Australian
Scottish
Heritage
Scottish
Heritage
These stories are readers contributions sent to me.They have kindly allowed me to share them with you.
John Newlands 1864-1932
John Newlands (my Maternal Grandfather 1864-1932)
The son of Andrew and Ann Newlands (nee Stivan),he was born at Dallaschyle,Parish of Cawdor,in the County of Nairn,Scotland on Aug 4th 1864 and grew up in Dingwall,near
Inverness.
At the age of 18 he sailed from Plymouth to Australia as an immigrant arriving in Adelaide on
May 28th 1883.The story of this voyage is told in his diary,which is amongst the papers we have
kept.
His first job was as a bar steward in the South Australian Club,and he later worked for the
Railways as a lamp cleaner,and then as a sleeper car conductor on the Adelaide to Broken Hill
line.At this time his family lived at Terowrie,a town on the line in Clare Valley.
He became Secretary of the Railwayman's Union and from there moved into politics,first as the
member for Burra in the South Australian Government and then as a Senator in the Federal
Parliament.In recognition of his work in recruiting during World War1 he was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1920.
At about this time he resigned from the Labour Party over the conscription issue and joined the
National Party (later renamed the United Australia Party) led by the former Prime Minister,Billy
Hughes.He was the President of the Senate when the old Parliament House was opened at
Canberra in 1927,and was made a Knight Commander of St.Michael and St.George,his full
title then being Senator Sir John Newlands K.C.M.G.C.B.E. For this occasion he reinstated the "s" at the end of his name by deed poll and was no longer known as "Newland",-we too.
A street in Canberra near the Old Parliament House and the Treasury Building is named after
him,and a portrait of him as President of the Senate,painted by Charles Wheeler,was hung in
the King's Hall in the Old Parliament House.In the New Parliament House the paintings of the
Presidents of the Senate are hung downstairs in an area not open to the public,-but can be
viewed on request.
When he became engaged to Theresa Glancy,a Scottish Immigrant lass,he promised her
parents that after they were married he would take her home for a visit within the next few years.
This he did in 1893,taking three of their four children with them,-Donald James,was not born
until 1899.
John Newlands was a tall,heavily built man with a powerful speaking voice and there are a
number of references to him in the National Library at Canberra including some of the rulings
he made as President of Senate.
He was an active member of the Druids and Masonic Lodges,and his home was at Glenelg, a
suburb of Adelaide.
He passed away on May 20th 1932 after a short illness,was given a State Funeral and buried
in the North Brighton Cemetery,Adelaide.
Kindly Contributed by Col Cafferky (John Newlands was Col Cafferky's Maternal Great-Grandfather).
John Newlands (my Maternal Grandfather 1864-1932)
The son of Andrew and Ann Newlands (nee Stivan),he was born at Dallaschyle,Parish of Cawdor,in the County of Nairn,Scotland on Aug 4th 1864 and grew up in Dingwall,near
Inverness.
At the age of 18 he sailed from Plymouth to Australia as an immigrant arriving in Adelaide on
May 28th 1883.The story of this voyage is told in his diary,which is amongst the papers we have
kept.
His first job was as a bar steward in the South Australian Club,and he later worked for the
Railways as a lamp cleaner,and then as a sleeper car conductor on the Adelaide to Broken Hill
line.At this time his family lived at Terowrie,a town on the line in Clare Valley.
He became Secretary of the Railwayman's Union and from there moved into politics,first as the
member for Burra in the South Australian Government and then as a Senator in the Federal
Parliament.In recognition of his work in recruiting during World War1 he was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1920.
At about this time he resigned from the Labour Party over the conscription issue and joined the
National Party (later renamed the United Australia Party) led by the former Prime Minister,Billy
Hughes.He was the President of the Senate when the old Parliament House was opened at
Canberra in 1927,and was made a Knight Commander of St.Michael and St.George,his full
title then being Senator Sir John Newlands K.C.M.G.C.B.E. For this occasion he reinstated the "s" at the end of his name by deed poll and was no longer known as "Newland",-we too.
A street in Canberra near the Old Parliament House and the Treasury Building is named after
him,and a portrait of him as President of the Senate,painted by Charles Wheeler,was hung in
the King's Hall in the Old Parliament House.In the New Parliament House the paintings of the
Presidents of the Senate are hung downstairs in an area not open to the public,-but can be
viewed on request.
When he became engaged to Theresa Glancy,a Scottish Immigrant lass,he promised her
parents that after they were married he would take her home for a visit within the next few years.
This he did in 1893,taking three of their four children with them,-Donald James,was not born
until 1899.
John Newlands was a tall,heavily built man with a powerful speaking voice and there are a
number of references to him in the National Library at Canberra including some of the rulings
he made as President of Senate.
He was an active member of the Druids and Masonic Lodges,and his home was at Glenelg, a
suburb of Adelaide.
He passed away on May 20th 1932 after a short illness,was given a State Funeral and buried
in the North Brighton Cemetery,Adelaide.
Kindly Contributed by Col Cafferky (John Newlands was Col Cafferky's Maternal Great-Grandfather).