Archibald Campbell MacMillan (1840 - 1905)

Born 27 Dec 1840 in Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom

Husband of Laura Bowes (Poingdestre) MacMillan — married 24 Oct 1868 in Queensland, Australia

Descendants

Died 8 Oct 1905 at age 64 in Ayr, Queensland, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Urquhart [send private message]

Biography

Archibald MacMillan was an Australian explorer.

Archibald MacMillan was born in Scotland.

Archibald Campbell MacMillan was born at Oban, Scotland, in 1840, the son of John Campbell MacMillan and Jane Campbell.

He arrived in Australia in 1863, at the age of 23 years. ^[1]

Archibald Campbell MacMillan married Laura Bowes Poingdestre at Mackay, in the Colony of Queensland, on the 24th of October 1868^[2].

They had seven children:

1. Archibald C b Mackay.
2. John Byerly b Bowen.
3. Murdoch Lyndon b Bowen, "Lornesleigh".
4. Eric Poingdestre b Bowen
5. Mary Eleanor b Ayr.
6. Norman Graham b Ayr.
7. Robert Francis b Ayr.

Archibald MacMillan, road engineer, later a cattleman, saw the possibilities for pumping water, floated the Burdekin Delta Sugar Company, with R. W. Graham, in 1879 with capital of £150,000, introduced Steam Ploughs to circumvent the problem of breaking up the loamy soil, grew the first Sugar Cane in the district and built the first Sugar Mill in the Burdekin on his plantation at Airdmillan in 1883. It crushed for two seasons. In 1888, the first sugar was made in the district.

In 1873, the MacMillan's were living at "Lornesleigh". In 1881, Archibald moved his family from Bowen, to the Burdekin, as completion of his Airdmillan Sugar Mill neared its fruition, and began growing 1500 acres of Sugar-Cane. "Airdmillan Plantation" consisted of 20,000 acres freehold and a large area of leasehold land, 5,000 head of cattle and 300 horses, including show horses.^[1]

Tennis at "Airdmillan"

On Tuesday the 29th of August 1882, A.C. MacMillan purchased Lot No 48 in Ayr, for £ 8.^[1]

When the Sugar Mill closed, he turned to grazing cattle and formed the Burdekin Delta Butchering Company in 1889.

Macmillan also served as returning member on the Local Government board, and the Shire Council.

Archibald Campbell MacMillan passed away at his property at Airdmillan, near Ayr, Queensland, Australia on the 8th of October 1905, ^[3][4][5] aged 65 years, and was laid to rest on the 9th October in the West End Cemetery in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.^[6]
Airdmillan Locomotive

• Preserved Locomotives
• The Loco named Airdmillan

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "UQ Espace". 2021. Espace.Library.Uq.Edu.Au. Fox, Matthew J. (1923). The History of Queensland : its people and industries : an historical and commercial review descriptive and biographical facts, figures and illustrations : an epitome of progress. Brisbane: States Publishing Company.Full Set (See pdf download 3c, pps 375-80, Archibald MacMillan, Murdoch MacMillan, Edward Mytton)
2. ↑ Queensland BMD Marriage Index Marriage Registration: Archibald Campbell Macmillan; Marriage date: 24/10/1868; Spouse's name: Laura Bowes Poingdestre; Registration details: 1868/C/13. accessed 3 Sep 2019, Qld BMD.
3. ↑ Queensland Death Index, Ref:1905C4234; Archibald Campbell Macmillan s/o John Campbell Macmillan & Jane Campbell
4. ↑ Queensland Death Registration-FHR: Archibald Campbell Macmillan; Death date: 08/10/1905; Mother's name: Jane Macmillan; Father/parent's name: John Campbell Macmillan; Registration details: 1905/C/4234, accessed 3 Sep 2019, Qld BMD.
5. ↑ See Archibald's Obituary, Findagrave, Mackay Mercury, Tuesday 10th Ocober 1905.
6. ↑ "Australia Cemetery Inscriptions, 1802-2005," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WT-Q8NM : 17 March 2018), Arch Campbell Mcmillan, 08 Oct 1905; from "Australia, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1802-2005," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : n.d.) citing Death, citing Jim and Alison Rogers : n.d. Various cemeteries, Australia; FHL microfilm .

See Also:

• Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 03 September 2019), memorial page for Archibald Campbell Macmillan (unknown–1905), Find A Grave: Memorial #195478474, citing Oban Parish Churchyard, Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland ; Maintained by Lost Ancestors (contributor 48778889) .
• Airdmillan, QueenslandWikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed December 27, 2020).
• Qld Sugar Mills
• Federation Drought
• MR AND MRS ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL MACMILLAN. - Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954) - 9 Jan 1930". 2020. Trove.>Trove Newspaper Article
• Graces Guide Article on AC MacMillan
• Trove Newspaper Article, Airdmillan Plantation
• Trove Article, Short history of the Burdekin
• Townsville City Council Website page cemeteries.
• "Queensland Journey : C. B. Christesen : Free Download, Borrow, And Streaming : Internet Archive". 2021. Internet Archive. Ayr, Queensland
• "Slater's Queensland Almanac 1874 : George Slater : Free Download, Borrow, And Streaming : Internet Archive". 2021. Internet Archive. 1874 Almanac
• "Slater's Queensland Almanac 1885 : Gordon & Gotch : Free Download, Borrow, And Streaming : Internet Archive". 2021. Internet Archive. 1885 Almanac

Acknowledgements

• Burdekin Shire Council for the Image of Archibald Macmillan.