George Bain Johnston


George Bain Johnston was a pioneer of the Murray River trade in South Australia.

History

George Bain Johnston was born at Cockenzie, in the county of Haddington, Scotland, and was educated at Steel's Hospital in the parish of Tranent. At the age of 15 he served an apprenticeship on the schooner Mary Donaldson, under Captain James Donaldson, in the employ of Captain Hew Francis Cadell. He was one of a group of Scotsmen who left Scotland in 1853 as one of the crew of the Lioness, a small River Mersey steamer of 70 tons register, which was purchased by Cadell to be used for towing purposes in Port Melbourne. The vessel was rigged as a three-masted schooner in Scotland and sailed out to Melbourne. Other members of the crew of the Lioness, all associated with the opening of the Murray, were James Ritchie, Thomas Johnston, John Barclay, John McDonald, William Barker and John Ritchie. The four first named returned to Scotland for Captain Cadell in December 1853 in the Admiral, returning to Australia in 1854 in the brig Lady Emma, with the river steamers Gundagai and Albury in sections as freight. These vessels were assembled at Port Adelaide, and steamed through the Murray mouth. On 18 October 1857, the wives of these gentlemen left Scotland in the sailing ship Planter, arriving in Melbourne on 12 January 1858. The first vessel to come alongside to welcome these lady pioneers was the Lioness, the little craft that had left Scotland four years previously with the husbands of all the members of the party. These ladies had booked their passages in the Great Britain, but prior to sailing this vessel was commandeered by the British authorities for service as a troop ship in connection with the Indian mutiny.
Johnston joined the rush to the gold diggings at Forest Creek and in 1853 joined Hew's son Captain Francis Cadell, the River Murray pioneer, and moved to Goolwa, where in 1857 he purchased a plot of land in "Little Scotland" and built a substantial dwelling "Cockenzie House". His first expedition was to take a survey of the Murray from Wentworth downwards in a small boat — the Quiz — recording obstacles that lay in the river. His next trip was with Captain Cadell in the steamer Lady Augusta. In 1855 he was appointed captain of the steamer Albury, and was the first to reach the town of Albury. The residents celebrated his arrival with a banquet and presented him with a purse of one hundred sovereigns, with which a suitable cup was bought and engraved to commemorate the occasion. After continuing in this trade for some years he joined Charles Murphy as "Johnston & Murphy", and purchased the Moolgewanke from Cadell, and soon afterwards the Albury. They prospered and became substantial steamboat proprietors and traders on the Murray and its tributaries. In 1862 they built the stern-wheeler Maranoa. In 1863 Capt. Johnston returned to Scotland to superintend the building of a paddle steamer, the Murray, which was brought out under canvas by Richard Barry, Capt. Johnston returning via Melbourne. This boat proved unsuitable, and was sold to Gippsland Lakes traders. In 1873 the partnership was dissolved, and Capt. Johnston traded alone. In 1877 he again returned to his homeland to build a suitable steamer — the well-known Queen of the South which did good service during the busy season of 1878-1879. On his arrival at Goolwa he was presented with a handsome silver epergne. Another large steamer was built at Goolwa, the Cadell, the engines of which were brought from Scotland in the Queen of the South. Johnston then constructed his last vessel, the Monarch, said to have the largest carrying capacity of any boat on the rivers. During the last few years business was carried on in partnership with Mr. Kirkpatrick of Wilcannia as Geo. Johnston & Co. He died at Queenstown, New Zealand, where he had travelled in the hope of respite after a considerable period of ill health. His body was returned to Australia in a lead coffin and interred at Currency Creek, South Australia

Character

Captain Johnston was described as one of the Murray's most successful navigators, and a loyal, intelligent, and enterprising colonist. He was a strong swimmer, and was reckoned to have saved from drowning no less than fourteen lives, among them a Mrs. Padman and her daughter, and was honored with a medal from the Royal Humane Society. Though industrious and enterprising in business matters, he was a liberal and earnest Christian. He was associated with the Wesleyan Church from its infancy at Goolwa, and was a most enthusiastic and energetic worker in all its activities.

Family

In 1852 he married Elizabeth Barclay, daughter of James Barclay, of Cockenzie, Scotland, who came out to Australia in 1858. She was closely associated with the Methodist Church. Elizabeth was sister of John Barclay of Mundoora, South Australia. Children of George and Elizabeth included:
Peter Johnston, a brother, died of exposure after falling from the steamer Cadell at the Goolwa wharf.