Australian History

So today was Friday in Sydney. We were scheduled to visit some of the most historic sites in Australia- really, much like our Jamestown- and they were within walking distance of our ‘home’

They were: Hambledon Cottage, Elizabeth Farm and Experiment farm.

 Here is a synopsis of John and Elizabeth Macarthur’s history and contribution to the growth and colonization of early Australia.
John and Elizabeth came to Australia from England around 1790.

 Elizabeth’s picture came from http://www.australianstamp.com

John’s portrait, painted by an unknown author came from Wikipedia (but we know it to be authentic… we saw this same portrait in the house. )

It had been a difficult journey for the young couple as John had been very ill and Elizabeth nursed a sickly 15 month old Edward and gave birth to a premature daughter which did not survive. Elizabeth was a very strong woman! 

They had set out to ‘improve their position’ as John was in the military and promotion seemed more likely in the distant outpost. The house he built was huge for the time. 

He almost certainly was able to build such a luxurious home only by taking advantage of his access to convict craftsmen and his status as Inspector of Public Works. This house had a door bell, and rope pulls in each room. The different bells allowed the servants to know from where they were being summoned. Very fun to play with!!

Although Elizabeth was his staunch supporter, John was ‘bit naughy’ as Mrs. Ninita(our private guide at Hambledon cottage) stated. John’s troubles continued as he argued with Lieutenant Governor after Lieutenant Governor. He frequently got into arguments, fights and even duels with his superiors.  He was arrested and ordered back to England, a couple of times, and one time he took the older boys with him, leaving Elizabeth with not only the 3 younger children to care for, but also the farm to run.

Photo from http://www.hassall.org/book/Chap03.html

As John was in England, the crisis in the English wool market reached its peak.  He may have been naughty, but he was a quick thinker and presented himself as a wool expert, and declared himself the colony’s representative, setting himself up for preferential treatment and large tracts of land grants to develop a strain of Spanish sheep. During his absence, Elizabeth drew from her knowledge of farming and began raising the Merino sheep which seemed to thrive in the Australian climate. The very soft wool was very popular.

John did finally return, but in his later years was completely insane. He spent his final years locked in his bedroom.

This history really came to life as we strolled through the historic buildings and saw the artifacts from the time period.

Elizabeth Farm was a unique experience in that everything was interactive. 

You could sit in the desk, play the ‘piano’, play with the hoops, carry the water buckets,

lift the irons, wash the clothes, and on it went. It was a very fun experience and we were the only people in the whole place.

We also saw these frogmouths sitting in a tree. 

They resemble owls, but they are the largest of the kingfisher family- the same family as the kookaburra.

 Hambledon Cottage was the second house built on Elizabeth Farm.  














We were blessed to have a wonderful private tour guide- hello Mrs. Ninita.

She was a fount of information and like so many of the ladies in the historical societies across the world; she loved the historical site that she was telling us about. It was evident, and it was contagious!

She told us the stories of several people who lived at this home, mainly the governess of the Macarthur family, Penelope Lucas. During John’s long absences Penelope and Elizabeth became great friends. This cottage was meticulously cared for and still had some of the original ironbark flooring. The furniture, though not original was from the original period of the house.

And the domed brick oven, and open fireplace in the kitchen were great reminders of how much easier our lives are today!! There was a wonderful display of clothing in one of the exhibition rooms.

The huge bunya pine out back was important to the travelers at the time. They are the largest coniferous pine trees in the area. These were planted near houses, so that those riding on horseback could find the homesteads to restock supplies or visit friends.

And at nearby Experiment Farm, we learned that in 1780 Governor Phillip gave a land grant to James Ruse (a convict). This was an experiment in self- sufficiency. Ruse proved that a new settler could, in fact provide for a family with little assistance in a relatively short amount of time. He was given a few things to start – like land, and a bit of livestock, food and clothing for 15 months. Although Experiment Farm was closed by the time we got there, we were still able to walk around the grounds and learn a bit. It was a wonderful day of learning and interactive history.