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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chlann ʼic Coinnich na Cùile agus mun Ridire Seòras Stiùbhart MacCoinnich. ʼS e Seòras a thog Taigh mòr na Cùile ann an Cunndainn ann an ochd ceud deug, fichead ʼs a h-aon (1821). Tha e a-nise na thaigh-òsta air a bheil Coul House Hotel. Phòs Seòras dà thuras. Bha aon duine deug de chloinn aige.

B’ e an ceathramh mac aige Raibeart Ramsay MacCoinnich. Rugadh e anns a’ Chùil. Aig aois fichead rinn e eilthireachd a Chuimrigh Nuadh a Deas ann an Astràilia. Bha a bhràthair Seumas ann mu thràth.

Cheannaich Raibeart agus Seumas tuathanas còmhla. Ach cha deach gu math leotha. Fhuair Raibeart tuilleadh airgid bhon teaghlach aige ann an Alba. 

Cha do rinn e adhartas, ge-tà. Chaidh a chomharrachadh mar bhanca-briste ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a ceithir (1844). 

Aig deireadh nan caogadan, bha Raibeart a’ fuireach ann an ceann a tuath Cuimrigh Nuadh a Deas. Chaidh tuineachadh ùr a dhèanamh an sin – Tìr na Banrigh. Chaidh Raibeart an sàs ann am poilitigs. Bha e na Ionmhasair aig an riaghaltas. Cha robh sin dona airson fear a bha banca-briste beagan bhliadhnaichean roimhe!

Dh’èirich e gu bhith na Phrìomhaire ann an Tìr na Banrigh ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad ʼs a seachd (1867). Bha e anns an dreuchd airson dìreach sia mìosan deug. Fhuair e an tighearnas, no baronetcy, nuair a chaochail a bhràthair Uilleam. Thill e a dh’fhuireach ann an Alba ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a h-aon (1871).

Bha mi a’ beachdachadh air ainmean-àite le Mackenzie annta. Ann an Tìr na Banrigh, tha Mackenzie, fo-bhaile ann am Brisbane. Agus tha sgìre Mackenzie ann – ann an roinn dhen stàite ris an canar Central Highlands. Tha sin iomchaidh!

Tha an t-ainm a’ tighinn bhon abhainn, the Mackenzie River. Chaidh a h-ainmeachadh leis an neach-rannsachaidh, Ludwig Leichhardt, an dèidh a charaid, Eòghan MacCoinnich à Kilcoy Station. Bhuineadh Eòghan do Chùil Challaidh – Kilcoy – ann an Ros an Ear ann an Alba. 

Agus Mackenzie ann am Brisbane? Chaidh ainmeachadh an dèidh a’ Chòirneil W MacCoinnich a bha a’ fàs siùcar ann.

I was telling you about the Mackenzies of Coul and Sir George Steuart Mackenzie. It’s Sir George that built Coul House in Contin in 1821. It’s now a hotel called Coul House Hotel. George married twice. He had eleven children.

His fourth son was Robert Ramsay Mackenzie. He was born in Coul. At the age of twenty he emigrated to New South Wales in Australia. His brother James was already there. 

Robert and James bought a farm together. But they weren’t successful. Robert got more money from his family in Scotland.

He didn’t make progress, however. He was declared bankrupt in 1844.

At the end of the fifties, Robert was living in the north of New South Wales. A new colony was created there – Queensland. Robert got involved in politics. He was the government’s Treasurer. That wasn’t bad for a man who was bankrupt a few years before!

He rose to become Premier in Queensland in 1867. He was in post for only sixteen months. He got the baronetcy when his brother William died. He returned to live in Scotland in 1871.

I was considering place names containing MacKenzie. In Queensland, Mackenzie is a suburb in Brisbane. And there is the area of Mackenzie – in a division of the state known as Central Highlands. That’s fitting!

The name comes from the river, the Mackenzie River. It was named by the explorer, Ludwig Leichhardt, after his friend Evan Mackenzie from Kilcoy Station. Evan belonged to Kilcoy in Easter Ross in Scotland.

And Mackenzie in Brisbane? It was named after Colonel W Mackenzie who was growing sugar there.