History: Cooyal Coonaroo
Preview of version: 10
Click on images to enlarge
1929
7 March 1929
BACK IN OUR DISTRICT
Mr. R. H. Blackman, who a few months ago sold his property, 'Coonaroo,' Cooyal, and who has been holidaying with his family at Manly, has taken up his residence in the Cassilis district, having purchased and taken possession of three thousand acres from Mr. Harry Cornish of Borambil. We are delighted to know that Mr. Blackman and family intend to reside in our district again1
.
19 April 1929
PROPERTY SALES.
Messrs. Crossing and Cox, Mudgee, have effected two important property sales within the past week. Messrs. Macarthur and Brown's splendid property at Erudgere, containing an area of 2400 acres, has been sold to Messrs Gibson and Sons, of 'Plevna,' Trundle, at a satisfactory figure. It is pleasing to learn that Mr. Macarthur is not leaving the district, as he and his partner have purchased 'Coonaroo,' a sound property of 1700 acres in the Cooyal district, from Messrs. Thompson Bros. Both properties will be taken over on May 62
.
22 April 1929
PROPERTY TRANSACTION
In the last issue of the Guardian it was stated that Messrs. Macarthur and Brown had purchased the Coonaroo property in the Cooyal district, but it has since been ascertained that Mr. Macarthur was the purchaser3
.
23 April 1929
MANY FAMOUS ESTATES CHANGE HANDS
Demand for Hunter Land
WYBONG. - The demand for land on the Upper Hunter has been very keen for some time, and many famous estates have been subdivided. At the present time about eight well-known estates, ranging from 1280 to 19,639 acres, are on the market, some of them comprising some of the best fattening land on the Hunter.
MUDGEE. - Two important property sales have been completed during the week. Messrs. Macarthur and Brown have disposed of their Erudgere Estate, near Mudgee, to Messrs. Gibson and Sons, of Plevna, Trundle, and have purchased from Thompson Bros. the Coonaroo property, near Cooyal4 .
1937
6 August 1937
29 October 1937
29 October 1937
On Winning Mudgee District Property
Soldier Settler Started from Scratch
THE district winner in the Coonabarabran-Mudgee area, Mr. Arthur Macarthur, of "Coonaroo," Mudgee, is a great-grandson of John Macarthur, who pioneered the wool industry in Australia.
Though wool production is still the main item at "Coonaroo," Mr. Macarthur is diversifying his activities and is exploiting many sidelines.
Mr. Macarthur worked on many stations throughout Australia before taking up his first property 17 years ago on his return from the Great War.
As Mr. Macarthur puts it, he and his wife "kicked off together" on a soldiers' settlement farm at Tilbelah. All they had between them was 200 Corriedale ewes and £187 in cash. It was a hard struggle. Mr. Macarthur did all the heavy work, shore the sheep, and worked the press, etc., while his wife did all the wool classing.
When the Macarthurs came to their present property a little over eight years ago, it had only three paddocks and a rock "boundary. To-day it is well subdivided into 34 well watered paddocks, the rabbits have been cleaned out and the boundary netted. Mr. Macarthur has a P.P. Board certificate that the property is free from rabbits and that the fencing is sound and rabbit-proof.
Well Stocked
The property has an area of 1730 acres. It is at present carrying 1800 Merino wethers, 400 Merino ewes mated to Southdown rams, 45 horses, including 10 Hungarian pony mares and 25 draughts, and 18 Jersey cattle. Thirteen Shorthorn steers are grazed to keep down the rough growth and scrub on the farm.
The extent to which the property has been improved under Mr. Macarthur's regime is shown by the fact that the farm originally carried only 1000 Merino wethers.
Crops and Pastures
By the use of a sharefarmer on the flat country, the land is cropped for two years for fodder conservation and then sown to improved grasses comprising lucerne, Wimmera rye; later, Phalaris will be used. At present 214 acres are down to a mixture of 4lb. lucerne and 2lb. of Wimmera rye. It was top-dressed this year at the rate of 90lb. to the acre, and it has been down four years.
All the non-edible trees on the property have been ringbarked, leaving Hickory, apple-tree and Kurrajong for the purpose of reserve stock fodder.
Paddocks of 150 acres of Algeria oats were fed off until mid-August. Eighty acres are under Ford wheat, and the crops all look splendid despite a dry season.
The buildings are specially well equipped. There is a splendid machinery shed, black smithy, a chaff shed, oat bin, and hayshed.
In addition to the fodder trees, 800 bushels of oats in the grain and 5 tons of cereal hay are stored on the property.
The growing of fodder crops on the better class of land eliminates weeds and prepares the land for good grasses.
The water scheme in operation at "Coonara" comprises four windmills on wells and the harnessing of two excellent permanent springs. The water gravitates to stock troughs from springs in the rocks.
