John
William MacFarlane was appointed early in 1907, by the newly elected Sutherland Council, as
the first permanent, Shire Clerk on a salary of £2/10/- per week. His duties
included Inspector of Nuisances and Cattle Slaughtering. He was to hold the
position as Shire Clerk until his retirement in 1928.
Prior to his appointment, John MacFarlane had started an orchard and
poultry farm at Miranda. In 1892, the business failed as his inexperience
had led him to select a property which had an inadequate water supply.
Undeterred by this initial failure, he selected another site in Miranda
which proved to be more suitable and set up a poultry farm on a leasehold
from the Holt-Sutherland Estate. The Holt-Sutherland Estate Act of 1900,
enabled leaseholders to convert to freehold when they wished to subdivide.
1n 1907, there were
some staffing changes which led to John MacFarlane’s appointment as
Assistant Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages. He was relieved of the
duties of Sanitary Inspector and Inspector of Slaughter Houses and given the
additional duty of Inspector of Hoardings. During his time as Shire Clerk,
John MacFarlane was responsible for office supervision of the outside staff.
The informative statements submitted by him on matters of interest and
riding expenditure, enable the Councillors to be well informed and keep
within available finds. He was directly responsible for a number of
amendments to the Local Government Act and Ordinances. With other members of
the Miranda Progress Association MacFarlane was active in the agitation
which led to the abolition of tolls on the Taren Point punt prior to 1911.
In 1928, John MacFarlane, known affectionately to Council staff and
Councillors as ‘Mac’ resigned as Shire Clerk and took up duties as Toll
Master on the newly constructed Georges River Bridge He had extensive
knowledge of all matters pertaining to the Bridge and his research into
tolls levied in other parts of the world ensured a satisfactory inauguration
of the toll system. He retired as Toll Master in September 1936.
John MacFarlane, a
trained accomplished musician, was for several years the organist at the
Miranda Congregational Church. He also conducted the musical entertainments
for the Miranda Musical Society, which was founded in the 1890s. This group
is still alive.
After his retirement, John MacFarlane lived with his son who had taken
over the poultry farm at Miranda. He died on 31 May 1947
Colleen M Passfield.
First published in Sutherland Shire,
Some Early Residents, 2006, by Botany Bay Family History Society.
Compiled by Maree McKinley and Sue Hewitt.
Click on the name
MacFARLANE, John William (1860 – 1947)
at the heading of this story. You will be taken to the database entry for
John MacFarlane and his family.
References:
Hutton, Neve M –
Sutherland Shire Studies No 4 – The
Development of Commerce and Industry
Kirby, David R –
From Sails to Atoms – First Fifty
Years of Sutherland Shire. First Fifty Years of the Sutherland Shire
Council, unpublished manuscript
Larkin, Maryanne –
Sutherland Shire – a history to 1939
