Early Life
Angus McMillan was born in Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland, the fourth son of Ewan McMillan. After an early life of hardship and deprivation he migrated to Australia in 1838. Under the initial employ of Captain Lachlan Macalister he gained experience of Australian pastoralism on the Monaro, New South Wales before moving to manage the Currawang station near Delegate. It was on one of his exploratory trips to Ensay that he first viewed the Gippsland flats from Mount McLeod and sent word to Macalister that there might be both grazing land and a viable port to be found to the south. An almost deadly encounter with an aboriginal guide at the time may have coloured his view of the native inhabitants.
In May 1839 he climbed Mount McLeod (The Haystack) and could see the plain and lakes country of Gippsland. On this trip his Aboriginal guide, Jimmy Gabber, attempted to murder him in his sleep. McMillan realized that Gabber was terrified of the strange country and then turn back to Omeo from a planned six-week trip after only nine days.
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