Background
Rankine (often spelled Rankin) was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, a son of James Rankine and his wife Jane Rankine, née Paterson.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
John Rankine
Edit ProfileCareer
He is recognised as founding the township of Strathalbyn
He may have visited Van Diemen"s Land (now Tasmania) as ship"s doctor on the Sir William Bentinck in August 1838. They purchased a 50 acre "Special Survey" section of the Hundred of Angas, founding the town of Strathalbyn. John Rankine later helped John Paterson found Pitchorum station.
Other passengers on the Fairfield, including William Mein, George Hall (or Hall-Turnbull) (c since 1810), Oliver Keble Richardson (since 1800) purchased sections of the same "Special Survey".
His Strathalbyn property, "Blackwood" eventually totalled 1,500 acres. He leased a large section of Hindmarsh Island, where the family raised sheep and cattle, and in 1849 built a large house, the island"s first, and operated "Rankine"s Ferry" between the island and mainland.
He began mining at Strathalbyn in 1848, and formed a company with East & C Stirling, A. L. Elder and West. H. Clark. Health failing, he returned to Scotland sometime after November 1856 and died at Helensburgh in 1864.
He was elected to the Legislative Council seat of Hindmarsh, and served from July 1854 to April 1857.
He was an uncle of fellow South Australian parliamentarian James Rankine.
