New South Wales Compiled under the Superintendence of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge/ From the M.S. Maps in the Colonial Office, The Surveys of the Austran. Agricult. Company, and the Routes of Allan Cunningham.

Early edition of this detailed colonial period map of New South Wales.

The map shows the extent of colonisation with the original nineteen counties as defined by Governor Darling’s Government in 1826. In addition the new county of Macquarie created in 1830 and named in honour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie (1762–1824),  is named but not delineated. 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.

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 to be 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.