John Macansh

Macansh was born in Stirling, Scotland in 1820 to John Macansh and his wife Ann (née White) and was educated at Edinburgh High School and Stirling Grammar.[2] Arriving in Australia in 1838, he worked as a clerk for the Bank of Australasia before leasing a property on the Hunter River in 1840. Around 1846 he moved to Murrumburrah and began work as a Station manager for S.K. Salting and together they established a merino stud at Bonyeo.[2] Macansh worked at various properties in the Yass area of New South Wales and in 1867 he joined in partnership with two of Salting's sons to purchase a property near Narrabri.[2]

By 1875, Macansh had moved to Queensland and bought Canning Downs on the Darling Downs and in 1880 he purchased Albilbah Station.[1] He used Canning Downs to breed stud dairy and beef cattle and then he obtained a lease on Brunette Downs Station in the Northern Territory.[2]

Macansh was elected to the Glengallan Divisional Board and then was appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council in April 1886 which he served until his death ten years later.[1] His liberal policies had little impact with the other Legislative Council members and none of his objectives were realised.[2]

In 1849 he married Sarah Jane Windeyer daughter of Archibald Windeyer, a landowner and pastoralist.[2] He died while attending a Glengallan Divisional Board meeting in August 1896[1] and his will, valued nominally at £241,588, was administered by a family trust that needed to be legalised by a private members bill in 1910.[2]