Exploration of Broken Bay

In early March 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip led a small party of officers and marines on an exploratory voyage along the coast to the north of Sydney Harbour.

Only five weeks after the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, it became clear that reliable supplies of water and food must be found if the settlement was to survive.

During the eight day voyage, Phillip and his party made a brief exploration of both sides of Broken Bay.

This included a tributary initially known as the "north-west arm".

Later this area was to be called the "north-east arm'" and eventually Brisbane Water.

In 1789, a more thorough investigation of the "north-west arm" was conducted.

On the first voyage, Phillip had found little of immediate use to the Sydney Cove settlement.

During this second voyage, the "north-west arm" was discounted for agricultural use, owing to the rugged nature of the area.

The Hawkesbury River was discovered by the party during the 1789 voyage, and this was to provide the colony with good farming land necessary for survival.

In the meantime, the "north-west arm" of Broken Bay was left untouched.

European settlement of the Gosford district began in the 1820s with the main points of entry being Brisbane Water in the east and Mangrove Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, in the west.

Most of the development subsequently occurred in the eastern or coastal sector.

The early settlement of the district can be divided into two phases:

1. The pioneering era, 1821 -1831, when the district's resources were exploited and little development took place.

2. The developing era, 1832-1843, when considerable growth occurred in population and industry.

In the pioneering period, the attractions of the Brisbane Water area were its proximity to Sydney and its wealth of timber resources.

The shores of the waterways were occupied by small settlers, including ex-convicts and "currency lads'" while the timbered country on Erina and Narara Creeks was dominated by the gentry.

James Webb arrived as a free man on the convict transport "Scarborough" in 1790, a soldier in the 102nd Regiment.

He served until 1794.

After his discharge, Webb was granted land in the district of Mulgrave Place on the Hawkesbury River.

In 1808, he launched a small vessel, the "Unity" at Green Hills. Later, he lived in Sydney, where he built boats and became active in trade. In 1822 Webb launched the sloop "James" at Macdonald River.

In October 1823, Webb received permission to temporarily occupy 300 acres on the eastern side of the north-east, formerly the north-west, arm of Broken Bay, for the purposes of a cattle run.

Late in 1824, Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane received a request for a grant of land in the same area.

Webb's request was granted, and in September 1824 he received 100 acres on the western side of The Rip.

This area was named "Mulbong Farm".

James Webb died at Brisbane Water in June 1848.

His age was given as 90, but this is believed to have been a rough guess.

Frederick Hely was Superintendent of Convicts in NSW and had several thousand hectares of land on Narara Creek.

Hely called his property "Wyoming".

His grave, cottage and a farmyard building can still be seen there, beside the Pacific Highway.

At the head of Brisbane Water, on land between Erina and Narara Creeks, a government township was laid out in the 1830s.

It was described as the township at Point Frederick in honour of Frederick Hely whose death had occurred in 1836.

But when the survey plan was sent to Governor Gipps for approval, it was returned with the notation "to be called Gosford".

Research has shown that Governor Gipps served with the Earl of Gosford in Canada between 1835 and 1837 prior to being appointed Governor of New South Wales.

February 19