Alexander James "Alick" Murray (ca.1850 – 18 April 1929) was a pastoralist and sheep breeder of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

History

Alick was the third son of John Murray of Murray Vale Estate, Mount Crawford and nephew of

Alexander Borthwick Murray Alexander Borthwick Murray (14 February 1816 – 17 March 1903) was an Australian sheep breeder and parliamentarian in the early days of South Australia. He married his business partner Margaret Tinline after they had established a successful s ...

, both noted sheep breeders. He was for many years a member of

Roseworthy College Roseworthy Agricultural College was an agricultural college in Australia. It was north of Adelaide and west of Roseworthy town. It was the first agricultural college in Australia, established in 1883. It is now part of the University of Adela ...

council, and presented the College with a quantity of valuable livestock. In January 1887, the four sons of John Murray: John Murray of Rhine Park, Eden Valley, T. Hope Murray, of Mount Beevor, Nairne, Alick J. Murray, of Mount Crawford and W. A. Murray, of Cappeedee, Hallett, purchased the whole flock from their father's executors, and divided it into equal parts, so that each should have one fourth of equal merit. Since then they were shown successfully. Alick continued his father's work at Mount Crawford Estate: his proudest distinction was the winning of the champion ribbon for merino ewe at the Adelaide Royal Show eight times and seven years in succession from 1897. He was also a notable Jersey cattle breeder. Around 1919 Mount Crawford Estate was compulsorily acquired by the Government for the creation of the

Warren Reservoir The Warren Reservoir is a water storage created by a dam on the South Para River in the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of ...

, and Murray retired from pastoral pursuits to his home "The Avenues" at

Medindie Medindie (formerly also known as Medindee or Medindi) is an inner northern suburb of Adelaide the capital of South Australia. It is located adjacent to the Adelaide Park Lands, just north of North Adelaide, and is bounded by Robe Terrace to the ...

. The livestock was transferred to his brothers' Catarpo and Petherton stations. He was a member of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society and its president from 1907 to 1908. He was for many years chairman of the Mount Crawford district council. He was a director of

Elder Smith & Co Ltd Elders Limited, formerly known as Elder, Stirling & Co., Elder Smith and Co. and Elder Smith & Co. Ltd, is an Australian agribusiness that provides agricultural goods and services to primary producers in Australia. History Early history (183 ...

from 1901 and a foundation director of Elders Trustee and Executor Co. He was a director of the Yudnapinna Pastoral Company. He was a noted breeder of polo ponies, and one of Australia's best polo players, and a life member of the

Adelaide Polo Club The Adelaide Polo Club is a polo club in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Location The Adelaide Polo Club is located in Mount Barker, a suburb of Adelaide in South Australia. History The Adelaide Polo Club was founded by William Horn in ...

. The Mount Crawford polo team, which consisted of Alick, his sons Cyril and Eric, nephew Elliott Murray, and son-in-law Ronald Angas was highly successful.

Family

Alick was the third son of John Murray (c. 1812 – 13 September 1886) and Alison (c. 1820 – 9 June 1895) who arrived in South Australia from Scotland in 1853. He married Alice Elizabeth Bowman (1862 – 22 April 1928) on 23 June 1891. She was a daughter of

Edmund Bowman The Bowman brothers were pioneer pastoralists of Tasmania (then "Van Diemen's Land") and South Australia. They were the sons of John Bowman (1785 – 1 June 1857, born Askham, Cumbria, Askham, Westmorland): Edmund Bowman, John Bowman, William Ch ...

of "Barton Vale", Enfield and sister of Clarissa Eveline Jay. Their children were: * J(ohn) Cyril Murray (1892–1947) of Caterpo station,

Mount Bryan, South Australia Mount Bryan is a town in north-east South Australia. The town is situated on the Barrier Highway and former Peterborough railway line, north of Burra, in the Regional Council of Goyder. At the 2016 census, Mount Bryan had a population of 110. ...

married Cathleen Eliza Wilson in 1917 * Eric Moray Murray (1894–1953) of Petherton Station * Monica Alice Murray (1896 –1973) married Ronald Fyfe Angas (1889–1978) of Collingrove, son of

Charles Howard Angas Charles Howard Angas (21 April 1861 – 11 December 1928) was a pastoralist in South Australia. History John Howard Angas (5 October 1823 – 17 May 1904) and Susanne Angas née Collins (c. 1834 – 14 April 1910) met and were married in England ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Alick J Australian pastoralists Australian sheep breeders 1850s births 1929 deaths