McLaughlin Family

David McLaughlin was born in Limavady, County Derry in Ireland about January, 1825, the eldest child of John and Susana McLaughlin.  He became a carpenter, and in 1849 he married Hannah Quigley, the daughter of carpenter John Quigley and his wife Ann, in Dungiven, County Derry, Ireland.  Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to Belfast where the first of his nine children were born - two daughters Annie b 1851 and Elizabeth b 1853.

David, Hannah, their daughters and his sister Rebecca McLaughlin arrived in Brisbane aboard the "Genghis Khan" on 18 August 1854 and made their way to settle in Ipswich. 

In 1855 in partnership with Donald Bethune, they constructed "Lyndhurst House" a building in South Street, Ipswich for E. B. Cullen - the building eventually became the North Australian Club, and later was renamed "Lyndhurst" as the residence of James McGill.

In 1857, David McLaughlin's occupation was described as a "billiard maker" and in partnership with James Stanley, they applied for a licence to open a theatre adjacent to the Steam Packet Hotel in East Street.  The Police Magistrate, Colonel Charles George Gray refused the application, and the project was abandoned.

In 1861, McLaughlin & Ferguson built John Scott's East Ipswich School on the corner block from Brisbane to Limestone Street. In 1864-1865 they built the Grand Hotel on the corner of Brisbane and East Streets.

On land acquired in Burnett Street, McLaughlin built a brick cottage (now known as "Notnel"), for his family about 1860, and shortly after, was awarded the contract to build the Ipswich Grammar School in partnership with John Ferguson. The partnership of McLaughlin and Ferguson was successful in gaining the contract for the Ipswich Grammar School extension which was completed in 1865. Just two years later, the partnership was dissolved.

McLaughlin acquired farmland at Rosevale and appears the family was living at the property "Hawksview" by 1869 when his daughter Elizabeth was married there. The Burnett Street cottage was purchased by John North in 1872. In 1884, McLaughlin is credited with supervising the construction of the new Rosevale State School.

David McLaughlin passed away at Rosevale on 23 June, 1899 and his wife Hannah survived him by only one year, passing away on 26 July, 1900.