Margaret Guthrie Forrest (1821-1895)

Margaret, born in 1821 to David and Mary Hill, was the first Hill sister to arrive in the Bunbury region with her husband, William Forrest. Margaret was brought up in Dundee, Scotland. Her mother, Mary (nee Campbell) originally came from Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland (reference). Mary’s ancestors were from the black Campbells, a lowland clan of Ayrshire, best known for its treachery in the massacre of the Mcdonald Clan in 1692 (reference, reference). At some stage, Mary moved to Dundee and married David Hill.

Margaret was was 21 years old, and William was three years her senior when they arrived in Western Australia. Their firstborn child, a daughter, Mary, had died in Scotland (reference). Mary gave birth to their eldest son, William, on the voyage out. William had trained as a mechanical engineer and worked as a millwright in Scotland. The Western Australian Company was advertising for people to immigrate and settle in Australind. However, the advertisements portrayed Australind as much more developed than it was, so Margaret and William decided to try their fortunes in the new colony. They came to Australia on the ship "Trusty" and were part of a group organised by Dr Ferguson, also of Dundee, who were granted free passage if they were of good character and behaved well on the voyage. They were also given a mattress for the journey, which they could keep in the new land.

They arrived at their destination on 6 December 1842, after a voyage of 127 days and were consigned to Marshall Waller Clifton, the Western Australian Company's agent. Clifton's home was more of a campsite than a residence at the time, and the new arrivals spent their first night out in the open and the next day endured the heat of the Australian summer under the shade of trees. While most immigrants gave up quickly and moved to other parts of the colony, William and Margaret Forrest stayed in the district. By 1844, William was working on constructing a bridge over the Brunswick River, and by 1845, he had built a windmill for grinding wheat on the bank of the Leschenault Inlet (reference). 

William and Margaret purchased land on the Preston River and set up a water mill on their property. The mill was successful, and William became more involved in the construction of public works. Though their fortunes went up and down, the Forrests gradually increased their landholding and established themselves in the district (reference). 

The number of children in the family also increased, and William and Mary Forrest eventually were the parents of nine boys. Margaret looked after the children and contributed to the family income by drying fruit and sending it to Perth to sell (reference). Sir Paul Hasluck, when researching the senior Forrests, said of Margaret, "Those who remember her speak with affection: 'A very nice homey person... You would never hear her speak bad of anyone. She was very kind. You felt that you liked her and could get on with her at once. She was a wonderful woman in the house, a great manager and level-headed. She used to be good to others in their troubles and never made a fuss about her own. "Sir Paul also added, "The character of both of them, but of Margaret Forrest particularly, was such that, in the district forty years after their death, it still shone through clearly in the conversations of the old colonists who had known them." (reference)

Their son John later became the first Premier of Western Australia. During his time as Premier, John Forrest was responsible for many large scale public works, including laying thousands of miles of railways. Two of the major public works built during the Forrest era were the Goldfields Water Scheme and the Fremantle Harbour Works. 

But as William Forrest said once," Ye talk a lot about John Forrest but let me tell ye this. Whair was John Forrest hae been but for Margot and me? "(reference)

Margaret was 73 years old when she died in 1895. The day after her death, the flag at the Perth Town Hall was flown at half-mast as a sign of respect (reference).

More information on William Forrest can be found in his biography: William Forrest and more on Margaret’s sisters in The Hill Sisters

Written for the Streets of Bunbury project by Gaye Englund.