Burrundulla

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Burrundulla (Co. Wellington) 32°38’ S. 149°38’E., 5 km SE of Mudgee, on Oaky Ck; agric.; brewery estab. 1861 by Andrew Caxton, bought 1876 by George John Southward, later known as Sydney Brewery, acquired by E.W. Daley, bought 1891 by George Douglas Young and Robert Heather Ferrier, closed 1898; brick-kiln; butter factory (Burrundulla Dairy Co. Ltd.) 1892; flour mills: George Cox (horse powered) 1840 (taken over by J. and W. Mears, converted to steam 1852, taken over 1858 by William Ellison and Edwin Mears, converted 1861 to brewery) and J. H. McCarthy & Sons; gale 1952; hailstorm 1873; school 1859-1954; storms 1916 and 1952; telephone 1915; Wes. Meth. C. b. 1857 by Stoddart and Cassimer, new one 1897, damaged and repaired 1952, demolished 1958; wineries: Burrundulla 1995 and Clearview Estate; pop. 208 (1911), 162 (1933), 79 (1947), 59 (1954), 85 (1961), 159 (2011)1 .

1899

23 September 1899
'BURRUNDULLA.'
The Hon. G. H. Cox, M.L.C., of Burrundulla, is probably one of the best-known men in Australia. He was born at Mulga. He represented Wellington (which at that time included Mudgee) in the first Parliament of Responsible Government in 1856. In 1863 he was appointed to a seat in the Legislative Council, which he still holds, Burrundulla homestead is a fine large two-story building, and is situate about a mile to the east of Mudgee. I was driven to the place by Mr. George Stewart, auctioneer, who is son-in-law to the Hon. G. H. Cox. Leading up to the place is an avenue of trees, pines, elms, and twisted oaks; a light breeze rustling their brittle leaves, their arms lifted eagerly to the warm yellow bath from above. The green grass paddocks after the late rains were wet and glistening. The air was of wonderful freshness and fragrance, cool on the cheeks, but striking no chill to the blood. The grass tips on the paddocks were fresh and green. There was no haze on the adjacent mountains; the woods stood out sharply, one could almost see the sun blades crossing in their gloomy aisles. Close to the ground was a low restless mutter - the voluntary of spring. Before the house are nicely-laid-out gravel walks, and trim flower beds, and an extensive lawn, with here and there ornamental trees. The Hon. G. H, Cox is one of the most successful breeders of merinos in Australia. In fact, the Mudgee sheep have earned a worldwide reputation. The Burrundulla stud flock trace back their descent from the earliest importation of the merino by Captain Waterhouse. The first flock were kept at Clarendon, and were the originals of the Burrundulla stud, and part of what is known as the Gordon merinos, being exactly the same shipment from which the celebrated Camden flock trace descent. Some of the original ewes were procured from Mr. Riley, at Raby, descended from celebrated Saxon importations, made by that gentleman. In the course of time the Clarendon flock passed into the hands of the late Mr. George Cox, father of the Hon. G. H. Cox, M.L.C., the present proprietor of Burrundulla; and about 1830, after removing to Burrundulla, near Mudgee, six ewes were imported from the Rambouillet flock in France. These sheep were part of a shipment to New South Wales made by the late Sir John Jamieson, of Regentville, Penrith. In 1863, a further addition to the stud was made consisting of eight sheep, composed of both sexes, from the flock of S. F. Hoffschlaeger Weisen, in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg. These are described as having been a grand lot of sheep, well covered with wool of a good length of staple and remarkable for evenness of quality. From that time no strain was introduced into the Burrun della stud with the exception of some from the well known Brombee flock. These sheep were of Silesian origin, from the celebrated flocks of the late Prince Lichnowski. The late Mr. Cox used to say no better flocks were ever imported into Australia. In 1864 a sire imported from Germany was purchased. This animal is described as growing a fleece of cloth ing wool of very high quality and extreme density, and was bred by Baron Schachten, a celebrated Russian sheepbreeder, whose flock originated from Vinks' importation of pure Spanish merinos into that country. The owner of Burrundulla has tried many experiments