Harrington Park, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Harrington Park is a suburb
of the Macarthur Region
of Sydney in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
in Camden Council. Once a grand estate, owned by the Fairfax family (formerly publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald), it has recently developed as a residential suburb although the now diminished Harrington Park estate is still owned and run by the Fairfaxes.
. Shortly after the arrival of the First Fleet
in Sydney in 1788, four cows and two bulls strayed from a Government Farm at Rosehill and found their way to a rich expanse of lush land southwest of Sydney. It was seven years before the healthy herd (which had grown in number) was discovered.
Governor Hunter had the region surveyed in 1795 and named it Cowpastures in honour of the herd. The region was declared a Government reserve although settlers such as John Macarthur
soon lobbied the Governor for land grants in the rich farming area.
In 1813, 2000 acres (8.1 km²) in the area were granted to trader Captain William Douglas Campbell as compensation for the loss of his snow
Harrington which was seized by convicts, from its anchorage in Sydney Harbour, on the evening of 15 May 1808. In March 1809, His Majesty’s Ship Dedaigneuse fell in with the Harrington near Manilla, in the Philippines
, and after a short engagement the vessel was driven on shore and totally destroyed. Campbell called the land Harrington Park in remembrance of his vessel.
When Captain Campbell died in 1827, he left Harrington Park to his two nephews, Murdock and John from Scotland, both of whom worked on the land. In 1833, young Murdock was shot on the property by bushranger
James Lockhardt.
Abraham Davy bought Harrington Park from James Rofe in June 1853 for 2000 pounds. The property was sold by Jane Davy in 1875, after the death of her husband and eldest son, Daniel in 1874. There are interesting photos of Harrington Park and the family taken in 1871 in descendants possession. While the Davys lived at Harrington Park it was frequently visited by Quakers from around the world, and a sketch from 1854 by Frederick Mackie (a visiting Quaker) is in the Nan Kivell collection in Canberra (National Library).
Harrington Park was then leased for several years before being sold to Mr Abraham Davy in the 1859s, who later sold the property to Mr. and Mrs. William Rudd in 1875. After Mrs. Rudd's death in 1902, their grandson, William Britton and his sister Mrs. Dunlop took control of the estate. They then sold the property in the 1920s as a dairy farm to the Giddins family who in turn sold it to Mr Arthur Swan.
It was in 1944 that Sir Warwick Oswald Fairfax (at that time Director of John Fairfax Ltd) bought Harrington Park and the adjacent property (which was land granted to Lieutenant Edward Lord on June 10, 1815) from Mr Swan. Sir Warwick Fairfax carried out renovations and additions to the homestead and set up a nursery in the 1950s specialising in camellias, roses and imported flowers.
Until 1976, Sir Warwick ran a Poll Hereford stud where he bred many show winning champions. Sir Warwick spent much time at Harrington Park with his family and dogs. It was a place where he enjoyed writing, country walks, picnics and devoting time to his family. The Harrington Park property is still owned by the Fairfax family.
Census
, the suburb of Harrington Park had a population of 3,015 people. Like its neighbouring suburbs, Harrington Park is full of families with young children (63%). In fact, the number of children aged four or under (13%) is almost double the national average. Housing is almost entirely (99.7%) detached houses with no apartments recorded in the area at the time of the 2001 census. Almost two thirds of houses in the area are mortgaged.
of Macarthur
, represented by former ultra-marathon runner Pat Farmer (Liberal
), and the state electorate
of Camden
, currently held by former mayor Geoff Corrigan (Labor
).
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of the Macarthur Region
Macarthur, New South Wales
Macarthur is a region in south-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region includes the local government areas of the City of Campbelltown, Camden Council and Wollondilly Shire. It covers an area of 3,067 square kilometres and has a population of close to 240,000 residents...
of Sydney in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in Camden Council. Once a grand estate, owned by the Fairfax family (formerly publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald), it has recently developed as a residential suburb although the now diminished Harrington Park estate is still owned and run by the Fairfaxes.
History
The area now known as Harrington Park was originally home to the Muringong, southernmost of the Darug peopleDarug people
The Darug people are a language group of Indigenous Australians, who are traditional custodians of much of what is modern day Sydney. There is some dispute about the extent of the Darug nation. Some historians believe the coastal Eora people were a separate tribe to the Darug...
