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: Cowpastures Gentry
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.
The Cowpastures’ English-styled-gentry and their private villages
A certain type of self-styled-English gentry created a landscape in their own vision in the Cowpastures.
St John’s Church Camden, the soul of a country town
On the hill overlooking the Camden town centre is St Johns Church> It is a representation of the community's historic, moral and emotional heart, its sense of place, the town's soul.
