John Murray and his son also named John Murray were breeders of merino sheep in South Australia.
John Murray
John Murray was a noted breeder of merino sheep of Murray Vale Estate, Mount Crawford, who with his wife Ellen arrived in South Australia from Scotland on the City of Adelaide on 6 September 1841. His brothers Alexander Borthwick Murray and Pulteney Malcolm Murray were also sheep breeders. A third brother, William Murray 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. 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 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. 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, F. Thomas and the firm of Duffield and Porter, 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.
Family
He was married to Alison Murray née Hope. Their children included:
Esther married William "Willie" Crozier of Oaklands and Moorna Station.
Alison Hope Murray
Thomas Hope Murray married Margaret Prendergast Florence Edith Daw on 2 September 1892. Florence was a daughter of Joseph Daw and Mary née Wood
Alexander James "Alick" Murray
William Albert Murray
The four brothers were involved in sheep breeding both independently and cooperatively at studs of their own, following their father's methods. All in addition bred and rode horses and T. H. Murray and W. A. Murray were pioneering breeders of polled Angas cattle at Cappeedee station.
John Murray 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, 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. 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. 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.
Family
He married Mary Scott on 25 April 1867. Their children included:
