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Your connection with Scotland in the 1700s, and with pioneers in South Australia in the late 1800s
Jessie & Alexander GORDON - family tree & stories
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 1877 -
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| Name |
Raymond John FINLAYSON |
| Born |
9 Aug 1877 |
Alma, SA, Australia  [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| General event |
Biography :
* Raymond was a key figure in getting water to Owen. He and John Harkness evolved a plan to have a pipeline laid through Barabba then northward to a point one mile east of Owen (now Bowyer's Corner), and then to the town. This plan was supported by James McLaughlan MP, who for many years had also been trying to extend the water supply from the Barossa reservoir. After persistent efforts in presenting this plan, the department finally approved it around 1906. (L9,13-19)
* Raymond was the first person to be in charge of the Owen railway site when its status was lifted to become an official railway station in 1906. The station became necessary because the mallee root trade was booming. This was the first product to be produced from clearing so much land. There were large stacks of mullenised roots in the railway yard, ready to be dispatched to Adelaide when the price was good in winter time. A station master was needed to allot trucks and stacking sites and to generally oversee movement and activity. (L9,20-29
* "We have not been blessed with secondary industries, but there is one factory which had a small beginning in Owen and then grew to quite substantial proportions. I refer to RJ Finlayson Ltd's butter factory. Raymond Finlayson, a son of Owen's first general storekeeper, started in the Main Street of Owen, and later moved to Balaklava, and thence to branches in various places throughout the state. (p 18 Alma-Dalkey 1875-1975)
* Butter factory - Established RJ Finlayson Ltd. It started from small beginnings in Main Street in Owen and grew to be quite substantial proportions in Balaklava and Gladstone and thence to branches in various places throughout South Australia (L18,5)
* 'Dalkeith Butter' at Balaclava
* Large dairy factory at Murray Bridge
* Butter factory at Milang
* Also established cool drink factories
* He had a 'mansion' in Crafers near Stirling in the Adelaide Hills.
* He had considerable investments in farming properties around Clarindon
* He was very fond of gardens (story the rose bush the Finlayson children were involved in)
* Jeff Gordon can remember uncle Raymond calling into his home in Georgetown when he was on his way to visit his factory in Gladstone - this would have been about 1920. Jeff also remembers that in 1934 Raymond purchased the first model of a car which was much the same the front as the back. Uncle Oliver made up a ditty about Raymond's 'back-to-front' car.
* In 1925, Raymond was a committee member of the Adelaide Competitive Choir of which Oliver was the conductor. (ref : program notes)
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| Notes for biography |
Mock banquet: The Mutual improvement Society held its usual meeting on July 25 last, when the evening's programme took the form of a mock banquet. After the business was concluded Mr RJ Finlayson was voted to the chair. The following toasts were submitted:-
* 'The King' ably proposed by Mr J McLachlan, which was enthusiastically drunk with musical honors
* 'The Parliament' by Mr Donald Gordon, responder Mr James McLachlan,
* 'Town and Trade of Owen' by Mr John Dillon and Mr B Ashman:
* 'Our Society' by Mr S Fitzgerald and Mr R Richards
* 'Football and Tennis Clubs' by Mr Recce and Mr S Lacy
* 'The Ladies' by Mr RJ Finlayson and Mr Pinkney
* 'The Press', by Mr SJ Watt and Mr F Bradford.
* Refreshments were provided by the lady members and others contributed to the enjoyment with music and song.
(Kapunda Herald, 5th Aug 1901, p3)
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| Person ID |
I918 |
Alexander & Jessie |
| Last Modified |
24 Apr 2014 |
| Father |
David FINLAYSON, b. 25 Nov 1845, Craigton Cottage, Knockbain, Inverness, Scotland, UK , d. 10 Jun 1913, Owen, SA, Australia (Age 67 years) |
| Mother |
Mary Ann SALTMARSH, b. 26 Sept 1850, Mt Pleasant, SA, Australia , d. 7 May 1904, Inverness House, Owen (Age 53 years) |
| Married |
23 Aug 1871 |
Lake Plains, SA |
- Residence of Henry Saltmarsh, Lake Plains.
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| Wedding |
MARRIED. Finlayson-Saltmarsh: On the 23rd August, at the residence of the bride's parents, by licence, by the Rev. R. Woolcock, Mr. D. Finlayson, of Alma, to Mary, second daughter of Mr. Henry Saltmarsh, Lake Plains.
(source: South Australian Advertiser, Adelaide, 28th August 1871, p4)
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| Family ID |
F119 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Hilda Marion HEARD - ALSO SAINT,, b. 1884, d. 1985 (Age 101 years) |
| Married |
1908 or 1930 |
residence of the bride, Burnside SA - ref : RobynEllisFisher). |
| Children |
Children :
* How many children did Raymond and Tot have?
* Raymond had a famous step-son-in-law. Through her first marriage, Tot may have had a daughter Berta Marion SAINT (born 1910) who married Sir Shirley William JEFFRIES on 21th May 1935 at the Methodist Church, Rosefield. He was born 28th February 1886 at Crompton, Lancashire, England, son of William Jeffries, Wesleyan minister, and his wife Mercy, née Wibmer. He was a sportsman, parliamentarian and prominent in the Methodist church. He died on 13th September 1963 at his Leabrook home and was cremated; his ashes were placed in his parents' grave at Payneham cemetery. ref : ANU Australian Dictionary of Biography). |
| Last Modified |
22 Apr 2014 |
| Family ID |
F323 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Photos
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 | Finlaysons at Owen in 1893
Colin Semmler stated that the photo was taken about 1893 and they were David 48 yrs, Raymond 16, Ruby 5, Mary 43, Marie 10, Eveline 12, Ethel 18 and Oliver 14 yrs. For some reason, the two eldest children, Everard 19 and Florence 21, were absent at that time. The family are dressed up for a special occasion - what might this event be? |
 | Finlayson family - about 1950s - cropped
Uncertain identification as follows.
Back row - left to right - probably Raymond, Oliver & Everard.
Front - probably Marie, Ethel, Florence (or their mother, Mary) & Ruby. |
 | Finlaysons at Owen about 1898.jpg
Uncertain identity as follows.
Back row (left to right) - probably Oliver (or Raymond), David, Raymond (or Oliver) & Everard.
Front row - probably Marie, Ruby, Mary, Ethel (or Florence) & Florence (or Ethel).
The lattice indicates that this photo was taken in the same place as the other big family photo taken about 5 years earlier (1893) - probably in front of the family house in Owen.
The family are dressed up for a special occasion - what might this event be? |
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| Sources |
- [S54] TBE Fischer's dates book - in media on this website , Transcribed by Craig Fischer .
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