FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



1834. In 1834 Mr. John Dickson sold a large number of stock, 

 amounting to 600 head, including 20 purebred Devon bulls and 50 

 Devon heifers ; the remainder were milk cows of various breeds. Cap- 

 tain Waldron, an important settler, was murdered on his Spring Hill 

 property, Wollongong, on January 28th of this year. The tragedy 

 created a great sensation in the young settlement. Captain Westma- 

 cott, who was A.D.C. to Governor Bourke, took up land at Bulli, and 

 established a small dairy herd ;md a small stud of choice blood horses 

 thereon. 



In 1834 the residents of Illawarra, including C. O'Brien, George, 

 Brown. William Gart, Thomas Coapley, William thomas, C. T. Smith, 

 and others, signed a petition to be presented to the Governor with a 

 view of arriving at a system by which better roads could be obtained 

 to give ingress and egress to their beautiful and fertile district, and 

 thus give the settlers better facilities to the Sydney markets. The 

 Governor, in reply, promised to visit Illawarra. The Governor after- 

 wards visited Illawarra, and after duly considering the various tracks 

 suggested by Messrs. Spearing, O'Brien, and Rixon, sent Major Mit- 

 chell to draw a chart o-i the best route. This was accordingly done, 

 and Lieutenant Otway and a gang of convict men were sent down to 

 make the road from Wollongong to Appin. Henry Osborne, Dr. John 

 Osborne (Wollongong), Michael Hindmarsh (Gerringong), Dr. Alex- 

 ander Imley (Dapto), George Brown (Dapto) applied to the Bench 

 of Magistrates (Wollongong), consisting of Police Magistrate W. N. 

 Grey and C. O'Brien J.P., for a number of servants from the Crown. 

 The annual meeting of the A. A. Company was held, and ten of the 

 company's young bulls were offered for sale. The company had then 

 3000 horned cattle on their estate. The cattle in the Illawarra dis- 

 trict were showing a marked improvement in both color and type. 

 During the calving season the dairies were showing a busy appear- 

 ance. Dr. Lang at this time was endeavouring to induce Scotch 

 settlers to settle in Illawarra. Apparently, taking advantage o-f Dr. 

 Lang's special efforts in this direction, a Mr. Chadley, auctioneer, of 

 Sydney, advertised fourteen farms from. 90 to 100 acres each, each 

 commanding a frontage to the Minnmurra River. He describes the 

 land as being covered with cedar and hardwood of every description. 

 The auctioneer also stated that an estate of 20,000 acres was adjacent 

 to this land, and that at Kiama there was a harbor and sheds erected 

 to receive all forms of produce. George Brown had the contract for 

 erecting a courthouse and gaol at the new town of Wollongong. The 

 town had previously been established in the vicinity of Port Kembla 

 called Red Point. 



In 1836 Mr. Riley sold his estate near Jervis Bay, comprising 2560 

 acres, including 250 head of cattle. Seventy of the animals were milk 

 cows specially selected 'for the dairy from Mr. William Cox's herd of 

 dairy cattle. At this time there was a small settlement at Hoski-->n. 

 on the shores of Jervis Bay, which rapidly grew into importance. Large 

 vessels used to call there for wool, tallow, hides, &c. Cattle were 

 also shipped at both Jervis Bay and Twofold for New Zealand, Port 

 Phillip, and the Swan Bay settlements. The greater portion of the 

 stock for Port Phillip, however, went overland from the stations on the 

 l.arhlan and M urrumbidgce Rivers. Mr. George Macleav s,,!.l ai 

 Parramatta 100 head >t" choice dairy cows in calf to imported Durham 

 bulls. Mr. George Br.twn. of Dapto. established salt pans for the 

 manufacture i salt at Gooseberry Island, Lake Illawarra. 



i <v \V>-37. In 1836 M'". William Lee, of Bathttr.st. imported a purebred 

 Shorthorn bull named "Julian," bred by the Rev. Henry Barry. 

 "Julian" is described as a man bull got b\ "Maggot" (-'-'38). In tin- 

 following pear (18371 Mr. William Lee. of Bathnrst. imported a pure 

 Shorthorn bull. Petrarch, and his dam. Petrarch is described as bring 

 red with roan hair; uot by Colossus (1847) .by Ambo (1636). *iam 

 Beauty, by Imperial (2I5l), g.d. Beauty by Favourite (1030). &c. This 



