Dear Diary

In 1848 Marion McLean’s family set off on a journey. It was not their first trek. When she was three they had sailed from Skye to Sydney, New South Wales. Immediately after that, the family headed overland where her shepherd father would work on a pastoral station.

Over the next ten years the family grew to have six children and Malcolm McLean had worked as an overseer on at least three stations on the New England Tableland, an area which was not recognised as an area of legal settlement.

Marion’s youngest sibling, James, was baptised in early April.  The family appears to have left Bolivia Station quite soon after this. This journey may have been planned much earlier, but departure delayed because of mother Margaret’s pregnancy.

Marion decided to record her coming experiences in a diary. The diary survived for one hundred years, but by then it must have deteriorated consdierably. When her old home was sold, many of the older belongings were discarded. There must have been debate about whether to dispose of the diary as many family members tell the same story. This is that in the end, the diary was labeled a dirty old thing and was destroyed. Of what possible use could it be?

Fortunately Marion shared her stories with others and so some of her memories are recorded in other places.

Over time I will share these memories and other stories about her and her family.