THE BIRTH OF ILLAWARRA. 



received servants from the penal settlement at Wollongong (which 

 was established for the purpose), and so much provisions and clothing 

 for each man thus obtained. By this means the timber was felled and 

 burnt off, and chock-and-log fences created for the protection of the 

 grass and crops that were being sown. There were some few turned 

 their attention to fruit growing, but wheat growing and dairying was 

 the rule. 



1821. In 1821 the first Agricultural Society of New South Wales 

 was established : President. Sir Tohn Jamison ; vice-presidents, R^v. 

 Parson Marsden, William Cox, Esq., and Dr. Townson, LL.D.; joint 

 secretaries, Messrs. G. T. Palmer and Alexander Berry ; joint trea- 

 surers, Messrs. Riley ,and Walker ; annual subscription, 5 55. each. 

 A subscription fund of 25 each was also started with a view of in- 

 troducing from the mother country more important breeds of cattle, 

 horses, sheep, &c. An important auction sale of 100 head of cows and 

 calves and heifers took place at Surry Hills, Sydney, the property of a 

 Mrs. Hall. The young cattle were the progeny of a bull sired by Cao- 

 tain Kent's imported bull, and out of an imported cow owned by Mr. 

 Palmer. 



1823. The prizes are published in connection with the New South 

 Wales Agricultural Society, and are as follows : For best colonial 

 bull, first prize plate valued 40 dollars, second prize ditto 20 dollars ; 

 to be not more than three years old. For the best colonial bred heifer, 

 two years old, first prize a piece of plate valued 20 dollars. "There 

 were, in all, thirteen prizes for stock, including cattle, horses, and 

 sheep. A prize was also offered for the best servant. A general mus- 

 ter of the stock at the five Government cattle stations then in the 

 colony was announced by order of the Governor to take place on 

 same day. Mir .Robert Cooper imported a purebred Derbyshire bull 

 and cow, and Mr. Macarthur a Hamshire bull and four Leicestershire 

 cows of superior quality. Mr. Charles Throsby opened the Sydney 

 abattoirs by forwarding ten fat bullocks to be slaughtered. They were 

 of the Longhorned Durham breed, and when dressed weighed looolb. 

 each. Mr .Archibald Bell, jun., discovered the first route overland to 

 the Hunter River Valley, and drove the first cattle overland to that 

 country. A meeting of the proprietors of the Agricultural Society of 

 New South Wales' stock funds is announced to arrange for the appro- 

 priation of the stock imported from England, Mr. E. Wollstonecraft 

 secretary. 



The following is a list of the subscribers to the stock fund of 1823: 



James Atkinson, Esq... ..25 Thomas McVitie, Esq. ..25 



Alexander Berry, Esq. . . 50 Rev. Samuel Marsden . . . . 25 



John Blaxland, Esq. . . . . 25 William H. Moore, Esq. . . 25 



Richard Brooks, Esq. . . 25 James Norton, Esq. . . . . 25 



John T. Campbell ,Esq. . . 25 Nathaniel Norton, Esq. . . 25 



James Chandler, Esq. . . 25 John Oxley, Esq. . . 25 



William Cox, Esq. . . . . 25 John Palmer, Esq. . . . . 25 



William Cox, jun., Esq. . . 25 George T. Palmer, Esq. . . 25 



Robert Crawford, Esq. . . 25 John Piper, Esq. . . . . 25 



Prosper De Mestre, Esq. . . 25 Edward Riley, Esq. . . . . 25 



John Dixon, Esq. . . . . 25 Charles Throsby, Esq. . . 25 



Major Goulburn . . . . 100 Dr. Robert Townson, LL.D. 25 



William Howe .. .. -.25 William Walker, Esq. .. 50 



Sir John Jamison . . . . 100 Thomas Walker, Esq. . . 25 



Captain King, R.N. . . . . 25 D'Arcy Wentworth, Esq. . . 25 



William Lawson. Esq, . . 25 Major West . . . . 25 



Robert Lowe, Esq. ... . . 25 Edward Wolstonecraft, Esq. 50 



Hannibal Macarthur, Esq. . . 25 



ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, Esq., Corresponding Secretary. 

 29- 



