The land of Burwood was originally Wanne country – home of the Wangal clan of the Dharug tribe.
On 3 August 1799, Captain Thomas Rowley of the New South Wales Corps received a land grant of 260 acres (110 ha) from Governor John Hunter. He named his property Burwood Farm after Burwood Park in Cornwall, England where he had lived.
Rowley was one of the men who purchased merinos from the original flock brought to Australia by Captain Waterhouse in 1797. By 1805 his his estate increased to 750 acres (300 ha) and he owned 519 sheep, but made no effort to breed from them. He was interested only in meat production and not wool growing.
On 27 May 1806, Rowley died of consumption leaving his property to his children and to his partner Elizabeth Selwyn, a former convict who had arrived on the Pitt in 1792.
In 1812, the land was bought by a well-known Sydney businessman, Alexander Riley, who built the first house in the district, ‘Burwood Villa’ in 1814.
First Day Cover
References
- Aboriginal History of Burwood Municipality (1997) – Michael Guider
- Burwood.nsw.gov.au
- Burwood Villa, New South Wales, The Property of Alexander Riley Esq. – Joseph Lycett (1777 – 1828)
- Wikipedia: Burwood, New South Wales
- Wikipedia: Thomas Rowley (soldier)
- Wikipedia: Wangal