For Healthy Stock
Every paddock on the property is equipped with a salt trough, and about 5 tons is used annually. The lick is made up of 80 per cent, salt, 20 per cent. Dicalcic Phosphate and Stockholm tar.
Sufficient tar is added to make the mixture coffee brown. Mr. Macarthur believes that the tar improves the health of the stock.
There are many sidelines on the property, including the raising of 30 ducks, 120 fowls, 8 geese, 45 turkeys, and 20 Guinea fowls.
Mr. Macarthur is a very keen breeder of ponies, and has won many prizes at country shows. He has also been successful with exhibits of oaten hay, fruit and vegetables, etc.
Fodder on Farms. - The Raymond Terrace Co-op. Dairy and Produce Co. has decided to discontinue the donation of special prizes to district shows and to conduct fodder conservation and pasture improvement competitions in the districts from which it draws its supplies9
.
1939
23 November 1939
The Master Farmer Of A Model Farm
MR. A. W. MACARTHUR'S COONAROO PROPERTY
Visit by Cudgegong Shire Councillors
Success of Experimental Oat Plots
MEMBERS of the Cudgegong Shire Council, accompanied by friends, visited one of the show properties of the district last Sunday - "Coonaroo," worked by and belonging to Mr. A. W. Macarthur. It was an invitation day to inspect the experimental oats plots, but the visitors raw much more than experiments - they saw the magnificent results of ten years' in tensive improvements and hard work, a property of 1750 acres carrying 1½ sheep to the acre instead of "No. 10 grass," besides many broad acres of cultivation, a homestead that was a haven of delight, and sheds and appointments that opened one's eyes to what can be done on the land.
Mr. Macarthur worthily carries on the historic name of Lieut. Macarthur, who founded the wool industry of Australia with sheep obtained from the Queen of Spain. The present Macarthur claims he is not a farmer, but a sheep and stock man; but all the same, hanging on his walls is a certificate awarded to him in the Master Farmers' Competition. Of choice Mr. Macarthur would rather breed horses than anything else, and his proudest possessions are banners composed of ribbons won by his draughts, and especially the multitudinous awards secured by his unbeatable pony.
HORSE LOVER TURNED MECHANIC
But his love of horses does not prevent this versatile farmer (who says he is not a farmer) from getting the best out of the machine that he rather regretfully uses in place of the hoofs and tossing manes and rippling flanks of a team of horses.
It does not pay to breed horses now but Mr. Macarthur still retains a sire and a team.
The old song about the saddle hanging on the wall has its variation in Mr. Macarthur's sheds. There is the harness hanging on the wall, the horses in the paddock; and in a special shed is the tractor that now pulls the ploughs for the owner of the horses.
The visitors were amazed at that tractor. It has done giant work for years, and it looked as if it had just come off the showroom floor. In fact it is better now than when first purchased, for, without paying the extra amount demanded for lights to enable the machine to work at night (farmers who succeed don't work union hours), Mr. Macarthur has himself put on a generator and searchlight. This was one of the many things he whimsically told Cr. Downey were his "pocket-saving devices."
AN ELECTRICAL EXPERT
Another very big pocket-saving device which especially interested Cr. Wisby and Cr. Gleeson, as well as all the other visitors, was the house-lighting and shed and workshop lighting plant. A bank of accumulators is charged by a generator run by the five h.p. engine used in the shearing shed. The cells were purchased singly and connected by Mr. Macarthur, who also installed the switchboards, wiring and fittings for the house and sheds. Unlike some contract electricians Mr. Macarthur has not put all his lights on one panel, so does not run the risk of any total black-out. Only a small section can go at once.
The homestead is not only supplied with electric light and power, but is wired throughout for radio. There are two sets, each actuated from the main lighting system.
In the ordinary city dwelling you have to sit in one room and listen to one programme. At "Coonaroo" you can have jazz in the kitchen or the shearing shed, and a church service in the parlor; or you can have loud speakers telling you the news at several different points. Cr. McKenzie said it tricked him, but it only wants a little cleverness to work out circuits and switches.
Mr. Macarthur is justly proud of his adaptation of wired-wireless to all needs. Wage war (or rather, co-operation) with Nature and listen to the war news at the same time, what?
The idea of keeping abreast with the affairs of the world when you are tucked away among the distant hills and not having to knock off work to do it, rather appeals to one as being - well, shall we say, romantic?
Farmers and pastoralists have from time to time complained that stock and station reports and market quotations come at inconvenient times. The remedy seems to be to take the wireless to work with you.
We shall expect shortly to hear that Mr. Macarthur has fitted up radio receivers on his tractor. That will make him long even more for his beloved horses because they don't make so much noise as a machine!
THE EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS
Now we must leave the ladies and children of the party to be entertained by that gracious hostess Mrs. Macarthur while the men folk accompany the Master Farmer round the paddocks.
