The story of the landing in Tasmania in 1824 of Archibald McDowall and family and their early experiences, is unfolded in the following interesting account supplied in connection with the McDowall Centenary by Mrs G W Ibbott (nee Miss C J McDowall, of Strathbarton, Apsley, and is of especial interest, as it touches on a bit of the fascinating history of early settlement in Tasmania. Mrs Ibbott writes -

It was on September 10, 1824 that Archibald McDowall, afterwards of Logan, Bothwell, with his wife and five children landed in Hobart by the ship Portland. In some reminiscences of his early life written by his eldest son Archibald McDowall, in the year 1888, at the request of his daughter, he says - "The name of McDowall figures rather conspicuously in the history of the municipality of Edinburgh. To Colonel James McDowall, of Logan in Scotland we were closely related and at one time there was a possibility of my succeeding to the inheritance. To Lord Bankton we were also closely related. My late father was the eldest of a large family of sons. His first start in life was as a farmer on an indigo plantation in India, but this he had to abandon for health reasons. The next brother, Robert, entered the East India Company's service, and after many a hard-fought engagement, and rising to the rank of Brigadier-General, he was killed in a battle while in Command of two brigades of native infantry about the year 1828. His son was one of the unfortunate army which perished in the Khyber Pass catastrophe (see 'History of Our Times,' by Justin McCarthy). William, the next son, was also in the company's service as a medical man, and retired in comfortable circumstances. Robert passed the whole of his life in a bank. James was a merchant, and Charles was a writer to the signet (in other words, a lawyer). My birthplace was at Leithwalk, near Edinburgh. One of my earliest recollections is of the visit of George IV, the procession being viewed by us from an upstairs window. When about seven years old we - my father, mother and five children - embarked on the ship Portland, on April 2, 1824."

A SLAVE MARKET. After a long, tedious, and in some ways disastrous, voyage, we touched at Rio de Janeiro for repairs, and saw a slave market. I can distinctly remember one "lot" - a mother and child, being knocked down by the bandy-legged Portuguese auctioneer. But this was the only unpleasant incident of our visit to Rio. On September 10 we cast anchor in the Derwent. Before bidding adieu to the old Portland, I may say a word of two of our company. Captain Snell was a gentleman; his mate, Moodie, was a bear. The principal passengers that I have any recollection of were John Young and family, father of Hunter Young, and father-in-law of W Tarleton, PM, of Hobart; Thomas Young, the lawyer, and father of Russell Young, solicitor; Robert Pitcairn, also a member of the legal profession; George Burns, whose successors are living near Campania; John Gage; John Walker, afterwards miller, and successful brewer, father of Walker, of 'Clarendon,' Hamilton. There were others of lesser note in those days; Claudius Thompson David Blair; White, the Kinghorn family, who afterwards moved to Sydney; a widow named Glass and Miss Glass (John Walker married Miss Glass). On landing in Hobart, my father was, unfortunately, in a most helpless condition, caused by an accident during one of the many terrific gales encountered on the voyage a dislocation of the hip, which, by the ignorance of the medical man on board, was never reduced. The consequence was a life-long lameness, entirely unfitting him for the rough occupation of a settler in a new land. Captain Wood, of Dennistoun, seeing the name among the list of passengers, called at New Town, where we were temporarily located on the New Town Creek - part of the Gatehouse property - and inquired if my father was related to his intimate friend and former comrade in India, General Robert McDowall. On learning that they were brothers, he at once showed the greatest interest and kindness. Captain Wood had just completed the purchase of what is now my home, from Captain F Locket who had been robbed by Brady and party, and who had in consequence taken a dislike to the place and determined to return to Europe. He left the colony, it is true, but died on the passage home. An arrangement was made by Captain Wood taking my father's location order in part payment of Locket's property, now called "Logan." Unfortunately Governor Colonel Arthur preceded us in his arrival by a few months, owing to our protracted voyage, bringing with him new regulation as to the granting of Crown land to immigrants. Thus, if we had not been delayed until Governor Sorell had left, to whom we had strong letters of introduction, the quantity of land granted would have been far greater.

FAMILY HISTORY. On February 16, 1825, we first set foot on this spot where I am now penning this short account. Three weeks later I had, my seventh birthday. My father died here on June 3, 1848. My sister Jane married the Rev James Garrett. My sister Ann Lind married Dr Grant, of Launceston. Her two daughters, both widows, reside in England. Robert passed his life in the Bank of Australasia. Charles and William, who died in early life, were the other sons, and Margaret married Frederick Du Croy, of 'Courtlands,' Sussex, England. The journey to the 'Fat Doe River,' now the Clyde, took three days to accomplish. The conveyances were a waggon and 10 oxen (owner and driver a brawny Irishman), two drays, one with a team of eight and a lighter one for the human freight with a team of six. The first day we crossed the Derwent at Austin's Ferry, near Roseneath. The second was a long in span as we reached the Jordan and camped on the flat at the foot of the saddle. I do not believe my father slept that night. It was his first experience of a bush life and camping out. Besides, the vagabonds of bullock drivers delighted in telling of the dangers of bushrangers, of whom there were many at large. I well remember him loading two brace of pistols and a double-barreled fowling piece with flint locks. The third day all went well till we reached the Den Hill, somewhere above E J Webb's house. Here all the bullocks had to be put into one string, to haul the waggon to the top. They were taken back for the drays. Traversing the edge of the square, and between the two she-oak hills we passed Cave bottom and round by Norwood, then occupied by some of Owen and Lord's stockriders. We got to our journey's end before night. A turf hut was provided under Captain Wood's direction, as Mr Locket had not then vacated his own neat verandah bungalow. I may state that Mr A Reid, the grandfather of the present A A Reid, brought his son over from Ratho early next morning, they having settled there some two years earlier. Young Reid was just five, and we became fast friends till his death in August, 1881. Mrs Williams was about nine or ten, consequently she is the oldest inhabitant. (Written in 1888.) At that time there were three dwellings in the township. Sandy Denholm, carpenter, and Peggy, his wife, lived where Mrs Evans's shop now stands; Andrew Reid and his good dame down at the lower corner of the same square; and the third was a splitter and fencer named Stenton, who had a crib opposite the present police office. Thomas Axford lived at Thorpe. William Nicholas's grandfather at the Nant, and Dr Paton where Charles Sims now lives, near the red barn, and Captain Wood at Dennistoun and Robert Barr at Fordell."

Source: "The Mercury" (1860-1954), TROVE, Archibald McDowall, 22 Nov 1924, p10, c5, (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23779710)