Robert Dulhunty
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Venour Dulhunty (1803 to December 30, 1854), was the first permanent white settler of Dubbo. Dulhunty, son of Dr John Dulhunty, was one of the New South Wales colony's wealthiest and influential citizens. He took up the land he named 'Dubbo', just to the south of the present townsite, in 1832.
Dulhunty had six sons and three daughters, the last three children being born in Dubbo:
- Blanche Jane – June 3, 1838
- Marcus – May 18, 1840
- John – 1841
- Robert George – 1843
- Lawrence Joshua – 1844
- Alice – 1846
- Florence – 1848
- Hubert – 1849
- Alfred Murray – 1851
[edit] History
At age 21, Dulhunty arrived at Sydney Cove as a free settler on the ship Guildford on March 5, 1824. The Sydney colony was just 36 years old at the time under Governor Brisbane's administration.
On 23 March 1824, Dulhunty made an application for a grant of land. The Govenor issued him a grant of 2000 acres (8 km²) of land which Dulhunty chose at Cullen Bullen. In addition he was issued with six convict servants.
Dulhunty was a founding member of the Australian Club, the first meeting being held on October, 1836. The 86 members included names such as W.C. Wentworth, Captain John Piper, Dr William Bland, Sir John Jamison, Major Edmund Lockyer, James Macarthur, William Lithgow, John Blaxland.
On July 4, 1828, Dulhunty requested a ticket of occupation from Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell. He was informed on the 10 July that the government had, for some time, discontinued giving tickets of occupation.
In the period between 1829 and 1833, Dulhunty set out from Penrith with an escort of about 40 Aborigines. Crossing the Great Dividing Ranges he followed the Macquarie River down to what is now known as Dubbo. The location was not occupied when Captain Charles Sturt passed down the Macquarie in 1829.
When surveyor Robert Dixon passed through Dubbo to survey the Bogan River in 1833, he mentions that he borrowed a dray from Dulhunty. It is therefore believed that Dulhunty took up the land he named 'Dubbo' in 1832.
Governor Darling created an area known as the ‘limits of location’ on September 5, 1826. Settlers were only allowed to take up land within this area. A further Government order on October 14, 1829 increased this area of approved settlement to include an area called the 'Nineteen Counties'. Anyone who occupied land outside of this area were considered 'squatters', without legal title. Among these were many of the leading citizens of the colony including Dulhunty.
On April 29, 1837, Dulhunty married Eliza Gibbes, eldest daughter of Major (later Lieutenant colonel) John George Nathaniel Gibbes.
Dulhunty was appointed a Commissioner of Crown Lands On May 16, 1837. He was appointed Magistrate on December 5. He took out a licence for ‘Dubbo Station’ in 1837.
Dulhunty built a homestead at Dubbo in 1840, but was an absentee landlord until he moved his family from Emu Plains to Dubbo in 1847.
On December 10, 1840, Dulhunty was appointed to the Committee of the Australian Immigration Association. He represented Penrith along with E. Blaxland and R C Lethbridge.
After the village of Dubbo was planned and proclaimed in 1849, Dulhunty's estate subsequently became known as 'Old Dubbo'.
Robert Venour Dulhunty died on Friday the 30 December 1854, after three days illness He was aged 51 at the time.
