As Commissioner of Clan Cameron in Australia, I’d like to welcome you to the website of Clan Cameron in Australia.

Clan Cameron dates from at least the early middle ages, and our clan is recorded as one of the clans that assisted Robert the Bruce in his victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1214.  Clan Cameron was one of the dozen or so most powerful highland clans by the 1700s, and played a crucial role in the Jacobite rebellions, far above our weight in numbers.  The most famous Jacobite rebellion of 1745-6 began when the chief of Clan Cameron (known as ‘Lochiel’) agreed to support Bonnie Prince Charlie, and that provided the encouragement for other chiefs to join the rising.

In Australia, Camerons have been prominent in politics, business, the media, science, the arts and sport.  According to 2017 research, Cameron was the most common surname in the Australian parliament since Federation with 17 MPs, followed by the names Smith and Brown with 11 and 10 MPs respectively.  The famous author and poet, Dame Mary Gilmore (née Cameron), features on Australia’s ten dollar note, and a former Wallabies captain was a Cameron.

Branches of the Clan Cameron were first formed in Victoria in 1854 and New South Wales in about 1938, but then lapsed and were revived in the 1930s and 1980s respectively. Since then the Clan has organised many social functions, and taken part in many Scottish events.  Clan Cameron associations in Australia issue quarterly newsletters, and I strongly recommend that you have a good look at the Clan Cameron in Australia website.  Our genealogical records on this site are the envy of other clans, and allow you to easily find out more about your Cameron ancestors.

Clan Cameron associations in Australia are part of a family of Clan Cameron associations around the world.  Our aim is to bring Camerons together, and celebrate our proud heritage.  I hope you will consider joining one of our associations, and if you are very enthusiastic to volunteer to serve on one of the committees or be a cluster organiser.  You are the clan and the clan is you.  As an organisation and a concept, it will only be as active as its members choose it to be.

We held a very successful National Clan Cameron Gathering on the Gold Coast in 2018 and there is an International Clan Cameron Gathering planned for August 2024 at Achnacarry in  Scotland. I hope you can join us at upcoming events.

Ceud mìle fàilte! – a hundred thousand welcomes!

Dr James Lachlan Cameron

March 2023