John macarthur wool pioneer biography of christopher

Comments: 3 [hide] [show]. Login to post a comment. Gillian Thomas. Hi Antonia, Thanks for looking after this Australian notable! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me, Thanks so much! Gillian, co-Leader, Australia Project. Debbie Fink Thomas. John Macarthur is 25 Degrees from Debbie Thomas on my father's family side.

Anne McNeill. She was daughter of Philip Gidley King. Contents 1 Biography 1. According to the latest research on the role of wool in the natural carbon cycle, it has been suggested that under the correct circumstances, wool production can potentially be carbon neutral. So while the Aussies and Kiwis may suffer endless jokes relating to their sheep, the product being produced is something very special.

And John Macarthur deserves a tip of the hat as the bloke who kicked it all off more than years ago. Thank you for this very interesting article. Sheep — serious business Down Under. Like Loading After a duel with his commanding officer, William PatersoninMacarthur was arrested and sent to England for court-martial. He took some samples of his own wool with him and, because of the wartime problems of the British wool industry, was able to interest some textile manufacturers in the colonial product.

John macarthur wool pioneer biography of christopher: ' John Macarthur is a

Macarthur astutely capitalized on this situation, resigned his commission, obtained a grant of 5, acres of the best land in the colony, and returned in with the blessing of the British government to concentrate on the growing of fine wool. Macarthur took up his grant at the Cowpastures near Camden and between and expanded and developed not only his wool production but also his merchant interest.

But the replacement of Hunter with Governor William Bligh brought a determined attempt to restrict illegal trading, especially in rum, as part of a plan to restore order to the colony. Macarthur emerged as the chief leader of the private enterprise group adversely affected by Bligh's policy; the governor, in many ways as irascible and uncompromising as Macarthur, also provoked other elements in the settlement including some of the senior army officers.

When Macarthur was arrested in January for an alleged breach of mercantile regulations, the senior officer, Maj. George Johnston, released him and deposed Bligh in the so-called Rum Rebellion. Macarthur was colonial secretary until July. The next year he sailed for England to support Johnston at his court-martial. In he returned to New South Wales.

In his absence Macarthur's wife had carefully nurtured his Merino sheepin a period of increased demand for fine wool that coincided with a commercial depression. Macarthur continued this process, and when Commissioner John Thomas Bigge recommended in that fine wool production be encouraged in the colony, Macarthur was able to take rapid advantage of the increasing opportunities.

In Macarthur helped to promote the Australian Agricultural Company. He had become one of the wealthiest and most influential of the free colonists, or "exclusives," of New South Wales. He was appointed as one of three to the first Legislative Council in but was removed in"pronounced a lunatic. Sibella Macarthur-Onslow, ed. The biography by M.

Ellis, John Macarthur 2d ed. A wellbalanced general account is in Charles M. Clark, A History of Australia 2 vols. Macarthur therefore thought it safer to stay in England where he remained until Macarthur placed his wife Elizabeth Macarthur and his nephew Hannibal Macarthur in charge of his farming interests in New South Wales and when wool prices soared, he was able to instruct them from London to focus on increasing the quality and quantity of their Merino wool exports to England.

In spite of this, Macarthur's other mercantile interests in sandalwoodwhalingseal hunting and general trade were faring badly and had left him in considerable debt. He became increasingly focused on returning to New South Wales to develop his profitable Merino wool business and to establish olive and viticulture industries in the colony.

In he used his political contacts to influence the Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesLord Bathurst to revoke Macquarie's orders to arrest him and to allow him to return to New South Wales. Macarthur left England with his sons, arriving in Sydney in September On his return to New South Wales, Macarthur found that the "absurd" democratic reforms instituted by Governor Macquarie were an obstacle to his ambitions.

He wanted the colony to be a place where "men of real capital" would be given large selections of land to graze sheep, produce high quality wool and become an aristocratic ruling class. An enquiry into the running of New South Wales was ordered by the British government due to complaints from Macarthur and other conservative colonists about Macquarie's reforms.

The enquiry was conducted in by John Bigge who consulted extensively with Macarthur and concurred with his views. In his subsequent reports, Bigge discredited Macquarie and agreed with Macarthur that rich capitalists should be given large tracts of land with cheap convict labour to advance the wool industry in the colony.

John macarthur wool pioneer biography of christopher: John Macarthur is recognised as

Macquarie was replaced as Governor by Thomas Brisbane who put into practice Bigge's recommendations, allowing Macarthur and other wealthy colonists to expand their assets and power. The export of wool soon made Macarthur the richest man in New South Wales. Inhe finally obtained his second 5, acre grant and was awarded with two medals for exporting 68, kglb of wool to England and for increasing the quality of his wool to that of the finest Saxon Merino.

In the early s, John Macarthur was an owner of more than horses. He established Camden Park Stud and was a major provider of bloodhorses. His sons, James and William Macarthurfollowed in his footsteps and became important thoroughbred owners and breeders. Macarthur also established Australia's first commercial vineyard. Ina scheme Macarthur had promoted for many years came into existence: a chartered company to mass-produce and export Australian wool.

Macarthur was one of the original directors of the London company and the committee established in New South Wales to manage its operations consisted of his son, son-in-law and nephew. Although the AACo came close to becoming insolvent in its early years under the Macarthurs, it went on to become a successful company which still exists today.

InMacarthur was blocked from becoming a magistrate because of his involvement in the Rum Rebellion. However, in he was appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council where he served until when he was removed due to his failing mental health. During his period in office Macarthur took an ultra-conservative position, protecting the 'exclusive' colonial aristocratic establishment that he was a leader of.

For example, he attempted to have Chief Justice Francis Forbes impeached for ordering him to pay costs in a legal case where Macarthur was alleged to have instigated a riot. InMacarthur was officially declared a lunatic by Governor Richard Bourke and placed under restraint at his home in Camden. In recognition of his contribution to Australian agriculture, Macarthur was honoured by a set of three postage stamps issued on the centenary of his death in depicting a merino ram.

Macarthura Canberra suburb is also named after him. John Macarthur's image and a merino ram is featured on the Australian two-dollar notefirst issued in ; and since withdrawn from circulation and replaced by a coin in In the television adaptation, he was played by Robin Stewart. He also features in Naomi Novik 's fantasy novel Tongues of Serpents.

Macarthur FCan A-League football team is also named after him. The Macarthur-Stanhams and Macarthur-Onslows are still wealthy but no longer prominent in public life. Elizabeth Farm House is one of the oldest remaining farmhouses in Australia, though all that remains of the initial house is said to be one room. Both the House and Cottage have managed to survive to the present day.

The Camden Park Estate consisted of 2, hectares 5, acres of prime pasture land with two notable dwellings; Camden Park House and Belgenny Cottage. The original Belgenny Cottage was designed and built by Henry Kitchen in the s. The cottage stood as the John Macarthur's residence while he awaited completion of Camden Park House. It was completed injust after the death of John Macarthur.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. British Army officer, entrepreneur, landowner and politician. Stoke, Plymouth.

John macarthur wool pioneer biography of christopher: Christopher Palmer, the son of

Camden, New South Wales. Early life [ edit ]. New South Wales Corps [ edit ].