Malcolm Gilles (or Gillies) arrived in South Australia from Scotland in 1841. Gillies was a resident of Inchiquin (later Clare) in 1844 with a small herd of 20 cattle. In 1846 he was a partner with Alexander Campbell in a property at the base of Mt Remarkable: this was called Willowie. By 1852 he had moved to Willochra Creek where he had cattle but later added sheep; these had increased to 12,000 by 1863. Willochra Creek is in the Flinders Ranges and flows through Partacoona station. The drought of the 1860s forced Gillies to take his flock on the road in search of pasture, but he returned to Partacoona later with a much reduced flock. After occupying his lease for 14 years he became insolvent. He subsequently lived at Marrochoie, or Marachowie, Western Plains.

Henry McConville acquired Partacoona and fared better with the drought over.

Gillies seems to have died in Scotland in 1899: his widow is recorded as dying in Clachan, North Uist, Scotland age 68 in that year.

Cockburn, R Pastoral pioneers of South Australia Adelaide : Publishers Limited, 1925-1927 ("Reprinted from the Adelaide Stock and Station Journal.") vol. 2 pp. 200-201

[Malcom Gillies] Melrose, child of the mountain: a panorama of rural history / edited by Jim Faull Melrose, S.A.: Melrose Historical Book Committee, 1979 p. 19-20

Manning Index of South Australian history: Partacoona

Willochra Creek and Simmonston and Gordon ruins