by introducing outside blood, but in no instance has the Hon. G. H. Cox found an improvement from new blends on the old Mudgee type. He has experimented with some American merinos, but the result was found not to equal the home type, and they were eradicated from the flock. In 1879 Mr. Cox purchased a pair of sheep bred by Messrs. Gibson and Son, Scone, Tasmania, that had been awarded the champion prize at the Sydney International Show that year. The progeny losing in density what they gained in staple, the owner of Burrundulla is of opinion that no introduction of foreign blood has ever had a beneficial effect on the Mudgee type of fleece, with the exception of the Silesian strain, the staple of which, in its chief characteristics, is very similar to the finest Mudgee wool. Fine, dense, and very elastic, with a very even top and a small tip, a lock of Mudgee wool is not considered to show its true character unless it will stretch to twice its normal length. The Hon. G. H. Cox, while on a visit to France a few years ago, procured some yarn spun at Rheims from Mudgee wool, one pound of which spun a yarn 35 miles long, so fine and strong is it in staple. The rage amongst sheep farmers in early times in Australia was to produce the very finest clothing wool, it bringing the highest price at the London and Continental sales. This influenced the Mudgee flockmasters to devote their attention to securing the finest and consequently the purest merinos obtainable. So far did this cultivation of fine wool go that it has come to be regarded somewhat as a prejudice; but the old axiom that there is compensation in all things is so borne out in the past that the purity of the Mudgee type of merino has become proverbial. The chief characteristic is fineness of fibre; attention is paid also to density and length, and it is universally admitted in woollen manufacturing circles that the Mudgee type for a fine combing wool has no equal. This is rightly attributed to purity of race, aided by a splendid woolgrowing climate, which has the tendency to promote a dense wool of a superior combing type, and of only fair length, and its extreme fineness, softness, and soundness gives it those qualities which permit of its use as a substitute for silk in the Continental factories, and also for making the finest woollen fabrics. The Burrundulla sheep are of good size, symmetrically shaped, and well covered with heavy fleeces of fine wool as described above. These qualities have procured for them a very wide reputation in Australia, and as competitors in the Show yards they have been eminently successful. Burrundulla wool has been awarded several gold medals, the first as far back as '62 by Messrs. Mort and Co. for the ten best fleeces of greasy merino wool, the second gold medal at the Amsterdam International Exhibition in 1883 (the fleeces exhibited weighed from 12 to 161bs). In i884, at the Calcutta Exhibition, a gold medal was awarded for six fleeces of Burrundulla wool. At Burrundulla in the dining-room and hall are scores of cups, medals, and trophies awarded at Colonial and London and Continental Exhibitions to the Hon. G. H. Cox for his wool. Among London buyers there is no more favourable brand of wool known than that from Burrundulla, branded GX in diamond over Mud gee. It has always commanded a prominent position in the London market, and is mainly taken by French buyers. It has reached as high a figure as 4s 0½d per lb. The Hun. G. H. Cox also owns Piambong station, which contains 25,000 acres. Most of the Burrundulla estate is let to tenants, who go in for dairying. A butter factory is erected for the tenants, and last summer there was a milk supply from 95 cows. Mr. W. Scanlan is supervisor. The tenants go in for ensilage, and they are immensely pleased with the results. They have found it a good stand-by in dry summers, when there has been a shortage of grass or other green forage. Some five miles to the South of Mudgee is the estate of Mrs. Cox. It is called the Wallinga estate, on which some fine stud merinos are to be seen. For several years Messrs. F. and A. Cox were partners in the estate, and three years ago the sheep were divided between Mrs. Cox, Wallinga, and D. and E. Cox, Upper. Wallinga, or Gunnagawah2 .

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