Macdonald, J. H. A. (John Hay Athole), 1836-1919

John Graham Macdonald had many careers during his life including that of explorer, businessman, parliamentary candidate, pioneer pastoralist, magistrate, and Gold Commissioner.

In 1859 Macdonald sold his farm in the Geelong district and headed north to seek his fortune in the new colony of Queensland. Macdonald took up vast tracts in the headwater country of the Einasleigh, the Lynd, and the Burdekin Rivers establishing pastoral properties such as "Inkerman", "Strathbogie", "Dalrymple", "Kirkney", "Leichhardt Downs", "and Carpentaria Downs?.

In 1863 he became a managing partner with Captain Robert Towns of "Towns and Co." Other members of the company included Sir John Robertson, and Sir Alex Stewart. In 1864, on behalf of the firm, he led a party of three men and seventeen horses on an expedition across northern Queensland to explore the Albert and Gregory Rivers. Macdonald kept a journal throughout this expedition, and the following year "Journal of J G Macdonald on an expedition from Port Denison to the Gulf of Carpentaria and back," was published in Brisbane by George Slater, and in Melbourne by G Robertson.

Due to a succession of bad seasons, loss of stock, and depreciation in value of station properties, Macdonald was forced to abandon his holdings in the Gulf Country. In 1872 he went into public service becoming Gold Commissioner at Gilberton on the Etheridge Gold Field, and then was appointed a Police Magistrate, first at Charters Towers, then Springsure, Bowen, Townsville, and Warwick. His last appointment was to South Brisbane in 1904 and from that position he went into retirement in 1905. Macdonald died in 1918 aged 84 years.