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Death of Mr. George
Riddoch.
A NOTABLE COLONIST PASSES.
The death of Mr. George Riddoch,
proprietor of Koorine Estate, which
occurred at his residence, Koorine, on
Wednesday forenoon, removes another
of the sturdy, energetic, and success-
ful pioneers of the South-East. His
death, whilst it will cause regret
among all who were privileged to en-
joy his acquaintance, will occasion no
surprise to many. For some time Mr.
Riddoch was in weak health, and for
over a year he had been steadily fail-
ing. He had reached his 77th year.
Mr. Riddoch was born at Turriff, a
small town to Aberdeenshire, on Aug-
ust 10, 1842, his parents being Mr. and
Mrs. John and Helen Riddoch, of that
place. He came with his parents and
the rest of their family to Geelong, in
1851, and received his education at Mr.
Ross's High School there. In 1861 he
came to South Australia, a smart intel-
ligent young man of 19 years, and soon
afterwards was appointed to the man-
agership of the Yallum Estate, at
Penola, which had been purchased by
his brother, the late Mr. John Riddoch.
Realising the primary importance of
stock-breeding and stock-keeping
among the industries of Australia, he
put his whole attention into it, and
under the guidance of the late Mr.
Wade, who was an English expert in
all matters appertaining to wool, he
made rapid progress in the line he had
chosen. He managed the estate with
much ability and success, and improv-
ed the character of the stock so much
that the Yallum merinos became fam-
ous over the South-East and Western
District of Victoria. Later on, in con-
nection with his brother, he became
part owner of Nalang Estate, near
Border Town, Glencoe Estate, and the
Weinteriga Station, on the River Dar-
ling.
On the death of Mr. John Riddoch
several of the joint possessions were
disposed of. The Nalang Estate was
sold in 1898, and a greater part of the
Glencoe Estate later on in farm blocks,
for closer settlement. Mr. George Rid-
doch retained some 26,000 acres, which
formed a new estate, to which he gave
the name of Koorine, which was the
native name for "My Daughter." Later
still the Weinteriga Station was also
sold. In the management of these var-
ious properties, separated by long dis-
tances, and subject to great variations
of climate, Mr. Riddoch led a busy life,
and did an immense amount of travel-
ling. This enabled him to acquire an
intimate knowledge of the capabilities
of the sheep country in Australia, and
his connection with Weinteriga gave
him opportunity to gather much in-
formation on the rivers' question. About
14 years ago, when on a tour through
India, Europe, and America, he was
given a commission by the South Aus-
tralian Government to enquire into the
irrigation schemes of India, America,
and Egypt, on which he afterwards
wrote valuable reports. These were
published in pamphlet form, and are
considered of much value.
Mr. Riddoch was the right type of
landowner. He did not allow his fine
estate of Koorine, to remain in its
natural condition. With the object of
raising it to its highest capabilities for
stock-feeding, he had it cleared of
fallen timber, and spent large sums in
draining it where necessary, and while
doing that was improving the stock. In
the 18 years since he took up his resi-
dence at Koorine he spared no expense
nor trouble to build up a type of sheep
adapted to the country. He succeeded
in doing so by a judicious infusion of
Lincoln and Ronmey Marsh into his
merino flocks. Though a keen breeder
of high-class merino sheep he realised
that a strain of more robust sheep
would mean better all round profits,
and he acted accordingly. He also in-
troduced a first-rate strain of Here-
ford cattle, and for years the Koorine
herd more than held its own in the
shows of the district, and in the fat
stock market. He also experimented
in dairying and other farming, and the
growing of grasses, and for some years
associated himself with farmers on the
share system. There are a good many,
not only in the Kalangadoo district but
elsewhere who have profited very much
by Mr. Riddoch's efforts in that way.
Mr. Riddoch took an active part for
over half a century in the public life of
the State and the South-East. In 1893
he was elected a representative of the
District of Victoria in the House of As-
sembly, and remained in that office till
1897. In the election, of 1901 he was
returned as a representative of the
Southern District in the Legislative
Council, his colleagues being the Hons.
J. L. Stirling, Sir E. T. Smith, J. H.
Gordon, A. von Doussa, and A. W.
Sandford. He was not a wordy mem-
ber who spoke on every subject that
was brought forward, but his speeches
were always marked by a thorough
knowledge of his subject gained by
personal experience, particularly when
dealing with pastoral and agricultural
matters, irrigation and reclamation
schemes, and general politics. He was
always ready to give the public gener-
ally or individually the benefit of his
wide range of information, and al-
ways took a progressive view of things,
tempered with that reasonable cau-
tion, which is usually an accompani-
ment of common sense, and leads to
success. Although he possessed strong
convictions, and candidly expressed
them when necessary, he was ever tol-
erant of the opinions of others, and
was courteous and considerate in de-
bate. During his short period as leg-
islator he did a great deal of useful
work. He was mainly responsible for
example, for the establishment of the
State Produce Export Department. He
represented the district in the Legis-
lative Council till 1910, a period of ten
years, when he withdrew from Parli-
amentary life.
Apart from his legislative services,
he was a most valuable resident of the
South-East. He was concerned in al-
most every movement of any magni-
tude for the progress of the district,
and a list of his benefactions would
be hard to make up, for many of them
were given in secret. Among them
may be mentioned his presentation of
the grandstand on the Mount Gambier
show ground, his gift of £125 for the
Caledonian Hall, and his gift of a fine
painting to the State National Gallery.
He was a member of the old South-
Eastern Road Board years before he
entered Parliament, and did good ser-
vice with that body. He was after-
wards associated with the New South
Wales Sheep and Vermin Board; was
one of the founders of the S.A. Pas-
toralists' Association, and one of its
earliest vice-presidents and afterwards
president; was president of the Mount
Gambier Agricultural and Horticul-
tural Society; was for two years Chief
of the Mount Gambier Caledonian So-
ciety; and was connected with many
other district movements and societies.
He was appointed a Justice of the
Peace in South Australia in 1866, and
in New South Wales in 1880. He was
also a member of the Mount Gambier
Lodge of Freemasons.
In 1873 Mr. Riddoch was married to
Miss Anne Eliza Wilson, daughter of
the Rev. James Y. Wilson (Church of
England), of Portland, Vic., by whom he
had one daughter (Adelaide Mary).
Miss Riddoch married in 1898 Captain
George F. Napier, of the 2nd Oxford
light Infantry, and she died in 1904.
She left one daughter (Adelaide Beat-
rice), who was born in 1899, and who has
been residing with her grandfather for
some time, and has brightened and
cheered him in his declining years.
Mrs. Riddoch died on March 3, 1914.
The remains, of the deceased were
brought from Kalangadoo by special
train to-day. The funeral left the rail-
way station at 3.30 p.m. for the Mount
Gambier Cemetery. Mr. G. Lewis was
director, and there was a long proces-
sion to the place of interment. Many
floral offerings of respect were received
including a wreath from the Mount
Gambier Caledonian Society, and two
from Dalgety & Co., Ltd. (one from the
Adelaide office and one from that at
Mount Gambier). The last services at
the graveside were conducted by the
Rev. D. A. Souter, of Penola. The
bearers were present and past em-
ployees of Koorine, namely, Messrs. M.,
W., and H. Rogers, W. and G. Lowe,
and W. Ingham. The Worshipful
Master (Mr. J. J. Harrington) and of-
ficers of the Mount Gambier Masonic
Lodge attended in a body as a token of
respect for their late brother.
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