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Hi, JMB  and Agnes’s Budge are my great-great grandparents on my mother’s side. John was highly educated, he went to the burgh school followed by 5 years at the classical school and when finished he started work at the legal firm of Smith & Cagney. After 3 years of law he left with his wife for America to sort out family estates in Virginia. On completing that family task, I believe it was for the Budge family connections. They returned to Dundee where John took over his father-in-laws auctioneer and valuer business. He became a well respected member of the Dundee society, became the Commissioner of Police, a member of the Dundee council, a member of the Dundee Grammar School board and a noted writer with his articles being printed in newspapers and journals. He died at St Andrew’s and was buried with one of his granddaughters, unfortunately the grave is unmarked. His son, my great grandfather John McLean Beatts married Christina Lawson and worked for a time in and around the Liverpool docks in sales of jute bags. He learnt Chinese at the docks to add to his education as an accountant or bookkeeper. He fell on hard times so took his family back to Dundee and sailed to different ports buying goods to sell back in Scotland. He eventually settled in Halifax, Queensland, Australia where he purchased land to grow sugar cane, which he called “restview”. He sent for his wife, Christina Lawson, son John Leyland Beatts and daughters Agness Lizzie, Christina and Isabella Lawson.  Hope this helps?

While being processed through immigration he met Augusta Petrine Pedersen, a Norwegian girl who had just arrived in Australia from Oslo. She was born in 1853 at Christiania. Norway. Augusta was travelling with Mr John Alm and his future bride Ann Pretorius.
Harald and Augusta married on 17th April 1872 and made their way north to the Herbert River district to work on land taken up by Mr William Hull of Blackrock. Here they grew tobacco but were unsuccessful. Harald then took up contract fencing with a partner, John Alm. He continuer contract fencing until 1876 when he moved to Ripple Creek where he cleared scrub on property belonging to Mr Arnott for the purpose of growing sugar cane. 1880 Harald took up land at Gentle Annie Creek and established his own cane farm with wife Augusta and their children. He called his farm Rest Downs which was situated at Mona Landing.
1881 Harald was instrumental in forming the Planters Club, a group representing the independent cane growers which later became the Australian Sugar Producers Association. He was the architect of the early Church of England church in Halifax and also the construction of the first school.
1888 the family left Gentle Annie and moved to the Atherton Tablelands area. Between January and July 1892 Harald disappeared and was not present at the birth of his last child.  I believe he traveled to New Guinea and the Pacific Islands in search of new varieties of Sugar Cane and tropical fruits.

Could you list John McInnes's siblings so I can check them with my records and try to find the link. His obituary mentions a number of brothers and that he came from the Clarence River area where he delivered meat. He also owned race horses in Townsville and raced them in South Africa.
Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you everyone who has contributed to my quest!
If you find any more info please post it for me, I certainly have a bit to go through.

From marriage certificate - Donald married Mary Fredrica Slattery at St Joseph's Presbytery, Townsville on 2nd August 1911. # status - bachelor. # birthplace - Taree Estates, NSW. # Occupation - Exporter. # fathers Name - John McInnes. (occupation - Farmer)# Mothers Name - Mary McPherson
From his death notice in the Townsville Daily bulletin on Monday 9th June 1945 - The death occurred in Townsville on Sunday night of Mr. Donald McInnes, In his 80th year and North Queensland -lost one of its most colorful characters. Generous to a fault, he will be missed by a circle of friends who are scattered all over Australia.
Don-McInnes was a native of New South Wales. He was born at Taree, on the Manning River, and. was one of a family of eleven children— ten sons and one daughter. After leaving school he took up butchering and worked at Lismore, where he delivered meat to farms on the Clarence River by punt, and took produce back to the town.
THE LATE Mr. MclNNES
Gold was being found in various places in West Australia, and young, McInnes went there, and supplied meat to -the diggers. Then he went across to the Rand, in South Africa. When the Boer War broke out he engaged, in the import of horses from Australia, and he also imported huge numbers of cattle and sheep. His activities brought him much success. He took an Interest in racing, and /often told of his disgust at losing a Johannesburg Cup— because the judge did not see the Mc Innes colors out wide under the box. From South Africa, Mr. McInnes went to the Philippine Islands. He opened a horse bazaar In Manila and did a steady trade In Stock imported from Australia, mostly from Townsville, where the late Mr. Jack Fanning selected many horses and ponies for him. Every trip to the East the old Taiyuan and Changaha carried stock from Townsville to Manila for the McInnes bazaar. It was in 1909 that Mr. McInnes came to Townsville. He had met with an accident, and broken a leg, and it was still in splints when he boarded the steamer In Manila. When he was well again he conducted his horse shipping business from North Queensland. He acquired a large area of land at Rosslea Estate, and built a comfort able home on the bank of Ross River. His holding included the present golf links and much other land, which was later cut up into blocks and built upon. It was natural for a man with his interests to become interested in Townsville racing. He raced several horses at Cluden, but saw the possibilities of race promotion himself and ran unregistered racing at Cleveland. Going back to the registered ranks, Mr. Mclnnes raced at Cluden again, and also became a bookmaker. He was very successful and built fine premises in Flinders Street, where he announced himself as 'the right man on the wrong side.'

Donald had died before I met and married his grand-daughter Anne but Nana Mary lived until she was 103. Anne and I had a lot to do with Nana Mary but she never revealed much of her husbands life before they married. Don was 37 and Mary 17 when they married.