John Murray (sheep breeder)

John Murray (c. 1812 – 13 September 1886) was a noted breeder of merino sheep of Murray Vale Estate, Mount Crawford, who with his wife Ellen (née Hope) arrived in South Australia from Scotland on the City of Adelaide on 6 September 1841. His brothers Alexander Borthwick Murray (1816–1903) and Pulteney Malcolm Murray (1819–1879) were also sheep breeders. A third brother, William Murray (1819–1901) was a gardener and jam manufacturer.

At the Agricultural Show of 1846 one of his merino rams won first prize. He won a large number of similar awards in the next 40 years. During that time fleece weights increased from 13½ to 20 lb with no drop in quality. His breeding strategy involved maintaining the "purity" of bloodline, with no cross-breeding.[1][2] His breeding philosophy was to perfect a line of big-framed merino rams with absolutely no wrinkles and strong constitutions, and to achieve this without introducing other strains. This strategy was followed by the family (and to a large extent by other studs in the State, resulting in a "South Australian type") for something like 75 years with excellent results as fashions ebbed and flowed. A gratifying example of the regard in which this type was held in difficult climates was the purchase of 1000 ewes by D. M. Aitkin, a Queenslander who had been brought in as a judge for the 1912 Royal Show, with an option for a further 2000.[3]

Other major South Australian merino breeders J. H. Angas, E. Bowman, F. H. Dutton, C. B. Fisher, G. C. Hawker, A. McFarlane, George Melrose, A. B. Murray, Edward Stirling (father of Edward Charles Stirling), F. Thomas and the firm of Duffield and Porter (later Koonoona Pty. Ltd.), finally broke the Murrays' near monopoly on Show prizes by the introduction of genetics from the Peppin line as exampled by the purchase in 1913 of the ram Hercules from Wanganella by Walter Hawker of Anama and M. S. Hawker of North Bungaree.[4]

John Murray (1841 – 4 July 1908) was born on board the ship City of Adelaide when his parents were emigrating from Scotland to South Australia, and was brought up at Mount Crawford.

When he married Mary Scott (daughter of Thomas Scott, of "Delorain" near Kersbrook), his father put him in charge of his Rhine Park estate.

He was a successful breeder of merino sheep, evidenced by the number of prizes and championships won by his sheep at the Royal shows and at exhibitions of other prominent agricultural societies. He was generally recognised as one of the best judges of sheep in the State. He was intimately connected with the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia for a great many years, and in 1901 was appointed president, a position which he held for two years.[7] His brother Alick J. Murray also served as president of the R.A.& H.S.

He was an elder of the Presbyterian Church at Mount Pleasant, and for many years a delegate on the Presbyterian Assembly.[7]

He was appointed J.P. in September 1888.

He died after suffering several years of painful illness. Rhine Park passed into the hands of his son J. L. Murray. (On the death of Willie Murray, according to his will, Cappeedee's lease passed to John Murray son Walter S. Murray and the stock was divided among the other three; Norman Brice took Mount Beevor after the death of Tom Hope Murray and its stock sold off.)[8]