THE BIRTH OF ILLAWARRA. 



able Potter Macqueen's estate of 20,000 acres (Segenhoe), near 

 Singleton. The Berkley Estate (Illawarra) had been in charge of a 

 Mr. John Robinson, who had been dairying there for some few years 

 with successful results. The Agricultural and Stock Society received 

 on behalf of Mr. Bunion a consignment of two bulls and eight heifers 

 per ship William Shand. 



1826. In his account of Captain John Macarthur's estate at Camden, 

 Dr. P. Cunningham, R.N., says "Neither has the breed of horses 

 and cattle passed unnoticed by Mr. Macarthur. His cattle, partaking 

 much of the Lancashire Longhorns, being mostly with dark-red or red- 

 brindled bodies, with large spreading, drooping horns, appear to 

 answer the climate particularly well, fattening easy, and giving a large 

 supply of milk. 



In 1826 a Mr. Wylie had been engaged stock raising and dairying 

 on the Dunlop Vale Estate, Illawarra, and had collected a magnificent 

 herd of the best types of Ayrshire cattle. Mr. George T-ate was at 

 that time raising bullocks on the Spring Hill Estate, which he owned. 

 It was then the T in heart brand was established. The A. A. Company 

 received another consignment of very choice cattle, comprising breeds 

 from Saxony, Scotland, and the South of Europe. G. W. Paul, a Syd- 

 ney merchant, and Colonel Mote sent clown cattle to their estates in 

 Illawarra and commenced breeding operations. Captain Bishop had 

 been for some time establishing a garrison at Battery Point, Illa- 

 warra, and forming a settlement with a view of supplying settlers with 

 laborers, &c. Dr. Townson had an important sale of 1240 horned 

 cattle. A Cattle Board is established for the protection of stock and 

 to prevent cattle stealing, which was then prevalent. The Australian 

 Company's imported stock were divided among the shareholders as 

 follows J. T. Campbell, one red Devon bull; J. T. Campbell, one 

 piebald Durham cow ; J. T. Campbell, one red Devon cow ; John 

 Dickson, one Devon cow ; J. T. Campbell, one Durham cow ; D'Arcy 

 Wentworth, one Devon cow ; John Dickson, one Devon cow ; Sir John 

 Jamison, one Durham bull ; Sir John Jamison, one Durham cow ; John 

 Dickson, one Devon cow. The colonial executive of the A. A. Com- 

 pany form a settlement at Warra, on the Liverpool Plains. A severe 

 drought is prevailing throughout New South W'ales and Tasmania. 



1827. In 1827 a great financial crisis occurs in New South Wales, 

 consequent on foolish and extravagant speculation in sheep and cattle. 

 Much distress results, and many colonists are ruined. A writer, re- 

 ferring to those days, says : " Ah ! who shall tell of the old ghosts 

 and old interests, old tales and histories from 1826 to 1852, locked up 

 in those worn-out and hoary old Sydney bank ledgers, nearly every 

 paee being the nucleus of a vivid three-volume novel if the whole sur- 

 roundiners were but tracked and delineated. Dost think there are no 

 ghosts in Sydney? Beware, it is not London. Has there been no time 

 since 1788 for wrong to be done, for hearts to be broken, for mortgages 

 to be foreclosed, fortunes to be made ? Ruin here ? Good luck there ? 

 Happiness and joy ? Misery and despair ? All told of indirectlv in 

 the ledger columns." " Scrooge and Marley" have lived in Sydney 

 as well as in London. 



Ihe Government commenced selling off their stocks of cattle, com- 

 prising many hundred head, at each of the five cattle stations, owing 

 to the large stocks held by the bond and free and colonial settler's. 

 One thousand head of cattle were disposed of at Emn Plains cattle 

 station. According to Mr. James Atkinson, "these cattle were derived 

 from various countries England, Cape of Good Hope, India, Mada- 

 gascar, and other places and were bred with little discrimination, and 

 were a mixed lot. Some few breeders, however, paid more attention, 

 and possessed good herds the best cattle being found among the 

 smaller settlers." He mentions ^ev. S Marsden. John Macarthur H 

 Macarthur, Sir John Jamison, J. Dickson, J. T. Camobell, and William 

 Cox among the most careful breeders of that period. These were 



3T. 



