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Colonial Events

1810

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Estimated Population of the colony in 1810 - almost 11,773  

Tree Felling early 20thC

 

Cedar getters operating along the banks of the Hunter River past present day Maitland  
 

JANUARY 1

 

 

Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales in office until 1 December 1821

 The Macquarie decade: documents illustrating the history of New South Wales, 1810-1821,

 
All those people appointed to official positions since Gov. Bligh's removal dismissed. Trials and land grants nullified.  
All those who had been granted Pardons under the assumed Government while William Bligh was placed under arrest required to surrender Pardons or be immediately arrested

 

 

William Lawson, a Lieutenant in the NSW Corp, was sent to England in 1810 as a witness at Johnston's court martial. This is one of his final reports of the convict settlement at Newcastle

 
George Crossley, Sir Henry Browne Hayes, Roger Farrell to be liberated from Newcastle penal settlement following the Proclamation of Governor Macquarie  
 

 

 

Richard Horner employed as acting surgeon at Newcastle penal settlement  
 

FEBRUARY 24

Text not available

Announcement of the establishment of a Free School by Governor Macquarie

Description of education in 1820's at Sydney in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine

 
Ship Ann arrived from England with 197 male prisoners. Among the prisoners Benjamin Grainger who worked for many years at Newcastle Coalmines  
 

FEBRUARY

 

Arrival of Rev. Robert Cartwright in Sydney  
Lieutenant John Purcell appointed Commandant at Newcastle in room of Lieutenant William Lawson  
Death of Lieutenant-Governor Collins at the settlement at Hobart whilst sitting in his chair conversing with his surgeon, who had attended him during a short illness of six days (Caledonian Mercury 8 November 1810)

The Hull Packet recorded the following correspondence ' the settlement has lost a man of ability. temper, and humanity, and will not easily find such another; the soldiers have lost a friend, the convicts a protector. Indeed, very few are to be found of those who have lived under his government that do not lament him as a father. For my own part, though, I had less to do with him than many others, I consider him a very great loss to the colony in general. He was a  man of the most conciliatory manners, a scholar, and a perfect gentleman, and had the interest of the country at heart. He was buried with military honours, and followed to the grave by all descriptions of people, the whole of whom vied in bearing testimony to his worth and in expressions of regret.

 
An account of early horse racing in Australia  
 

MAY 12

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Departure of William Bligh on  the Hindostan

New South Wales Corp (102 Regt.,) returned to England on board the Hindostan

 

 

MAY 12

 

Departure of Colonel Paterson on the Porpoise  
 

MAY 19

 

Servants of the Crown directed to attend church on Sundays  
 

JUNE 14

Text not available

 

Mathew Flinders released from prison at Mauritius and sailed for England

A General Biographical Dictionary By John Gorton

 
 

JUNE 21

 

Death of Colonel William Paterson. Lieutenant-Colonel of the 102 regiment, Fellow of the Royal Society, Member of the Asiatic Society and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales. Died on HMS Dromedary while at sea.  
Publication of a new plan of the Settlements of New South Wales by John Booth (London). Author Robert Rowe  
 

SEPTEMBER

 

Crops at the Hawkesbury destroyed by a Caterpillar plague  
 

SEPTEMBER 8

 

Arrival of the ship Canada. Captain John B. Ward.  

 

 

OCTOBER

 

 

Sydney street names altered by order of Gov. Macquarie - The main thoroughfare previously known as Sergeant-Major's Row, Spring Row and the High Street became George Street after the King; Pitt's Row named after the Prime Minister became Pitt Street; Chapel Row became Castlereagh Street after the Secretary of State for the colonies; Elizabeth Street was named for the Governor's wife; Back Row became Phillip Street after the colony's first Governor and the track then beyond Phillip street was straightened and became known as Macquarie Street. Bell Row was altered to Bligh Street and South Street became O'Connell Street after Lieut.Gov. Maurice O'Connell; Streets to the west of George Street were named after various dukes - York, Clarence, Kent and Sussex. Hunter and King Streets were named after former governors. Bridge street with the stone bridge crossing the Tank Street kept its original name. Market Street was named for the town market; Park street led to Hyde Park.

 
 

OCTOBER

 

In Sydney - George Street Markets opened  
 

NOVEMBER

 

Governor Macquarie and party set out on two month journey to inland districts.  

Alexander Riley and Garnham Blaxcell contracted to build hospital in exchange for a monopoly on the import of rum. (Rum Hospital)

Australian Medical Pioneers Index

 
 

NOVEMBER

 

Arrival of Maurice Margarot in Sheffield after suffering 14 years transportation to New South Wales for 'uttering certain expressions on the subject of Parliamentary reform'. He had been a delegate from the London Corresponding Society to the British Convention at Edinburgh in 1794.  
 

DECEMBER

 

Five towns named by Macquarie - Windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh, Pitt town, and Wilberforce.  
 

DECEMBER

 

Governor Macquarie issues first building regulations requiring houses to be made of brick or weatherboards, have brick chimneys and shingled roofs  
 

DECEMBER 16

 

Arrival from England of the Indian, Captain Barclay, with 192 male prisoners, having lost 8 on the passage. Prisoners included Francis Beattie, Edward Edwards, Isaac Elliott and James Hardy Vaux

 

Free Settler or Felon?

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