Steuart Gladstone Niel Black (26 August 1804 – 15 May 1880)[1][2] was a successful Australian colonial pastoralist and one of Australia’s early politicians, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

In the 1850s Black visited Scotland again, he lived there for five years where he met Grace Greenshields Leadbetter.

[1] Black and his wife had three sons, Archibald John, Steuart Gladstone and Niel Walter.

His diaries and many letters provide insights into many aspects of life in the Western regions of Victoria in the nineteenth century.

It is universally and distinctly understood that the chances are very small indeed of a person taking up a new run being able to maintain possession of his place and property without having recourse to such means — sometimes by wholesale — but I do not think that this is by any means common, and it its only outside that they are ever called upon to act in so brutal a manner, it, however, seems to be little thought of here as it is only done in defense of self or property … I believe, however, that great numbers of the poor creatures have wantonly fallen victims to settlers scarcely less savage though more enlightened than themselves, and that two thirds of them does not care a single straw about taking the life of a native, provided they are not taken up by the Protectors.