The letters of John Hawdon and others from 1828 to 1837, preserved in the State Library of NSW, provide insights into colonial life in New South Wales. They highlight themes of isolation, communication challenges, economic struggles, and attitudes toward gender and Indigenous populations, alongside Hawdon's farming experiences and family connections.
Tag: Cowpasture
Insights from the Hawdon Letters: Colonial Life in NSW, Part 2, 1831-1833
John Hawdon's letters from New South Wales (1831-1833) reveal colonial life, highlighting farming challenges, isolation from England, and the high costs of communication. These letters provide insights into market conditions, crop successes, and family updates, showcasing the Hawdons' experiences and adaptations in a new land, while retaining original spelling and structure.
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Insights from the Hawdon Letters: Colonial Life in NSW, Part 1, 1828-1830
John Hawdon's letters (1828-1830) provide an intimate view of colonial life in New South Wales. Addressed to family in England, they detail challenges of farming, personal hardships, and isolation. The cross-written letters, located at the State Library of NSW, are difficult to decipher but are significant historical records of early colonial settlement in the Cowpastures.
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Exploring Belgenny Farm: Australia’s Oldest Farm Complex
Belgenny Farm, located in Camden, NSW, is Australia’s oldest surviving group of farm buildings, dating back to the 1820s. This historical site includes significant structures like stables, a coach house, and a community hall. It holds cultural importance through its association with the Macarthur family and continues to serve educational purposes.
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Unveiling Hardy Wilson’s architectural legacy and his influence on Camden’s aesthetics
William Hardy Wilson, a largely unrecognized architect and artist, authored The Cow Pasture Road in 1920, impacting Camden's cultural narrative. His work celebrates colonial architecture and aesthetics, leading to a recent exhibition at the University of Sydney Library, which explores his dual legacy as both a visionary artist and controversial figure in Australian history.
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Denbigh Open Days: Exploring Historic Colonial Farm
Denbigh, a significant colonial farming complex in Australia, recently opened its gardens to the public for a rare charity viewing. The property, with a dark history of conflict and anxiety, reveals layers of history from dispossession of Aboriginal lands to dairying and urban invasion. Denbigh's fortified structures reflect the fear and violence of the Cowpastures frontier.
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The Camden district, 1840-1973, a field of dreams
The Camden district was historically significant, serving as a social and economic center for over a century. It integrated farming, mining, and community life, shaped by Aboriginal heritage and European settlement. However, modern developments and infrastructural changes led to its decline, transitioning to a regional identity tied to Macarthur area governance and branding.
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Cowpastures Memorial, Picton
The Picton Cowpastures Memorial mural is the first memorial to the historic Cowpastures and its Wild Cattle in the Macarthur region.
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Governor Macquarie’s visit to the Cowpasture 1810
In November 1810, Governor Lachlan Macquarie (1762-1824) and Mrs Elizabeth Macquarie visited the Cowpastures. On that occasion, the Governor and Elizabeth Macarthur met the Dharawal people.
