BiographyDavid Cannon McConnel (1818-1885), a grazier and farmer, was born on 14th January 1818 in England. He immigrated to Sydney on 19th February 1840. In 1841, he took up a run on the upper Brisbane River, naming it Cressbrook after a family home in Derbyshire. It was the first holding in the district to be stocked with sheep. They soon found that Cressbrook was unsuitable for sheep. McConnel bought stud Shorthorn cows from the Australian Agricultural Company in 1845 and later imported bulls from England, establishing a stud which was to become famous. He married Mary McLeod on 25th April 1848. He settled near Brisbane where he built a large house in 1850 naming it Toogoolawah (or Bulimba House) and began farming. He sold small blocks of land cheaply to deserving immigrants. In 1868, half his run was resumed by the government but his petition failed to yield any compensation for the improvements he had made. In 1873, he retired and his son James took over. In 1885, he returned to England and died after an operation in London on 16th June. His wife was the author of "Memories of Days Long Gone By". Mary died on 4th January 1910. The Cressbrook property is still owned by the McConnel family.ReferencesDavid Cannon McConnel (1818–1885) Australian Dictionary of Biography. (Accessed 27 February 2025).
DETAILS
Born14th January 1818Died16th June 1885OccupationsFarmersPlaces LivedCressbrook StationCressbrook Homestead
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