History of station settlement told at museum exhibition

ABOVE: Kyogle Homestead. Photos: Kyogle History Museum

In the late 1830s-40s wealthy, new arrivals to Australia started taking up leases or squatting on land surrounding Kyogle.

This land eventually became the seven great runs and stations bound by rivers, plains and mountain ranges.

In 1839 NSW was split into nine counties with the counties furthermost to the north being the County of Macquarie and County of New England.

By 1841 this number became 19 and by 1848 there were 141 counties. 

Larger counties split into smaller areas making management of the state easier and what is now Northern NSW, which originally only extended north to Port Macquarie, became the counties of Clarence, Richmond and Rous.

It is thought that the first European to take up land in Rous County was landowner and politician Sir John Jamieson. He established the Richmond Head run (also named Fairy Lands) in 1841.  He did not live on the run but had a manager, M Gale who took up the run and ran cattle for Jamieson. 

The names of run and station were used interchangeably in the past, however it is now known the land was the ‘run’ and the ‘station’ referred to the homestead built on the land.

Other early explorers moved further north from the Hunter River and other regions and the district surrounding the township of Kyogle (not formed until 1899) consisted of seven runs and stations:  Fairy Mount (becoming Kyogle Station), Runnymede, Wiangaree, Ettrick, Dyraaba, Roseberry and Unumgar. 

Other prominent citizens who took up the land were WC Bundock, Henry Barnes, John Eaton, James Glennie and Fawcett & Mayne. The names of the stations were acquired or influenced by memories of homelands or from the indigenous people. 

Find out more at a new exhibition at the Kyogle History Museum at 19 Bloore St. Open on Saturdays 9am–1pm, Tuesdays 10am–1pm and Thursdays 10am–2pm.

Bus groups and others can phone and arrange a visit on 6632 3041.