The early beginnings

John Paterson (1821-1894) was the nephew of Dr John Rankine, and his brother William Rankine. John Paterson sailed with the Rankine family on board the “Fairfield” from Scotland, arriving at Holdfast Bay in 1839 when John was just 18 years old.

Dr John Rankine’s family came from Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. John Paterson was his uncle’s “right hand” man as cattle properties were established, including Blackwood Park north of Strathalbyn. 

It is generally accepted that John Paterson was the first white man to sleep on the land now known as Strathalbyn Township. That incident took place in 1839 when we was mustering cattle through the town area, and yarded them overnight in temporary yards on the land in front of the Victoria Hotel. 

In the 1840’s John Paterson founded Pitchorum Station near Tailem Bend.  John Paterson was also one of the founders of St Andrews Church in Strathalbyn.   He stayed with Dr Rankine until 1850, and then left for the Bendigo goldfields.

Upon his return in 1852, John Paterson paid £80 to the Crown and was issued the first Land Grant for Section 2742 (today’s Talinga Farm). He subsequently acquired the original Land Grant for Section 2613. However, he was not the original owner of Section 2750 (that Land Grant was taken up by Mr Rowland Nutt), but only 6 months later Mr Nutt sold Section 2750 to John Paterson. In summary, John then owned Section 2742 (today known as Talinga Farm), acquired on 12 February 1852; Section 2613 (on the northern side of the Langhorne Creek Road), acquired on 14 November 1852, and Section 2750 (until recently known as Talinga Grove), acquired on 2 December 1853

Around this time, John Paterson also acquired Sections 802, 803, 804, 809, 810 and 2614. Old timers in the District still refer to the hill which contains these Sections as “Paterson’s Hill”.  These days, Hillside Road dissects the hill. 

John’s uncle William Rankine founded “Woodburn” at Angas Plains.  The Paterson family history recounts that the name “Woodburn” was also John Paterson’s preferred name choice for today’s Talinga Farm. However William prevailed.

John Paterson married Mary McHarg from Finniss in 1850 and they had 8 children whilst living at the Farm, James, Edwin, Sarah, John, Elizabeth, Mary and twins Andrew & William. Mary died of tuberculosis at the age of 39, in 1864, leaving John to look after the 8 children, all under the age of 13.

By 1879 their children had left home, one of the sons having moved to Kaniva. Wishing to be closer to his son, John leased Talinga Farm to Edward Sedunary from Langhorne Creek and moved to Kaniva. At the end of the Lease term, John Paterson then sold the Farm to Donald Gollan for £838 in 1885. However he soon fell ill, and moved to Mitcham in Adelaide for medical care. Once cured, he moved back again to Kaniva, where he died in 1894, and is buried at Horsham Cemetery.