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By Frank Holland

Quote from Governor Macquarie’s Diary 1^st December 1810:

“... We breakfasted at 9 o’clock this morning, having been joined previous thereto by Mr. Cox, Mr & Mrs Evans, Mr. Forest and some other visitors----Having sent off our servants & baggage and carriage by the direct road to the Government Cottage at the Green Hills (present day Windsor) on the right bank of the Hawkesbury, we mounted our horses to make an excursion to Richmond Hill, the Kurry Jung Brush and Richmond Terrace on the left bank of the Hawkesbury; setting out from the Yellow-mundie Lagoon at 10o’clock,  accompanied by Mrs Macquarie, the gentlemen of our own family, Mr Cox & Mr. Evans, we crossed the Hawkesbury about a mile from our last encampment, in a boat to Richmond Hill, our horses crossing the river by a bad ford about a half mile higher up, and which we mounted again on landing at Richmond Hill.---We rode up the hill to call on Mrs Bell (the wife of Lieut. Bell of the 102d Regt.) who resides on her farm on the summit of this beautiful hill, from which there is a very fine commanding Prospect of the River Hawkesbury and adjacent country, ---We found Mrs. Bell and her family at home, and after sitting with them for about an hour, we again mounted our horses to prosecute our excursion, directing our course for the Kurry Jung Hill.

We rode through a fine open Forest and   hilly country for about 5 miles to the foot of the Curry(sic) Jung Hill, which is very long and steep to ascend, arriving on the summit of it at 12 o’clock, and from whence we had a very grand and noble Prospect of the low grounds on both Banks of the River Hawkesbury as far as the Green Hills, --Having feasted our eyes with this fine prospect on the one hand, and with that of the Blue Mountains (here quite close to us) on the other, we began to descend the hill on the opposite side to that we ascended it, and the descent was so very steep that we had great difficulty to sit our horses, --We arrived, however, safe and without meeting with any accident at the bottom of the hill, which from the summit to the foot cannot be less than a mile long, excessively steep, and covered with thick Brush-wood; but through which Mr. Evans had had made a small passage or Road some little time before, with the view to mark out the best Path to descend the hill, --the Brush-wood that covers the sides of this hill is full of small sort of leech, which fasten on horses feet and annoy & fret them very much,--Mrs.M. had two or three of them on her ankles at one time, and all our horses were attacked by them, but they were soon shook off, --We found plenty of Wild Raspberries on the sides of this hill, but they were without any flavour and not worth eating.

On leaving the Kurry Jung Hill, (named by the late Mr.Thompson “Mount Maurice” out of compliment to Lt.Col. O’Connell), we pursued our way through that District of Country called the Kurry-Jung Brush, which is a fine range of Hill & Dale alternately, and admirably well calculated for Pasturage, being well watered and abounding in good grass and good shelter for both Black Cattle and Sheep.  Several farms having been located in this fine tract of country to different individuals in the time of the Usurped Government, I desired Mr. Meehan the Acting Surveyor to point them out to me as we rode along.

About 2 p.m. we quitted the Kurry-Jung Brush and arrived on what is called Richmond Terrace..."

The diary goes on to record the continuation of the journey which culminated in the christening of the new townships (Windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh, Wilberforce and Pitt Town) on 6^th December 1810.

It is the ‘200 year’ anniversary of this journey to Kurry-Jung Hill that the Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society proposes to celebrate in 2010.  On Wednesday, 1^st December 2010, the plan is to conduct a coach tour covering the journey from Government House at Parramatta to Kurrajong Heights, tracing as far as is possible the route taken by Governor Macquarie and his party.  This tour is to be followed by a formal dinner in the evening with a distinguished guest of honour (possibly the Governor of NSW).  On Friday 3^rd December, a parade, complete with soldiers, the Governor, Mrs Macquarie and other actors making up the party, would proceed along Old Bells Line of Road to Memorial Park in Kurrajong.  Here ‘Governor Macquarie’ would make a small speech, present school children with prizes for project work (as judged by each school) and present each school with a framed commemorative document.

For a full extract from Macquarie's diary between 29th November to 9th December 1810 detailing his Nepean and Hawkesbury expedition is detailed on the website for the Hawkesbury Historical Society and can be accessed by clicking here.