Mowbray Park History

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In April 1821a young Scotsman Daniel Maclaine Ross made a formal application to travel to the Colonial Office applying for a grant of land. He left Scotland in June 1821 sailing on the Royal George with the Governor Elect of New South Wales Sir Thomas Brisbane, who had been sent word too relieve Governor Macquarie- a relative of Daniel Maclaine Ross. They arrived in Sydney on the 6th November “a promise” of a grant of land of 1000 acres in the County Of Camden was made by Sir Thomas Brisbane to Daniel Maclaine Ross – that grant to be known as “Seabright Park” was not fulfilled until October, 1830 but that did not prevent Maclaine Ross from selling conditionally in March 1824 to another Scotsman Dr William Panton.

 

The Solicitor involved in the conveyancing was William Charles Wentworth - Australia’s Greatest Statesman- who in his diary noted the fee for the transfer as “Twenty Spanish Gold Dollars”.

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Within a year Dr Panton had another medico on his Eastern boundary, A Dr Elyard who had served in the British Fleet with Nelson at Trafalgar. Dr Panton renamed the property “Montpelier Park” and during the twelve years he held the property several famous explorers like Barralier, Sturt, Stephenson, and Cunningham passed through the property on their historical travels.

Origin of name of property   William Barker was reputed to be a descendent of Geoffrey de Mandeville, the 1st Earl of Sussex, contemporary of Robert Mowbray. Mowbray is the name of an English Baronial Family. The name was derived from a place called Montbray New St Lo in Normandy. It was founded by Geoffrey de Montbray Bishop of Constance who was a statesman and principal advisor to William the Conqueror. After the great victory of 1066 his reward was a gift of 280 Manors in 12 Counties of England. A descendent, Roger changed the name to Mowbray and was one of the 25 Barons appointed to enforce the Magna Carta.

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The mail line of the Mowbray’s became extinct when John Mowbray died in 1476, the titles and estates passing on to the Howards. While the Barkers were on holidays in England in 1877 a year after they purchased the property the House of Lords announced that Baron Stourton had successfully claimed the title of Baron Mowbray. On his return to Australia, William Barker named the property “Mowbray Park”. The Present homestead was built by his son, William Manderville Barker about 1884. He bought out an Architect from England to design the house which took some years to build. In the late 1890’s he added the North Eastern Wing which included a Ballroom. In July 1905 the private road from Mowbray Park to Picton via Thirlmere  was constructed at the direction and expense of Manderville Barker, was given to the Government and officially gazetted in July 1905.