Jock Winter

John "Jock" Winter was a squatter in Ballarat, 1842-1875. Winter Street in Redan is named after him.

History
Jock Winter died in August 1875 and a detailed obituary was published in the newspaper: SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. JOHN WINTER. The news of the somewhat sudden death of Mr John Winter, took many by surprise, especially as he had been seen at Ballarat on Sunday, attending St. Andrew's Church, and was generally supposed to be in his usual state of health. It seems however, that Mr Winter's powers have been decaying for some time past, and this is not to be wondered at, as he was seventy two years of age. Yesterday morning he rose at his usual hour, and remarking the fall of snow, said that it reminded him of the old country; but he felt chilly, and during the forenoon lay down to get a nap. This proved to be his last sleep on earth, as Mrs Winter, about two o'clock, noticed that he was breathing heavily, and sent for medical assistance. Dr Whitcomb, who was called in arrived shortly afterwards and found Mr Winter in an apoplectic fit, from which he could not recover, as he was then dying, and shortly after four o'clock breathed his last. Thus peacefully ended the career of one of our oldest colonists.

Mr Winter more familiarly known as Jock Winter, was borne at Lauder, in Lammermuir, in 1803. He received the rudiments of education in the village school, went to Edinburgh served his apprenticeship as a butcher, and was afterwards employed as buyer of stock in the Highlands for the Edinburgh market. In this capacity he got acquainted with Jane Irving daughter of the laird of Bonshaw, in Dumfries-shire; and the affection being mutual, they were married in 1825. He then went into business for himself as a butcher in William street, Edinburgh and followed this calling for sixteen years. He was of a speculative turn of mind, though very close in money matters, and he made a considerable sum by buying up Queen of Spain bonds after the war between Queen Isabella and her cousin Don Carlos.

In 1841 Mr Winter emigrated to Australia, and being served in Melbourne with meat of extra good quality, at a shop kept by Sir John O'Shanassy, or at which the worthy knight was then a knight of the cleaver; Jock who had borrowed a frying-pan to cook his dinner remarked to his mate. "Ther's good grass where that beef was raised," He returned the frying-pan, and enquired where the beast of which he had dined was bred and fed. He was told in the neighbourhood of Buninyong ; and having but a poor idea of the locality of the ancient village, he made his way thither, and engaged himself as shepherd for a time until he knew the "lay" of the country. His employer got into difficulties, and he took. out his wages in sheep, about threescore being the number that belonged to him when he started on his own account.

His flock increased; and he bought a run from Henry Anderson and George Russel, called Waverly, which he changed to Bonshaw, in compliment to the estate of his wife's father. A shepherd in his employ named Kemp, was, according to Mr Winter's account, the first discoverer of gold in the colony between Winter's Flat and the Buninyong road in 1850; and it was from him that Hiscock obtained the secret. The gold discovery was in every way favourable to Winter, who although possessed of a large tract of country and some 20,000 sheep, turned an honest penny by selling mutton to diggers and sheep to the butchers, at enormous profit to himself. Round Lake Wendouree was a favourite camping place in those times, and many a good bargain has Winter made on its banks.

From 1852 to 1854, Winter accumulated a great deal of money, bought stations for his eldest sons at Devil's River, the Lower Goulburn and Barrambool. As is well known, Winter made very profitable terms with the miners who entered upon the Bonshaw property, getting a sum of £23,000 for a portion of the 640 acre selection which he purchased at £1 per acre, and afterwards obtaining the enormous amount of £50,000 from the Winters Freehold Company for 1359 acres, which may have cost him 30s per acre. Since that time he has purchased a great deal of land in various parts of this and the adjoining colonies, his eldest son being the owner of a station on the Liverpool Plains, N.S.W., which is a good day's ride across-being, we are informed, seventy miles in extent in one direction, and a great many miles in the other. His five younger sons have also stations of their own (his first wife died, and he had two children by his second wife, now living), and the only member of the family who possibly may not be well provided for would be his daughter, who incurred his displeasure through marrying, against his will a very honorable, but humble miner. Mr Winter was extremely frugal in his habits, and although living in comparative seclusion in his house at the top of Sturt street at the time of his death, was reputed to be literally a millionaire---Courier.

