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In
November 1844 Governor Gipps travelled
from Aberdeen, passed through St. Aubin's and proceeded to the
parsonage at Scone. Here they inspected the church and
proceeded to the court house where several gentlemen of the
district were in waiting to receive them with a suitable
address. His Excellency made a
brief reply and remained about twenty minutes before driving
off in the directions of Mr. Docker's 'Thornwaite', calling on his way at
John Bingle's 'Puen Buen'.
The Governor and his
entourage arrived at 'Thornwaite'
in the afternoon with the intention of leaving Lady Gipps
there while the Governor and some gentlemen proceeded over the
Cedar Brush to 'Warrah' to 'have a peep at the
Liverpool
Plains'. However the Governor became seriously indisposed
while at 'Thornwaite and was confined to his bed where he
remained until he was well enough to make the journey home.
The Governor would have been well cared for
here as Joseph Docker had long ago qualified as a medical practitioner, having
being apprenticed when he was 13 years old. He had previously been engaged by
the East India Company and arrived in Australia as Surgeon Superintendent of the
female immigrant ship 'David Scott in October 1834. Soon after he
acquired
'Thornwaite', a 10,000 acre
estate on Dartbrook.
The 'Australian Dictionary of Dates & Men of
the Time' gives an account of his life - ' Joseph Docker has spent a large
portion of his life in this country having lived chiefly on his estate near
Scone in the Hunter river district. He was once a candidate for election to the
Legislature but was defeated. He was, however appointed a Member of the Upper
House. Mr. Docker was made Postmaster-General in the first Martin
Administration, in January 1866; and just before the close of that
Administration, in September 1868, he was appointed Colonial Secretary.......Read
the full biography here
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