Niel Black


Niel Black was an Australian colonial pastoralist and politician, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

Biography

Black was born at Kilbridemore, Cowal, Argyleshire, Scotland, the son of Archibald Black, a farmer, and his wife Janet, née Macchananaich.His native language is Gaelic but he is also fluent in English.
Black sailed to Australia on board the Ariadne and docked in Port Adelaide in 1839. He has the idea of investing in Australian pastoral properties with his partner Mr Alexander Struthers Finlay, of Castle Toward, Argyleshire, Mr Thomas Steuart Gladstone, of , Dumfriesshire and Mr William Steuart of Glenormiston, Peeblesshire, Scotland, he realised the land was too dear in Adelaide and visited Melbourne and Sydney. He decided to settle in Port Phillip because he felt it was more of a “Scotch settlement”.
He purchased a 17,612 hectare run near Lake Terang in the Western District which he named 'Glenormiston' in 1840. He also bought a run nearby called 'The Sisters' in 1844. The partnership, which was highly remunerative after 1846, continued until 1868 when the property was divided. Black bought Gladstone's portion, now known as Mount Noorat, and resided on it until his death on 15 May 1880.
In the 1850s Black visited Scotland again, he lived there for five years and found a bride, Grace Greenshields Leadbetter. They were married in 1857. Black and his wife had three sons, Archibald John, Steuart Gladstone and Niel Walter.
He represented the Western Province from February 1859 to May 1880 in the Legislative Council, and was also a magistrate for the southern bailiwick. As a politician he was a staunch Conservative, and opposed the introduction of free education.

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