William McDONALD 1851-1925, b. Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland son of John McDONALD 1830-1912 and Janet "Jessie" STEWART 1828-1912; married 1874 to Mary COX 1857-1941, b. Portland, Victoria, to Charles Yates COX 1834-1881 and Mary NOONAN 1836-1916.

William McDONALD arrived at Adelaide, South Australia as an infant member of his parents family on the ship "Caucasian" in 1852 and within a few months the family travelled by bullock dray and settled near the later township of Penola in south-east South Australia. By 1874 he was a blacksmith at Sandford on the Wannon, S-W Victoria where he married Mary COX.

William McDONALD died at Sandford in 1925 and his widow William McDONALD died at Casterton in 1941, and they were both buried in the Sandford Cemetery.

William McDONALD and Mary COX had the following known family at Sandford:

  1. Mary Isabella McDONALD 1874-1950, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria; teacher at Sandford State School; d. Casterton, S-W Victoria; m. 1912 to James GROGAN 1883-1923, b. Penshurst, Victoria to James GROGAN and Mary LEAHY; d. Macarthur, Victoria; 2 children.

  2. John "Jack" McDONALD 1876-1952, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria; d. Casterton, S-W Victoria m. ..?..

  3. William Stewart "Mac" McDONALD 1878-1923, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria; Inspector with the Inspector (Western Australian Goldfields Water Supply Company; d. Perth, Western Australia; m. 1915 Western Australia to Evelyn Hocking BIRT 1886-1959, b. Kooringa, South Australia to Robert Hocking BIRT and Alice Rachel LIHOU; d. Coolgardie, Western Australia.

  4. Charles Cox "Charlie" McDONALD 1880-1928, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria; d. Landsborough, Victoria; m. ...?...

  5. James Alexander "Jim" McDONALD 1882-1947, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria; d. Ouyen, Victoria; m. 1910 to Ada Mildred BOGGS 1890-1958, b. Narrabri, NSW to John Thomas BOGGS and Margaret Ann LONG, d. ...?..., Victoria.

  6. Thomas Albert McDONALD 1889-1969, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria; d. Melbourne, Victoria; m. 1917 to Alice Beatrice COX 1887-1962, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria to James COX and Emily NICHOLLS; d. Melbourne, Victoria.

  7. Robert Skirving "Roy" McDONALD 1895-1915, b. Sandford, S-W Victoria; Pastrycook of Casterton and Melbourne, Victoria; enlisted in the 1st AIF; embarked with the 1st contingent; KIA Anzac, Gallipoli, Turkey...
    • 1911 : Pastrycook with J. C. STEWART, Casterton; resided at Sandford
    • 1914 Aug : Pastrycook of Melbourne, Victoria
    • 1914 Aug 14 : enlisted in the AIF at Melbourne, Victoria
    • 1914 Sep 04 : appointed to unit, Pte 153, 2nd Field Ambulance, AIF
    • 1914 Oct 14 : embarked from Melbourne per "Wiltshire" as Pte 153, 2nd Field Ambulance, AIF
    • 1915 Apr 05 : embarked from Alexandria, Egypt for the Dardenelles as Pte 153, 2nd Field Ambulance, AIF
    • 1915 Apr 25 : landed at Anzac, Gallipoli as Pte 153, 2nd Field Ambulance, AIF
    • 1915 Aug 8 : killed in action, Anzac, Gallipoli (grave unknown)
    • Named : Casterton Town Hall Honour Roll
    • Named : Casterton War Memorial
    • Named : Lone Pine Memorial, Anzac, Gallipoli [external link]
    • Named : Sandford State School No.1654 Honour Roll.
    • Named : Sandford War Memorial
    • Named : St Mary's Anglican Church, Sandford Honour Roll.
Robert Skirving McDonald, 2nd Field Ambulance, AIF, Gallipoli 1915 [Left] Pte 153, Robert Skirving McDonald, 2nd Field Ambulance, AIF,
KIA Anzac, Gallipoli, 8 Aug 1915.
[Middle] William Strong Abraham
Thanks to Dave for a copy of the photograph at Anzac, Gallipoli.
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