The presentation was given as the keynote speaker at the AGM of the Friends of Belgenny Farm, Belgenny Farm, Camden, NSW.

1. The memory of the Cowpastures
in monuments, memorials
and murals (wip)
Ian Willis
1
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

2. The memory of the Cowpastures is portrayed across the local area in
1. Public art
2. Memorials
3. Statues
4. Murals
5. Historic sites
6. Roads
7. Bridges
8. Conferences
The memory of the Cowpastures has different meanings for different people
1. Hope/loss; peace/trauma; opportunity/adversity; renewal/dispossession;
The Cowpastures was
1. The colonial frontier 1795-1820
2. A colonial government reserve 1803-1820s
3. A regional area 1795 - 1840
The memory of the Cowpastures
2
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

3. What is the extent of
the Cowpastures?
The extent of the Cowpastures based on the
description in the Bigge Report
JT Bigge, Report of the Commissioner of
Inquiry on the state of agriculture and trade
in the colony of NSW, 1822, Vol 1
3
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

4. The Cowpastures landscape and its interpretation
Seven principles of landscape interpretation applied to the Cowpastures
• Utilitarian – the economic benefit – the protection of the cows and the herd
• Picturesque – the presentation of the Cowpastures as a result of the burning of the environment by the
Aborigines –fire stick farming – the reports of the area being a little England from the 1820s - Hawdon
• Regulatory – banning of movement into the Cowpastures to protect the cows
• Political and philosophical – evils of the governors and transportation were the true corruptors of the countryside
• Natural history – collecting specimens and describing fauna and flora – Darwin’s visit to Sydney – the curiosity of
the early officers
• ‘New natures’ – the environmental impact of flooding along the Nepean River and clear felling of trees across the
countryside
• Emotional response – how the European viscerally experienced the countryside – sights, smells, hearing - and its
expression in words and pictures. (after Karskins 2006)
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/ 4

5. The Cowpastures Region 1795-1840
A graph showing the usage of the locality name ‘Cowpastures’ in newspaper
articles on the National Library of Australia Trove Database between 1795 and
1950 using QueryPic (I Willis, 2017)
5
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

6. The memory of the Cowpastures – another view
The memory of the Cowpastures can be divided into a number of parts
1. Colonial frontier military conflict – the 1816 Appin Massacre – (a) Cataract Dam memorial to
the Appin Massacre (b) 2016 Art Display commemorating the bicentenary of the Appin
Massacre at Campbelltown Arts Centre called ‘With Secrecy and Dispatch’ (c ) Heritage listing
of the Appin Massacre Cultural Landscape (d) yearly remembrance ceremonies held in NAIDOC
Week. [contrasts with other commemorative military memorials across district to WW1, WW2
and commemorative days]
2. Agriculture and settler colonialism – historic sites - (a) Belgenny Farm (b) Camden Park (c )
others eg Denbigh (d) 1924 Hume and Hovell Monument on the Appin Road (d) artworks, eg,
‘View in the Cowpasture district 1840-46’ By Robert MarshWestmacott
3. Naming of Cowpastures 1795 and 1803 declaration by Governor King of Government
Cowpastures Reserve (a) 1995 ‘Governor Hunter’ Statue at Mount Annan (b) 2016 ‘The
Cowpastures’ and cows at Oran Park (c ) 2012 Cowpastures Picton Mural (d) 1995 Cowpastures
Bicentennial celebrations (e) 2001 Harrington Park ‘Cowpastures’ artwork (f) 2006
‘Cowpastures Story’ artwork in Narellan Library Forecourt
4. Loss of landscape (a) 1962 Camden Rotary Pioneer Mural (b) 2017 Art display at Campbelltown
Arts Centre in reflecting on European immigration called ‘They Came by Boat’
5. Infrastructure (a) Cowpasture Bridge, Camden (b) Cowpasture Road.
6
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

7. Art
View in the Cowpasture
district 1840-46 By Robert
MarshWestmacott
Contributed By
National Library of Australia
[nla.pic-an3706239]
7
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

8. https://camdenhistorynotes.com/ 8
The Cow Pasture Road by Hardy
Wilson (1920)
Review: Architecture ‘A Notable Book’,
20 November 1920, pp129-130.
‘Both printer and engraver have done
all that accomplished craftsmen can
do to make Mr. Wilson’s little history a
thing of beauty; and to those who
are fortunate enough to possess it,
one may be certain it will prove to be
a joy for ever.’

