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Hello Jeanne,
Thank you so much for posting the photo of my GGGG Grandfather William Acton's home.  Now I completely understand why one of my younger Acton cousins who is an Engineer (typical profession for an Acton) builds Palladian homes in Victoria.  We all love this architectural style.  I will now send this photo to all my cousins. You have made some very senior Actons in their eighties and nineties very happy.  We are all in Australia.
Regards,
Christine

Hello DOBlake.
Thank you for your interesting post.  I represent the Australian branch of the Buchanans, with my GGGrandfather James's sister Jane marrying Robert Sherrard.  To be honest, I do not know whether you are related.  On our side, as well as the side who immigrated to America, there is no David known as a name in the following generations.  I cannot speak for anyone in Ireland.
Where I have researched since last posting information relates to trying to get back to Scotland.  There is an interesting article written by a William Charles Reid in America.  Look it up on Google.  It is titled 'The Reids of Centreville, New Brunswick'.  It discusses a marriage between an Elizabeth Buchanan to a Reid, and that the Buchanans were in Northern Ireland at around 1789.  This fits, as my James Buchanan's father was born in Landaire (a corruption in spelling of Londonderry in about 1799-1801.  A relative in America has his year of birth as 1799). 
I believe, but have not confirmed, that this Reid family is related to our Buchanans.  My James Buchanan took out land in Trewalla near Beaufort in 1865 next to a Robert Buchanan and a George Buchanan. Robert was the father of George.  I am in contact with this Robert's GGranddaughter.  This Robert came to Australia in 1853, at the same time my James arrived in Australia.  This Robert and George immigrated from Dublin, Scotland, although it is not known whether they originated from Dublin.  The connection is that this Buchanan family had a son whom they named Thomas Reid Buchanan.  As far as I understand, this Robert Buchanan was related to my James Buchanan as a cousin.  Certainly, my Buchanan relatives had contact with cousins in Scotland until the late 1950s/early 1960s.  It is the Reid connection which links my Buchanans to Magheramore and Tamnaherin.   I have also ascertained that my James Buchanan was born at Highmoor, Slaughtmanus.  My Buchanans were definitely at Highmoor in 1825, and most likely there in 1820.
The problem with your David Joseph Buchanan in my branch of the family is the middle name Joseph. Due to the sentiments expressed in those days in my branch of the family, it is unlikely that there would be anyone in the family with the name Joseph. 
I have isolated a relative in Magheramore and have his phone number.  This is my next step.  I tried to phone a last weekend, but I had the wrong area code.  I am not familiar with Ireland.  After that, I will be purchasing a month's worth of the Irish records and simply applying for any likely death certificate for a William Buchanan, husband of Mary Norris, who was the father of James, William, Elizabeth, Jane and the elusive Robert born c.1820.  In the listings I have seen so far, there are about three William Buchanans who are potential candidates. The Buchanans live a long time.
I am interested to know which photos have similarities with your family of Buchanans.  James and William Buchanan, the brothers who came to Australia, looked very different to each other.  Some of William's children look a lot like his wife Matilda's family who came from Manchester.
I wish I could help you otherwise.  If I find anything at all, even in the long term future, I will certainly be posting this information.

Thank you Ian,
William Buchanan was baptised on 22 September 1832 in Cumber Lower Parish in Londonderry. His parents lived at Highmoor in Cumber Lower Parish.
Did you see the photos of William I posted a couple of weeks ago?  Unfortunately, some of them don't scan too well at all.  I usually have them copied on special equipment from prints I have and they copy beautifully. 
Please take your time with this. The information about William, Matilda, James, the McGuire, Agnew, and Jones families from Beaufort is very complex to sort out.  They were all interrelated in Beaufort, either as relatives or neighbours.
I am the GG Granddaughter of James Buchanan.   I will post more info on William and Matilda soon.  I remember Matilda's father being a Miner which was a very good reason for him to leave Manchester.  There were a lot of children in her family.  I have some vague memory of one of William and Matilda's children moving to Queensland. You may know more.

Hello Ian and thank you for your information. 
I also had William coming to Australia in 1857 on the Melbourne, but was not certain whether it was him.  William's photo has always had the date 1856 on it. Here is William's obituary

We regret to record the death of Mr. William Buchanan one of the pioneer businessmen of Beaufort. The sad event took place at his residence in Market Square on Easter Monday.  He was a resident of this town for over 60 years and a Victorian colonist for 67 years.  He had reached the ripe age of 88 years and death was due to senile asthemia.  He retained all his faculties to the last and until a few weeks ago was an active man for his years.  The late Mr. Buchanan as a native of Slough Manus Londonderry Ireland and landed in Victoria in 1856 being attracted by the goldfields like many of his enterprising compatriots.  For many years he was in business as a blacksmith and the establishment is still being carried on by his sons. Deceased was respected by all who knew him or had business dealings with him and was a capable tradesman.  He was of a kindly disposition and endowed with a ready wit and keen sense of humour.  He was married in Ballarat when 35 years of age and his wife predeceased on three months ago. The deceased leaves two sons and three daughters to mourn their loss. The sons are Messrs. ES and HJ Buchanan (Beaufort) and his daughters Mesdames W Ballantyne (who resides in the Mallee) TE Sands (Clyde) and W Johnston (Melbourne). the funeral took place on  Tuesday and was attended by many representative residents of the town and district the remains being interred in the Beaufort Cemetery. The coffin-bearers were Messrs. G Pringle, WJ Stevenson, R Ward and Wm. Miller the pall-bearers being Messrs. GH Cougle, JB Cochran, Jas, Prentice C Morvill, W Dixon and A Duncan. The Presbyterian burial service was read by the Rev. JP McDougall MA and the IOR service by Mr. Geo. PRingle (Sec. of the local Tent) Messrs Sands and Johnsons undertakers Beaufort carried out the mortuary arrangements.

I also have a lot of information on Matilda.  It is the oddest coincidence that Matilda was a cousin of John McGuire who was James Buchanan's wife Mary McGuire's father.  John McGuire and his wife Anne (Nancy) and their children lived at Waterloo. Matilda came from either Salford in Manchester or from the next suburb.  Both John McGuire and either Matilda, or her cousin Matilda, lived at 3 Greengate Street, Salford. John McGuire was living on Greengate Street, Salford as well.  I wonder whether you know anything about the McGuires and the Waltons in Salford and Liverpool?  It was through Matilda Buchanan that James Buchanan met his wife Mary McGuire.  I have Matilda's sister Emma's marriage certificate, kindly given to me by another relative.  Your dear William Buchanan was a tea totaller and very involved in the Presbyterian church. 

William's oldest son William jnr went to the Boer War and died only a few years afterwards. He was totally broken in his health. Now I do remember some of William's children's families ending up in Violet Town.  Do you know whether the George Buchanan in Beaufort at that time was a relative?  He ended up in Violet Town as well.  William's family in Beaufort were very well respected.  The house William and Matilda lived in is still there, although it has been altered quite a bit.  His son Ernest's home is still there as well and quite unaltered. It needs renovation.

Do you know from where the Buchanans came in Scotland.  I know they came from somewhere around Loch Lomond, but I don't know the name of the town.  Actually, one of James Buchanan's grandsons married a Kerr from Victoria.  It is such a pity that this information about Scotland seems to be missing from the family history.  I know it is there somewhere. I just have to find it. I am waiting for information from my senior cousin.  Maybe someone in your side of the family knows.