His son John died in September 1877: "We live to Berry squatters, not to praise them. So we may parody poor Anthony's lament over Cæsar's corpse. But to be serious, we buried a squatter in the Old Cemetery a day or two ago, Mr. John Winter, son of the late master of Bonshaw, close to Ballarat, and familiarly known as Jock Winter. Time brings its taxes and its revenges. Mr. W. C. Smith was one who bargained with Old Jock for the Winters' Freehold and helped to get 40,000 sovereigns-the old man would have no paper-for the land held by the Winters' Freehold Gold Mining Company, The company is sold up, the bank has the property, but Major Smith survives in a Cabinet bent on ' taking it out' of the squatters."

The Melbourne Leader commented on his character: "Jock Winter has retired from this world of wool and weariness, money and muddle. I trust that be has gone to a better, but if be is unable to sell land for fifty times what he gave for it, and is obliged to subscribe to hospitals and benevolent institutions, he will very soon wish himself back again. The character of Jock Winter was the exact opposite of that of Charles the Second. It has said to the Merry Monarch that he never said a foolish thing, and never did a wise one. Of Mr. Winter it might fairly be said that be never said a wise thing and never did a foolish one ; that is, from a worldly point of view. If taking care of number one be a virtue, Jock must have departed this life in the very odor of sanctity. It is said that on one occasion, when be was quite as wealthy as at the time of his death, he was employing his leisure time in doing a bit of fencing. A stranger, riding up, asked if Mr. Winter was in. The fencer went on with his work but made no reply. The visitor produced a shilling, and offered to give it to the man if he would point Mr. Winter out. Jock pocketed the coin and then replied, ' I am Mr. Winter. ' He evidently did not believe in the theory that politeness costs nothing."

Jock Winter was remembered in a newspaper article several years after his death: "In an enclosure about 20 feet square, fenced with gold-tipped iron railings, there stands in the old cemetery here a polished marble pedestal and obelisk, some 15 feet high or so. It marks the burial place of Jock 'Winter, the squatter, of Bonshaw and Lauderdale, both within the all-embracing arms of the territory locally known as Ballarat. Bonshaw was named after the birth place of Jock's first wife, and Lauderdale after his own Lauder. He made gold out of wool before the diggers came hereto perlex him, and then he got gold out of them. He sold Bonshaw to the Bonshaw Company for £20,000, if I mistake not, and for Winter's Freehold he demanded 40,000 sovereigns. He would not take notes or cheques, but made the buyers (W. C. Smith, C. Seal, and others) count him down the hard metal— metal as soft as snow compared to some features of the squatter. Death, more grim even than he, took away a daughter before the era of gold-digging, and the Bonshaw wife went too, and their bones were subsequently brought to the cemetery, where they now lie with the father and one son, who died since the father. The monument is plain but costly, and is erected by six sons of the father."

His second wife died in May 1894: "Mrs. Winter, relict of the late Mr. John (Jock) Winter, died at her residence near Ballarat to-day at the age of 85 years. She was a sister of Mr. James Cowie, of Geelong, who died recently, aged 87. Mrs. Winter was Mr. Winter's second wife. She leaves one son, Mr. George Winter, of Boora Creek station, near Tamworth, N.S.W. The hon. J. Winter Irving is a stepson."

Ballarat lawyer and politician, Sir Henry Cuthbert, had a more personal view of his former neighbour, as quoted from November 1903: "There, over that hedge, is the property of (as we used to call him in the old days) Jock Winter. I distinctly recollect him. He was a typical Scotchman, and delighted in the pipes, which he used to play very well. I can see him now as he used to be then, sitting on the fence chatting away to me, and while I would enjoy my smoke would play me many selections. Poor old fellow ; he was one of the old types of men, a fine, straightforward, manly old fellow, made of the stuff that only our early pioneers were composed of.'"