Cabbage Tree - a dairy farm at Budgewoi

Robert Henderson purchased the property at Budgewoi from the original grantee, John Slade. The purchase price was 100 pounds. The property was 640 acres and was located between Lake Munmorah and Tuggerah Lake. Slade had called it 'Pudgewoi', but it is named 'Budgewoi' on the Parish Map shown right. 

James Freeman had been an assigned convict at  Robert's Pittwater farm. Reading between the lines of the Freeman family's story, I think James probably worked at Robert's Brisbane Water properties as well, which was where he met his wife, Mary, another of Robert's assigned Convicts. Robert set up the couple as managers of the Budgewoi property. Under their management it became known as 'Cabbage Tree'. 

The property operated as a dairy farm, supplying milk, meat and cheese to the developing towns such as Gosford. It is likely Robert also supplied his Sydney hotels with produce from the various farms.

In 1846 Robert advertised the farm for sale as a going concern with 400 head of cattle. He may have been trying to fund his investments in Sydney because the advertisement suggests that a builder could erect buildings in Sussex Street as payment for the farm. It did not sell!

Then in 1852 and 1854 Robert was granted two 25-acre blocks in the village of Norah (near Norah Head) for 50 pounds each.

He finally sold the farm and the two 25-acre blocks to his good friend, Edward Hargraves. The sale took place in 1856 and the price was 1000 pounds. Hargraves was cashed up after claiming a Government prize for the discovery of gold near Bathurst (under controversial circumstances). Hargraves renamed the property 'Noraville' and built a homestead that still stands today. He had a falling out with the Freeman family and evicted them from the property where they had lived for more than 20 years. 

The Freemans went on to establish a haulage business with bullock teams, hauling goods from the coast to the Hunter Valley over ‘The Gap’. The route is remembered today by the name of the road, Freeman’s Drive, and their key watering place, Freeman’s Waterhole.