Scarce, detailed c.19th hand coloured engraved map of Australia and New South Wales and an insets; of Swan River Settlement and Australia with the New Settlement of South Australia.
The map shows the extent of colonisation with the only ten of the original nineteen counties as defined by Governor Darling’s Government in 1826.
The map extends from Pt. Dromedary in the south to Trial Bay in the north and west to Macquarie’s Ranges. South Australia is named New Settlement of South Australia. On the inset of the Swan River Settlement is a note stating; “Site of the Intended Town of Clarence“. Extensive inland information obtained from the Colonial Office and the surveys of the Australian Agricultural Company. An inset plan of Sydney is at lower right. Also shown is Dangar’s survey of the clergy and school reserve November 1830 April 1831 adjoining the Australian Agricultural Company’s Estate at Port Stephens.
County & Date Established:
Gloucester 17 October 182, Durham 17 October 1829, Northumberland 17 October 1829, Cumberland Existing county (proclaimed 6 June 1788), incorporated into the Nineteen Counties in 1829, Camden 17 October 1829, St Vincent 17 October 1829, Hunter 17 October 1829, Cook 17 October 1829, Westmoreland 17 October 1829, Georgiana 17 October 1829, King 17 October 1829, Murray 17 October 1829, Argyle 17 October 1829, Roxburgh 17 October 1829
As early as 1823 Commissioner Bigges had recorded the unsatisfactory nature of the maps available for the colony and recommended a systematic survey of the Colony be undertaken to remove the difficulties and confusion existing in the choice of land granted or sold to prospective settlers and investors. The limits of location in the colony of New South Wales where settlers and investors were permitted to take up land was only within the Governments defined areas of the, Nineteen Counties, and limits to settlement were due to the unknown dangers beyond these limits. They were defined by the Governor of New South Wales Ralph Darling in 1826 in accordance with a government order from Lord Bathurst, the Secretary of State. Counties had been used since the first year of settlement, with Cumberland County being proclaimed on 6th June 1788. Several others were later proclaimed around the Sydney area. Darling proclaimed the division of the settlement into Nineteen Counties in the Sydney Gazette of 17 October 1829. From 1831 the granting of free land ceased and the only land that was made available for sale was within the Nineteen Counties. The area covered by the limit, extended to Taree in the north, Batemans Bay in the south and Wellington to the West. The original nineteen counties were; Argyle, Bathurst, Bligh, Brisbane, Cook, Cumberland, Durham, Georgiana, Gloucester, Hunter, King, Murray, Northumberland, Phillip, Roxburgh, St Vincent, Westmoreland, Wellington.
From; Teesdale, H. A new general atlas of the world, compiled from the latest authorities both English & foreign, containing separate maps of its various countries & states, and exhibiting their boundaries & divisions, also the chains of mountains, rivers, lakes and other geographical features, comprehended in forty sevn.
