John Moir
Western Australian settler and pastoralist
About John Moir
Lived 1851 – 1939 (aged 87).
John Moir (12 August 185131 May 1939) was an Australian pastoralist in the areas to the east of Albany, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
Born at Cape Riche in 1851, he was the eldest son of the pioneer Andrew Moir, who was from Markinch in Fifeshire, Scotland, and had settled in the region in the 1840s. The Moir family lived in a cottage in the neighbouring allotment to George Cheyne with two of John's brothers working at Cheyne's Cape Riche farm.
The Moir family acquired the Cheyne's property in 1858, including the homestead. The homestead and out-buildings were constructed between 1850 and 1850. A billiards room was built by John Moir with the assistance of Aboriginal people, with a blacksmith shop built at around the same time. Much of the furniture was fashioned from driftwood found on the nearby beaches.
The station was used as supply depot for the sandalwood, whaling and sealing industries that were flourishing in the area through the 1870s to the 1900s.
Moir and his son Neil extended their land-holding along Cheynes Beach in 1920 when they acquired another of land. Cape Riche Station was still held by the family with Moir's other sons having set up sheep stations further to the east near the Salt River. The Moirs used the sheep for meat production to supply the goldfields around Norseman.
Moir died on 31 May 1938 at Albany Hospital at age 87, and was later buried at Cape Riche.
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Important facts
People in John Moir's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Moir's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Moir?
Western Australian settler and pastoralist
When was John Moir born?
John Moir was born on 12 August 1851.
When did John Moir die?
John Moir died on 31 May 1939.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: John Moir (settler)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Moir. https://biography.guide/john-moir-1851/
MLA: "John Moir." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-moir-1851/.
Chicago: "John Moir." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-moir-1851/.
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