The Department of Agriculture Is using Mr. Macarthur's property to conduct experiments in oats. The plots have been prepared and sown under the instructions of Mr. Nicholson, who measures the ground, states what fertiliser is to be used, and weighs the proceeds. The first plot inspected was 40 acres of Belar oats upon which 50 lbs. of super with 6 lbs. of seed was used to the acre. The other plots were Algerian, Guyra, Karella and Fulgham.
Mr. Macarthur's personal opinion is that Algerian is a back number for seed, height, and feeding-off. He likes Guyra as being practically tail-less. Karella had better straw. Fulgham was what Mr. Nicholson recommended, though its straw was not so good.
This variety gave the third yield in last year's experimental plots, 45 bushels to the acre - though, said Mr. Macarthur, it ought to be 50. A rather curious reflection on the fertilised experimental plot of Algerian was a plot further towards the stony part of the paddock quite unfertilised but appearing to be better than the other! However, the official results of the experiments will be made known in the technical publications of the Department.
GROWING OATS TO HELP SHEEP
Mr. Macarthur showed the party Guyra oats planted from seed raised the preceding year from an experimental plot. These oats were grown with a 15in. rainfall on soil that is not first-class - it was originally covered with tufts of No. 10 grass - the stuff no creature will eat.
This is what Mr. Macarthur said about Guyra oats: "I have proved that Guyra oats will stand feeding off three times. There were 800 sheep for a fortnight in that paddock and look at it now!"
"Belar will also stand feeding off," said Mr. Macarthur, "but I like Guyra for its straw. The hay shapes up well. If you sow half a paddock with Algerian and half with Belar and turn sheep in they will feed on the Belar before they will turn their attention to the other. Algerian is also a slower grower. I stock pretty heavy and grow oats in connection with sheep. I shall put down oats on 85 acres early in January and feed it off. That is the mainstay of this place. I farm to help the sheep, not because I like farming. And, believe me, ones you start improving a property you have to keep the pot boiling vigorously to enable you to pay for the improvements!"
SOCIAL AMENITIES
Back at the homestead after careering over numerous paddocks in cars and noting how well each one was watered and the pastures improved by perennial rye and lucerne, the entire party was entertained at a sumptuous afternoon tea by host and hostess tickled to death at the pleasure and interest expressed by their guests.
Cr. McKenzie, is the unavoidable absence of Cr. Jennings (shire president) thanked Mr. and Mrs. Macarthur for the way they had entertained the party, and expressed everybody's appreciation of what they had seen. Mr. Macarthur, a descendant of the original Macarthur who had made Australian history, had won the Master Farmer's competition in this district last year, but the judges didn't know the half of what he had done. The trip had been an eye-opener-especially in regard to those "pocket-saving devices" and the way in which everything on the place was kept.
In responding Mr. Macarthur said both Mrs. Macarthur and himself had been delighted to have so many visitors and he hoped they would come again. His idea was that if he had any knowledge or found anything out he ought to share it with others. He believed in getting all the expert information he could from the (Departmental scientists, and if he could apply it, to pass it along. "Coonaroo" was an open house, for anybody who thought they could get any instruction from what had been done there both in regard to the experimental plots, or sheep, or labor-saving gadgets.
Mr. Macarthur invited the shire councillors to make a visit to Coonaroo an annual affair. The property was in the shire and he commended the council for the work it was doing. They had an uphill fight and he hoped they would win it without piling up too heavy a debt, "Let us go without something rather than do that," was his advice. He was sorry the president could not be present but hoped he would come at a future date.
Before concluding Mr. Macarthur mentioned a possession that pleased him more than anything else - a son not turned 18 yet who was a better farmer than his father. It was Douglas who had done most of the work on the experimental plots under direction, but who had also shown initiative and skill in every other operation on the property. Everything he did was done thoroughly and well - a real Australian man-on-the-land The party left with a feeling that they had seen something and learned something at "Coonaroo," and with many expressions of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Macarthur for their hospitality. The beauty of the homestead with its flowers and fruit trees, its aviary and its general appointments will long remain in mind. One might well ask what advantages can life in the cities offer in exchange for the amenities and happiness of a home like this in the country.
THE MUNGHORN RESERVE
On the way out, by the way, the party made an inspection of the Munghorn picnic ground and councillors present were interested to get the opinion of Mr. Mattick (shire engineer) as to the spot of road making necessary to open up the area when the expected dedication of it as a public recreation ground and bird sanctuary, shall have been completed.
Mr. James proudly displayed a table that had been erected by voluntary labor - much to the disgust of Mr. Mattick who said people might think the shire had done it! However the bit of public-spiritedness that brought the table into being has had the effect of calling attention to the spot, and now the shire councilors have seen it they will doubtless be spurred on to have something done that will not disgrace the workmanlike susceptibilities of their engineer10
.