Portrait of J. McTaggart from Wooltana from the S.A. Northern Pioneers' composite, 1850-1859 (shown in position on B 6912/2).

JohnMcTaggart was born 1838 in Argylshire, Scotland on a sheep farm. He died 25 September 1907 at Gilberton.

McTaggart arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the Bengal Merchant (ship) and settled in the South East as a pastoralist and sheep farmer. In 1856-1857 he formed stations at Wooltana 200 miles north east of Port Augusta (more than 600 kilometres by road north of Adelaide). Drought affected him badly in 1863-1865 but he survived with the help of financial assistance from Elder, Smith & Co. Wooltana Station eventually covered 400 square miles and he acquired another 600 square miles of Paralana, from the Hawker family in 1907.

McTaggart married Mary McCallum, a niece of Archibald Johnson and they had 10 children. He retired to live at Dashwoods Gully and at Gilberton until his death.

John McTaggart's wife Mary McCallum was the sister of Catherine Paterson (nee McCallum). Archibald and Catherine Paterson went with the McTaggarts in 1856 to help establish the sheep station at Wooltana. Prior to that they had been living with the rest of the McCallum family on Archibald Johnson's property at Mount Muirhead in the South East. Like McTaggart, the McCallums, the Johnson's and the Patersons all came from North Knapdale in Argylshire. The only son of Archibald and Catherine Paterson, Jack Patterson, became a well known publican who owned hotels in White Cliffs, Gemville, and Farina. Jack Paterson also leased the Tinga Tingana station on the Strezlecki track from 1914 until the late 1920's. Archibald Patterson died at Tinga Tingana Station in 1917 and his grave still stands on the banks of the Strezlecki Creek.

State Library would like to thank and acknowledge Robert Flynn, for supplying further information for this entry through the What can you tell us? link.

McTaggart, John, 1838-1907

Bengal Merchant (ship)

Cockburn, R Pastoral pioneers of South Australia Adelaide : Publishers Limited, 1925-1927 ("Reprinted from the Adelaide Stock and Station Journal.") vol. 1 p. 80-81

Mincham, Hans The story of the Flinders Ranges Adelaide : Rigby, 1965

Obituaries of the week : Mr John McTaggart Observer, 28 September 1907, p. 40, col. c