. Shortly after the arrival of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
in Sydney in 1788, four cows and two bulls strayed from a Government Farm at Rosehill and found their way to a rich expanse of lush land southwest of Sydney. It was seven years before the healthy herd (which had grown in number) was discovered.
Governor Hunter had the region surveyed in 1795 and named it Cowpastures in honour of the herd. The region was declared a Government reserve although settlers such as John Macarthur
John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
John Macarthur was a British army officer, entrepreneur, politician, architect and pioneer of settlement in Australia. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation...
soon lobbied the Governor for land grants in the rich farming area.
In 1813, 2000 acres (8.1 km²) in the area were granted to trader Captain William Douglas Campbell as compensation for the loss of his snow
Snow (ship)
A snow or snaw is a sailing vessel. A type of brig , snows were primarily used as merchant ships, but saw war service as well...
Harrington which was seized by convicts, from its anchorage in Sydney Harbour, on the evening of 15 May 1808. In March 1809, His Majesty’s Ship Dedaigneuse fell in with the Harrington near Manilla, in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and after a short engagement the vessel was driven on shore and totally destroyed. Campbell called the land Harrington Park in remembrance of his vessel.
When Captain Campbell died in 1827, he left Harrington Park to his two nephews, Murdock and John from Scotland, both of whom worked on the land. In 1833, young Murdock was shot on the property by bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
James Lockhardt.
Abraham Davy bought Harrington Park from James Rofe in June 1853 for 2000 pounds. The property was sold by Jane Davy in 1875, after the death of her husband and eldest son, Daniel in 1874. There are interesting photos of Harrington Park and the family taken in 1871 in descendants possession. While the Davys lived at Harrington Park it was frequently visited by Quakers from around the world, and a sketch from 1854 by Frederick Mackie (a visiting Quaker) is in the Nan Kivell collection in Canberra (National Library).
Harrington Park was then leased for several years before being sold to Mr Abraham Davy in the 1859s, who later sold the property to Mr. and Mrs. William Rudd in 1875. After Mrs. Rudd's death in 1902, their grandson, William Britton and his sister Mrs. Dunlop took control of the estate. They then sold the property in the 1920s as a dairy farm to the Giddins family who in turn sold it to Mr Arthur Swan.
It was in 1944 that Sir Warwick Oswald Fairfax (at that time Director of John Fairfax Ltd) bought Harrington Park and the adjacent property (which was land granted to Lieutenant Edward Lord on June 10, 1815) from Mr Swan. Sir Warwick Fairfax carried out renovations and additions to the homestead and set up a nursery in the 1950s specialising in camellias, roses and imported flowers.
Until 1976, Sir Warwick ran a Poll Hereford stud where he bred many show winning champions. Sir Warwick spent much time at Harrington Park with his family and dogs. It was a place where he enjoyed writing, country walks, picnics and devoting time to his family. The Harrington Park property is still owned by the Fairfax family.
Demographics
In the 2001 Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the suburb of Harrington Park had a population of 3,015 people. Like its neighbouring suburbs, Harrington Park is full of families with young children (63%). In fact, the number of children aged four or under (13%) is almost double the national average. Housing is almost entirely (99.7%) detached houses with no apartments recorded in the area at the time of the 2001 census. Almost two thirds of houses in the area are mortgaged.
Governance
Harrington Park is part of the north ward of Camden Council represented by David Funnell (currently deputy mayor of Camden), Cindy Cagney and Peter Johnson. Chris Patterson is currently the local mayor. The suburb is contained within the federal electorateAustralian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
of Macarthur
Division of Macarthur
The Division of Macarthur is an Australia Federal electoral division covering outer south-west Sydney. Its present boundaries cover the southern suburbs of Campbelltown, all of the local government area of Camden and small parts of Wollondilly. It covers 537 km² and is named after John...
, represented by former ultra-marathon runner Pat Farmer (Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
), and the state electorate
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
of Camden
Electoral district of Camden
Camden is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's south-west. It is currently represented by Chris Patterson of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
, currently held by former mayor Geoff Corrigan (Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
).