mrs. M. Mac donald and daughters (Tragowel); Emma, Minnie and Ben Menzies (Aramac); Nell Buchanan (Rockhampton); Goo and Tom (Brisbane).
Telegrams and messages of sympathy were received from Eileen and Dick Rogers (Crossmore); Bob Rear (Crossmore); members of the Shearing Co.; Winchcombe, Carson, Ltd. (Brisbane); Harold and Dorothy Macalister (Myrtle Farms); S. Nennas (Townsville); Allen family (Paradise); M. Saunders and family (Longreach); L. Bayliss (Acacia Downs); Bronco and Eileen Sallaway (Tambo); Goo (Brisbane); Toddles (Brisbane); E. and J. Gilligan (Barcaldine); O. Devery (Barcaldine); “Primaries” Staff (Longreaich); Dave (Gindie); Wright family (Brisbane); Winchcombe, Carson, Ltd. (Long reach); Armourer T. Lynn; Ted Anderson; A. Fickling and family; Mr. and Mrs. E. Foreman (War wick); Mrs. N. Buchanan (Rockhampton); M. Hughes (Brisbane); M. Macdonald (Tragowel); Aunty Moll and Uncle Mick; Jean Gotts (Melbourne); Bell Lockhart (Aramac); Goo and Tom (Brisbane); W. Becroft (Sydney); M. Volling and family; Robert and Elizabeth Nicholson (Yarraman); Dorrie and Pat Gleeson; L. E. Edkins (Bimbah); Ted Anderson (Burnside, Corfield); Muriel and Wallace Wall (Nalemba); Mid, Emmett and Pat; Aileen Byrne; Joy and Keith Lockhart (Swanlee); Edna and Joe .
[Source: The ARAMAC-MUTTABURRA DISTRICT. (1942, June 13). The Longreach Leader (Qld.: 1923 – 1954), p. 14. Retrieved September 16, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125065577
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