9. View of the
former
Cowpastures
from
Razorback
2022
I Willis
9
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

10. Statue of Governor
Hunter,
Mount Annan
Located Governors Green in Baragil Mews,
Mount Annan in the Governor’s Green
Heritage Park.
The statue is at the centre of a circular
colonnade surrounded by other elements of
the artworks celebrating the Cowpastures. It
includes a settlers slab hut, Cumberland
Woodland, a farmer’s cart, a horned cow.
Land developer AV Jennings commissioned
Lithgow sculptor and artist Antony Symons
(1942-2018) in 1995 to construct the work.
Officially opened by the Mayor of Camden
Councillor FH Brooking on the 6th April 1995.
10
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

11. Cowpastures
Bicentenary 1995,
Camden
Cover of promotional magazine 1995
Cover showing the Cowpastures Heritage
Quilt made by Camden Quilters Guild
11
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

12. Cowpastures
Bicentennial Quilt,
Camden
Applique panel of Belgenny Farm on the
Cowpastures Quilt
The quilt is currently hanging in Camden
Library and was constructed for the
Cowspastures Bicentenary in 1995 by
members of the Camden Country Quilters
Guild.
There are a variety of applique panels sewn
into the quilt reflecting the themes of the
Cowpastures story.
The quilt was unveiled by His Excellency, The
Governor of New South Wales, Rear Admiral
Peter Sinclair on the 19th of February 1995,
and displayed in the Camden Civic Centre.
12
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

13. Cowpastures
Memorial Bronze
Mural, Picton
A bronze mural at Picton is located in the
Rotunda surrounds in car park adjacent to St
Marks Anglican Church and cemetery
The mural is located in the Picton Village
Square and made by local sculptor Joan
Brown and with local school children at
Picton, Camden South, and Mawarra Public
Schools in 2012.
The artwork depicts four-horned cows of
the Cowpastures Wild Cattle grazing on the
steep country around the Razorback Range.
Joan Brown was part of the community that
initiated the Picton Bicentennial Village
Square, where the mural is located, and the
restoration of St Mark’s Church and Pioneer
Cemetery. (Brown 2021)
13
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

14. Rotary Pioneer Mural,
Camden
Located in Camden adjacent to Camden
Hospital
The mural was commissioned by Camden
Rotary and completed by ceramic mural
artist WA Byram Mansell in 1962. (Clowes,
2012)
The mural themes include: the local
Aboriginal tribe; local blackbirds – magpies;
First Fleet arriving from England; merino
sheep brought by the Macarthur family
establishing Australia’s first wool industry;
grapes for a wine making industry; dairy
farming and fruit growing; and development
of the coal industry. (Clowes, 2012)
The sandstone for the wall came from
Burragorang Valley.
14
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

15. Cowpastures Story,
Narellan Library Plaza
A sculpture in the forecourt of Narellan
Library called ‘Cowpastures Story’.
Jointly commissioned by Narellan Rotary
Club and Camden Council in 2006.
The artwork was created by Blue Mountains
artists and sculptors Philippa Johnson and
Henryk Topolnicki from Art Is An Option.
The artist’s website describes the artwork as
‘Sculptural Mobiles & Screen’.
The artworks were part of the 2006 Narellan
Library development that was designed by
Sydney architect GSA, and built by Richard
Crookes Construction with art consultants
Guppy & Associates.
15
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

16. The Wild Cattle of the
Cowpastures,
Oran Park
The bronze statues of cows are located in
Perich Park at Central Avenue, Oran Park.
The bronzed cattle in Perich Park on Central
Ave were installed in 2016 to coincide with
the opening of the new council building, and
donated by the Perich family.
The sculptures depict six adult cattle and one
calf.
16
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

17. Cowpastures,
Harrington Park
Jane Cavanough’s Cowpasture’s public art
installation on the Harrington Park Lakeside
walkway.
The artwork installation
called Cowpastures was created by
artist Jane Cavanough of Artlandish Art and
Design in 2001. T
he signage states ‘The cows represent the
history of cattle grazing in this region,
formerly known as “The Cowpastures”.
The artwork was commissioned by land
developers Harrington Park-Taylor Woodrow-
Fairfax.
The artwork is accompanied by a storyboard.
17
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

18. Cowpasture Bridge,
Camden
The fourth bridge in Argyle Street Camden
crossing the Nepean River at the northern
entry to Camden Town Centre opened in
1975.
The first Cowpasture bridge was built in
1826, then new bridges followed in 1861,
1900 and 1976.
The 1826 bridge was a low-level timber
bridge.
The 1861 bridge was a five-span timber truss
bridge.
The 1900 bridge was a steel girder bridge to
take the weight of two locomotives.
18
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

19. https://camdenhistorynotes.com/ 19

20. Appin Massacre
Memorial,
Cataract Dam.
Memorial commemorating the Appin
Massacre in 1816.
https://monumentaustralia.org.au/search/display/20069-appin-massacre
20
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

21. https://camdenhistorynotes.com/ 21
Cowpastures and
Beyond Conference
Flyer 2016

22. Art Exhibition,
Campbelltown Art
Centre, 2016
With Secrecy and Despatch Exhibition at
Campbelltown Art Centre 9 April- 13 June
2016
Commemorating the bicentenary of the
Appin Massacre in 1816.
22
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/

23. 23
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/
https://camdenhistorynotes.com/