[1] Archibald Clunes INNES
Born in 1800 at Thrumster, Caithness, Scotland, Archibald Clunes Innes obtained a commission as an ensign in the 3rd Regiment, The Buffs. He obtained his Captain's commission in 1821 and on 20 July 1822, with 160 convicts and guard, Captain Innes sailed from Sheerness for Australia on board the Eliza, and arrived in Sydney on 22 November, after a 140 day voyage.

In November 1826 Innes was appointed Commandant at Port Macquarie. Recalled to Sydney to become Brigade Major, he later resigned his commission and became Police Magistrate at Parramatta.

Innes married Margaret Macleay (1802-1858), a daughter of the then Colonial Secretary, Alexander Macleay, in 1829, and in 1830 returned to Port Macquarie as Police Magistrate and took up 2560 acres at Lake Burrawan, later renamed Lake Innes, and obtained numerous government contracts to supply provisions to the penal settlement. His wife also had 1280 acres as a “marriage portion” on the Wilson River at Crottys Plains. With the cheap convict labour provided by the government, they built Lake Innes Cottage, a residence with 22 ‘apartments’. They were renowned throughout New South Wales for their hospitality.

Besides the mansion Innes built at Lake Innes, he owned hotels, wool stores and many cattle and sheep properties throughout the region. A man of wide interests, he was the most influential of the early settlers in the district.

In 1842 Innes' sister Barbara married George Macleay, a son of Alexander Macleay. Innes' niece, Annabella (the daughter of his brother George who died in 1839), lived at Lake Innes from April to November 1839 and again from January 1843 to [May?] 1848, and wrote a series of diaries-now held by the Port Macquarie Historical Society-which record many facets of her early life in the region. They have been published under the title Annabella Boswell's Journal.

Innes survived the economic depression of the early 1840s, but with the cessation of transportation, meaning no more cheap labour, he finally became bankrupt in 1852. Innes was appointed assistant gold commissioner at Hanging Rock on the Peel River, in succession to Edward Hargraves. William Telfer's manuscript [1] records an experience Inne's had during this period: “Even the Commissioner Major Innes was bailed up by two armed men as he was returning from Tamworth. One man presented a gun at him, told him to bail up, when he spoke the other man recognised him and said to his mate that it is the Major, don't shoot. He said by G[od] it is the Major. They begged his pardon. He made them throw away their gun and come with him to the police camp. He promised them he would not prosecute them on condition they would lead an honest life, giving each man a licence to work on the goldfield where they done well, and always behaved themselves afterwards. The commissioner kept this very quiet but one of the men told his mates about the kind-hearted old Major. He was a grand old gentleman not many like him at the time.”

As Telfer's story of his being bailed up indicates, Innes had acquired a reputation for exceptional leniency, much to the dissatisfaction of his superiors. It was probably most fortunate for Henry Cohen and his family that he was able to serve his time assigned to Innes at Port Macquarie. (and also for our Donald McDonald!)

NOTE: from many accounts life as a convict was generally rather horrible, with cruel people taking advantage of the enormous power they had over the lives of people in their control.

In 1853 Innes and his wife moved to Newcastle where he became Police Magistrate. He died there on 29 August 1857. Margaret died there in 1858.
[Biography in ADB, vol. 2, 1788-1850, pp.3-4.]