John Robertson (pastoralist)
John Robertson (c.1808–1880) was a Scottish-born pastoralist in Australia. He is best known for Struan House, near Naracoorte, South Australia.
He was born about 1808 in Dunachton, Inverness-shire, to John Robertson and Mary “May” McBain. He moved to Australia, arriving in Hobart in 1831 and then going to Sydney in 1838 aboard the Saint George with his brothers William and Duncan, Duncan’s wife Ann and their three children.
John and his brother William settled Struan Station on the River Wannon in Victoria, near Coleraine and Merino. He earned the nickname “Poorman Robertson,” perhaps because of his appearance compared with rival landowner Henty in Portland.
In 1852 their elder brother Angus joined them and took over Struan. William moved to Wando Vale, while John moved to Mosquito Creek near Naracoorte, at areas known as Mosquito Plains or Robertsons Plains. There he built three homes, finishing with the grand Struan House in 1875.
He bought more land at Wrattonbully and Elderslie, totaling over 500,000 hectares. Struan House and about 500 hectares of the original property are now owned by the South Australian Department of Agriculture as its regional headquarters.
John Robertson married Susan Ann Tait Cetwill Fraser (or Frazer) from Inverness at Portland, Victoria, in 1855. They had nine children.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:00 (CET).