Famous Scots and their Impact on the Empire

1. Australia

1.1. John MacArthur emigrated as a soldier and was given duties at Botany Bay in 1789. He created his first farm settlement, Elizabeth Farm, which was named after his wife and is still in use today. He introduced merino sheep, which made Australia the world’s biggest producer of wool.

1.2. Robert McCracken emigrated from Girvan to Australia in 1840. He established a brewing industry in Melbourne in 1851. He was determined to create quality beer using scientific techniques, even employing a bio-chemist. The business expanded greatly in the 1870s and by 1884, they were producing approximately 100,000 barrels per year.

2. Canada

2.1. Allan Gilmour emigrated from Glasgow to Canada in the early 1800s. He was a very successful businessman in Canada, his business including timber and ship yards. The large ships that he designed and built made his company a fortune in the 1830s and 1840s.

2.2. George Stephen emigrated from near Banff to Canada in 1850. He helped to establish and run the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the 1880s, and was also successful in the banking sector which financially aided his railroad empire.

3. USA

3.1. George Smith emigrated from Aberdeen to Chicago in the 1830s. He developed banking institutions in Wisconsin and Illinois. In the 1840s and 1850s he was the most successful banker in the Chicago area.

3.2. Peter Donahue emigrated to California in 1849. He established iron and gas works near San Francisco. In 1860 he created the San Francisco-San Jose Railroad and laid the foundations for the Northwestern Pacific Railroad in the 1870s.

4. New Zealand

4.1. Peter Fraser emigrated from Tain to Auckland in 1910. He was an important politician who helped to found the New Zealand Labour Party in 1916 - he was elected as Prime Minister of New Zealand in 1940.