Community & Business
23 June, 2023
Grandfather clock gifted to museum
A grandfather clock that belonged to mining pioneer John Moffat has been gifted to the Loudoun House Museum at Irvinebank – a town the mining pioneer founded and lived in from 1884 to 1912.
A grandfather clock that belonged to mining pioneer John Moffat has been gifted to the Loudoun House Museum at Irvinebank – a town the mining pioneer founded and lived in from 1884 to 1912.
Moffat was a powerhouse in his time who developed a mining and industrial empire around Loudoun Mill, Irvinebank and Herberton.
Now, his grandfather clock, which he brought back to Australia with him after his trip back to United Kingdom in the 1870s, has been returned “home” and now has pride of place at the museum.
Irvinebank School of Arts and Progress Association president Robyne Perkes said she was thrilled to be gifted the clock from the family who she has known for many years now.
She first became friends with Moffat’s daughter Isabel, then her son’s wife, Claudia, and because of their close friendship, she was gifted Moffat’s last briefcase which is also on display at the museum.
“I saw the clock and told Claudia we would love to have it here at the museum – she was going back to England and they did not think the clock would withstand the journey back so they gifted it to the museum,” Ms Perkes said.
Moffat played a major role in mining in the region, sending two agents, William Jack and John Newell, to first survey the Tablelands area back in 1879.
From there, the Tinaroo tin field was established at the site we know today as Lake Tinaroo. Jack and Newell met John Atherton while they were prospecting there and subsequently went on an expedition with him to locate rich alluvial deposits near Wild River.
While the first expedition did not find the deposits, a second expedition in 1880 was successful and they secured a claim for Moffat and Company, with the town of Herberton officially laid out in August of that year.
Moffat is reported to have immediately travelled to Herberton and established the Great Northern Mining company, arranging to construct a mill and smelter. He then discovered a new deposit of tin 27km west of Herberton and subsequently founded a settlement there which he named Irvinebank, after the River Irvine in his home country of Scotland.
To learn more about the history of Irvinebank, visit the Loudoun House Museum which is run by volunteers and open seven days a week from 10am-4pm.
