Chapter One Early History.

The river settlement of Milsons Passage is at the confluence of the Hawkesbury River and its Southern arm, now known as Milsons Passage, Prickly Point, in the parish of Cowan, County of Cumberland, within the Shire Council of Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia.

The settlement runs along the Western shore in a Southerly direction for about one and a half kilometres. For those astronomically inclined, Prickly Point is on latitude 33 degrees 31 minutes South of the equator and longitude 151 degrees 10 minutes East of Greenwich.  From another perspective, Milsons Passage is about 3 kilometres upstream from the M3 Expressway Bridge on the Western shore next to Milson Island.

 Milsons Passage has not always been known as such. In the early times the waterway was known as, The Southern Arm of the Hawkesbury River or the Southern Channel. In the early 1900’s the channel was known as the gutter. When the area was subdivided by Charles Eades in the 1920’s the area become known as Eades Wharf. For a time it was also known as Milsons Point Estate.

 It was not until 19th November 1976 that the Geographical Names Board officially named the waterway as Milson Passage. The settlement became a suburb on 1st December 1995.

 To start this story we will go to the beginning of the official records. There could have been others before this time, however, we will never know.

 There is two parts to this story, one being the settlement on the mainland and second the island. The first four titles issued for the area were purchased by Robert Milson, three titles for the mainland and one for the island. In order not to cause too much confusion I have called the titles relating to the mainland as the North title, the Middle title and the Southern title.

 The Northern title, which encompasses Prickly Point, contains 21 acres and extends in a Southerly direction along the shore of Milsons Passage. Robert Milson purchased it at an auction, held at Parramatta, on the 29th October 1869 for twenty one pound fifteen shillings sterling. He gave his address as Mud Island.

 The middle parcel of land joins the Northern parcel and comprises 40 acres. It was purchased by Robert Milson at auction, at Parramatta, on 16th September 1863 for 40 pound sterling. He gave his address as Hawkesbury River. This was his first purchase.

 The Southern parcel of land was a short distance further down the river at an unnamed point of land known locally as Smiths. It comprised of 40 acres and took in the point and the land behind the mangrove trees in the adjacent unnamed bay. This land was purchased at auction, held at Parramatta on 20th October 1869, by Robert Milson for forty pound sterling. He gave his address as Parramatta.

 The fourth parcel of land was the adjacent island known then as Mud Island. The island comprised of 76 acres and was bought by Robert Milson at public auction held at Parramatta on 4th April 1866 for seventy six pound sterling. He gave his address as Castle Hill.

 Now who is this Robert Milson, you may ask. Well, he was born in 1824. He was the youngest of six children born to James and Elizabeth Milson. James Milson was born on 25.11.1783 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. He arrived in Sydney, Australia on the vessel Albion in August 1806 and was employed as a farmer. On 8th January 1810 he married Elizabeth Kilpack ten years his junior at St.Philips church, Sydney. There were six children to the marriage, Sophia, James Jnr., David Ambrose, Elizabeth, John and Robert.

 During James Milsons life he received several grants of land. One of these grants of 40 acres was on the North shore of Sydney at what is now known as Milsons Point.

 Whilst researching this book I could not find a lot written about Robert Milson. His brothers, James junior born 1814 and David born 1817, appeared to have favour with their father and they are both well documented. To add to the difficulties his brother David had a son born 1857 who was also named Robert Milson.

 Now back to our Robert Milson. We know that in his early years he worked with his brother David on their father’s property at Wollombi, on the Great North Road, with cattle.

 It has been written in other publications that the Milson boys from Wollombi pioneered a shorter way to Sydney by 30 miles. It was known then as Milsons Line. It went by way of what is now known as Buckety, Central Mangrove, Calga, Moonie Moonie to Peats Ferry.

  When David moved down to Castle Hill to further educate his children Robert may have left Wollombi and frequented the Hawkesbury River area. 

 Old maps of the area have written on them that Robert Milson lived on the mainland somewhere between the island and Kangaroo Point. I believe Robert built a house on his middle parcel, which was his first purchase. This house was up the hill about 100 metres from the Western shore. It was pulled down some time between 1891 and 1909 and erected on the shoreline. The level ground on which the house once stood and the well is still visible.

 It is recorded in the book,”The life and times of James Milson,” written by Roy Goddard, that in June 1846 Robert Milson was fossicking for gold at Trunkey, an area South of Bathurst.

 When Roberts father James Milson senior died in 1872 all his children shared equally in his estate and as a result, if Robert was not rich at the time of his father’s death, he was after receiving his inheritance.

 After receiving his inheritance I believe Robert built a large house on Milson Island, where he lived, later married and where they both died.

 Robert Milson married Ann Cole, 23 years his junior, of Moonie Moonie in 1883 at Windsor however she died on 9th September 1886 suffering from Apoplexy. She was buried in the cemetery on Bar Island. Shortly after her death Robert developed bronchi-pneumonia and he died on 14th September 1886.  3 days after Ann’s funeral he was also buried on Bar Island.

From an interview conducted with Sydney John Davidson on 27th March 1989, I was informed that he was born at Flemington Sydney NSW on 16th December 1898. He started visiting the Milson Passage area when about 10 years old. Then the area was clear of most timber. The track leading to the top of the hill could take a horse and sled. What Robert did with his land is not known, he knew about cattle and may have grazed some on his holdings, however there is no permanent water so the amount of animals would be small.  

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