Archibald Melrose MacDiarmid

Born in 1898, Archibald Melrose MacDiarmid died as an infant from diphtheria in 1899 at Rosebank Mt Pleasant, the home of his grandfather, George Melrose. His father was Archibald MacDiarmid (born 1849) and mother  Elizabeth MacDiarmid, (1853) formerly Murray nee Melrose. They married in 1890 and had both been widowed. 

Archibald MacDiarmid Snr, was first married to Margaret Turnbull and their only child, Mary was born in 1882. Margaret died only a few weeks later, aged 26 years. Elizabeth Melrose married John Murray in 1877 and they had four sons, Alexander, George, Malcolm and Stanley. John Murray died in 1885 at the age of 35. In the photo below (from left to right) the family members are Elizabeth’s son Stanley Murray (later Sir Stanley) Archibald’s daughter Mary, Elizabeth holding baby Archibald, Archibald MacDiarmid Snr, and their older son Finlay MacDiarmid born in 1891. 

The MacDiarmids left South Australia and established a property called Burra in New South Wales near Canberra.

The cross and gravestone of Archibald Melrose MacDiarmid were retrieved from the Cheltenham Cemetery, Adelaide and relocated to South Rhine.

Hugh MacDiarmid

Hugh MacDiarmid, grandson of Archibald and Elizabeth MacDiarmid, and son of Finlay MacDiarmid, was born and raised on the family property, Burra. He married Maureen Jones / Herring who was the daughter of May Herring nee Jones, at Minlaton after meeting in Queensland during WWII. They had two children, Robert and Christina.

Hugh was a wool buyer on the east coast of Australia and later an advisor to the Government on the wool industry. Maureen, born in 1923,  grew up at Minlaton and during WWII she worked in Brisbane in a secret unit of women who decrypted intercepted messages of the Imperial Japanese Army. These became known as  the “Garage Girls”.  Hugh and Maureen’s daughter, Christina, was a senior English teacher of significance.

Hugh MacDiarmid died  29 August 1990 aged 66 years.
Maureen MacDiarmid died 25 February 2005 aged 81 years.
Christina MacDiarmid died 18  May 2002 aged 52 years.