In the early nineteenth century the rural communities of the highlands and islands of Scotland were in trouble. The mechanisation brought by the agrarian revolution was causing a dramatic reduction in the need for farm labour, and semi-subsistence crofting was being replaced by large-scale sheep farming for wool.
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Many were expelled from areas their forebears had lived in for centuries, and they had to leave for distant towns and cities or for overseas. These were the 'clearances' which brought dislocation, destitution and misery to many. One saving grace was the need for labour in developing colonies like NSW, where convict labour was becoming scarce as transportation declined.
In 1832 the NSW government established a system of assisted passage, and ships were soon bringing people from Scotland's highlands and islands to Australia. In 1837 about 280 from the Isle of Skye embarked on one 414-ton barque, the Midlothian, under Captain Morrison and with surgeon (Dr Robert Stewart) and Gaelic-speaking Presbyterian minister (Rev William McIntyre).
The Midlothian left Uig, in the Parish of Loch Snizort, on August 8 and arrived in Sydney on December 12. Several passengers, amounting to nearly 10% of those who boarded in Uig, died during the voyage. The passengers had been recruited by Dr John Lang, brother of Andrew Lang who had inherited an estate north of Maitland to which he soon added to by the purchase of adjacent land. His holding of more than 2300 acres covered present-day Dunmore, Largs and Goulburn Grove. Initially the whole passenger complement of the Midlothian demanded they settle together.
Most spoke only Gaelic and feared their community would be destroyed if they were scattered: they wished to "enjoy the advantages of attending the ministrations of the public ordinances of religion according to the forms and the language of their forefathers". Some, nevertheless, agreed to go to various locations in NSW. Roughly 100 stayed firm to their original demand and were accepted by Andrew Lang. These people had mostly been farm workers. At Dunmore they became tenant farmers and were given 15-20 acres per family rent-free for four years with rations provided by the government for the first year. They built wattle-and-daub houses out of wooden slabs with bark roofs, and cleared the brush, removed stumps, ploughed the soil and planted crops.
Andrew Lang, their landlord, provided a brick church which doubled as a school. He also provided a minister and a teacher who spoke Gaelic. They were given free lodgings and a wage. The passengers were integral to the development of Largs. Gradually, though, their Gaelic characteristics of language and religion disappeared, and 185 years later the cultural imprint of 100 people from the Isle of Skye is difficult to discern although some residents of today's Largs can trace their forebears to the Midlothian.
