Robert Thomson Melrose


Robert Thomson Melrose was a pastoralist and politician in South Australia.

History

Melrose's parents George Melrose and Euphemia, née Thomson, left Balerno, Scotland, on the Palmyra, arriving in 1839. George established a sheep run at Macclesfield with Walter W. Hughes, later settled at Mount Pleasant.
Robert was educated at Prince Alfred College, then settled on the family property "Rosebank", of at Mount Pleasant, where he was a very successful breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle and Merino sheep, and was involved in extensive tree planting.
He was a director of Elder, Smith & Co., Ltd., and from 1917 until his death was a longtime member of the Stockowners' Association and the Agricultural and Horticultural Society and its president 1919–1920.
He was chairman of the Anti-Cancer Campaign at the Adelaide University and on the board of the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
He was a keen golfer.

Politics

Melrose was a member of the Legislative Council from 1921 to 1927.

Family

Robert T. Melrose was a second generation member of a large and influential South Australian family founded by George Melrose.
He was married, leaving a widow, Gwendoline Grace Melrose. They had no children.