Dugald McPherson
A
fascinating combination of regalia and history found on
www.museumvictoria.com.au
Summary:
Scottish regalia kit in a velvet-lined wooden
trunk, brought to Australia by Dugald McPherson (1820-1901), who
arrived in Victoria in 1840 aged 20 with his brother Peter,
bringing with him a trunk of Scottish regalia. The trunk contained
at the time of donation to Museum Victoria:
McPherson hunting tartan (kilt)
Shawl
Glengarry (highland cap)
Glengarry (highland cap)
Dirk & sheath, bearing McPherson crest
(cat), cairngorm stone in hilt
Dirk & sheath with knife & fork in
sheath, cairngorm stone in hilt
Sgian dhu (ceremonial dagger) & sheath with
crest
Broadsword with leather grip & ironwork
knuckleguard with crest, in scabbard (chape missing)
Shoulder brooch with thistle design & large
cairngorm in centre
Belt with buckle
Belt with buckle
Belt
Shoe buckle
Shoe buckle
Buckle with full crest with cat & slogan
'touch not the cat but the glove'.
The kit may have originally contained other
objects, since many of the compartments in the trunk do not fit the
objects acquired by the Museum.
Dugald McPherson was a pioneer squatter who
first settled at Ballan, north-west of Melbourne, and subsequently
developed huge landholdings in north-western Victoria, New South
Wales and Queensland. A stalwart of the Scottish immigrant
community, Dugald was chief of the Highland Society of Ballarat and
an elder of the Presbyterian Church. With other wealthy
pastoralists, he later helped form the Australian Club in William
Street.
Dugald's mother had been a McKellar, with later
family connections to the Western District. Dugald's second son
Arthur married Annie Fawkner, a daughter of John Fawkner. In 1861,
William Wills, father of William John Wills of Burke & Wills
fame, stayed briefly with Dugald during the agonizing wait for his
missing son.
The regalia was passed onto Dugald's youngest son John (aka Jack).
It was subsequently passed to Dugald's great-great-granddaughter,
Hope Macpherson, a long-time employee of Museum Victoria. Hope says
that the family remembered Dugald as very interested in his
Scottish heritage and 'land-hungry'. A revolver also apparently
used by Dugald is also held in Museum Victoria's collection.
Description:
Large rectangular wooden trunk with hinged lid,
and lined with velvet. Contains
a shelf divided into
compartments for specific parts of the kit, including a sword,
knives and belts. The shelf lifts out to reveal an undivided
storage area, probably used to store the kilt and sash. The trunk
has a lock at the centre front, a swinging brass catch at each
corner at the front, dovetail joints and three brass hinges.
Acquisition Information:
Donation from Miss Hope Macpherson - National
Museum of Victoria, 1962
Discipline: Technology
Dimensions: 19.5 cm (Height), 42 cm (Width),
109 cm (Length)