"DARBALARA RUN"

1848 Report. - No.159. Smyth and De Salis, per L. F. De Salis. Name of run, Darbalar. Estimated area, forty thousand acres, Estimated grazing capabilities, two hundred cattle, ten thousand sheep.

Bounded on the north by the River Murumbidgee upwards, from its junction with the Tumut River, to a main gully about a quarter of a mile west from Leggin's house;

thence joining the runs of Leggins, Quilter, Luff, and T. Howe, by the said gully to the summit of the dividing range between the Murumbidgee and Adjinbilly Creek;

thence along the summit of the dividing range till the line meets the Gobarralong Road;

thence down the said road to the Adjinbilly Creek, thence up the said creek till it touch on the extreme southern boundary of T. Howe's run one mile above Murphy's residence;

thence up and along the said boundary to the summit of the dividing range between the Oak and Adjinbilly Creeks;

thence southward joining with C. O'Brien's along the said summit till meet the Black range;

thence down the ridge of the Black range to the Adjinebilly Creek;

thence across the said creek, and joining Mr. Fergusson's, up the main arm of the Rocky Creek to the Red Hills, whence down the ridge jutting opposite the woolshed of Captain M'Donald on the Adjinebilly Creek:

thence up the said creek to the first range-spur of the Shaking Boy; thence joining Messrs. C. and A. Macdonnell, along the ridge to the summit of the dividing range between the Adjinebilly and Tumut waters;

thence northward by a line along the summit till it meet the head of the creek upon which Fitzgerald resides;

thence down the said creek till its junction with the Spring Creek; thence joining Kiley's, up to the said Spring Creek to a point such that a line running due west shall pass through another point half a mile north of Cox's old residence on Brungal Creek;

from Spring Creek along the said line to Brungal Creek,joining in part on Perceval's;

thence joining Keighran's down Brungal Creek to the gully between the Bald and Stockyard Hills; thence up the said gully across the gap, and down the corresponding gully to that Oak Creek, which springs from the Kangaroo ground;

thence up the said Oak Creek to a point half a mile south of the old sheep station near the waterholes;

thence joining Osborne's, along Osborne's road to the summit of the Big Hill Range;

thence along the summit till it join the range which divides the Blind Creek from other waters;

thence along the summit to the main gully leading down the green arm at the head of the Durilalura Lagoon;

thence down the said gully to Osborne's fence on the said Lagoon; thence along this fence to the Tumut River, and thence down the Tumut River till its junction with the Murrumbidgee River.- (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Monday 16 October 1848).

This report is submitted in good faith. All endeavors have been made to make all entries authentic and correct. For any corrections and additional valuable information, maps and photos you may have please contact

John Stephenson (Mobile 0431 481 451) Ex West Blowering Resident, now living in Wollongong, NSW. Australia.

1932 - MR. G. F. DE SALIS. - Pastoralists Death. - MEMBER OF FAMOUS FAMILY. Mr. George Fane De Salis, who was a member of the State Parliament before Federation, has died at his residence, Sogllo, Michelago, at the age of 80 years. He was a well-known grazier, and was engaged for many years as an honorary justice on the Licensing Bench.

Mr. De Salis, the third son of Mr. Leopold Fane De Salis, was born at Darbalara Station, near Gundagai, which his father bought soon after his arrival in Australia in 1840. He was educated privately. Practically the whole of his adult life was spent on the land, first at Cuppacumbalong and later at Sogllo. He represented Queanbeyan in the Legislative Assembly for one term, from December, 1882, until October, 1885. His father and brother, William, had previously represented the same constituency.

The De Salis family played an important part in the pastoral and political affairs of this State. Mr. Leopold Fane De Sails started sheep-farming at Darbalara in 1841, being one of the first in the eastern Riverina to grasp the possibilities of sheep in preference to cattle.

In 1844 he took up the then unoccupied run of Junee, locating his homestead close by the site of what is now the town of that name. The Junee run was not well provided with water to tide over dry spells, and Mr. De Salis constructed a number of dams, this method of water conservation being looked upon as something novel at that time.

In 1856 he purchased Cuppacumbalong Station, on the Murrumbidgee, country which is now included in the Federal Capital Territory. After representing Queanbeyan in the Legislative Assembly for some years, Mr. Leopold Fane De Salis in 1874 was appointed to the Legislative Council, in which he took a prominent part right up to within a few years of his death in 1898. Mr. George Fane De Sails' sister, Nina, married Mr. William Farrer, who added so much to the Commonwealth's resources by his wheat breeding research. - (REf- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Saturday 2 January 1932).

1848 Report. - No.159. Smyth and De Salis, per L. F. De Salis. Name of run, Darbalar. Estimated area, forty thousand acres, Estimated grazing capabilities, two hundred cattle, ten thousand sheep.

Bounded on the north by the river Morumbidgee upwards, from its junction with the Tumut, to a main gully about a quarter of a mile west from Leggin's house;

thence joining the runs of Leggins, Quilter, Luff, and T. Howe, by the said gully to the summit of the dividing range between the Morumbidgee and Adjinbilly Creek;

thence along the summit of the dividing range till the line meets the Gobarralong road;

thence down the said road to the Adjinbilly Creek, thence up the said creek till it touch on the extreme southern boundary of T. Howe's run one mile above Murphy's residence;

thence up and along the said boundary to the summit of the dividing range between the Oak and Adjinbilly Creeks;

thence southward joining with C. O'Brien's along the said summit till meet the Black range;

thence down the ridge of the Black range to the Adjinebilly Creek;

thence across the said creek, and joining Mr. Fergusson's, up the main arm of the Rocky Creek to the Red Hills, whence down the ridge jutting opposite the woolshed of Captain M'Donald on the Adjinebilly Creek:

thence up the said creek to the first range-spur of the Shaking Bog; thence joining Messrs. C. and A. Macdonnell, along the ridge to the summit of the dividing range between the Adjinebilly and Tumut waters;

thence northward by a line along the summit till it meet the head of the creek upon which Fitzgerald resides;

thence down the said creek till its junction with the Spring Creek; thence joining Kiley's, up to the said Spring Creek to a point such that a line running due west shall pass through another point half a mile north of Cox's old residence on Brungal Creek;

from Spring Creek along the said line to Brungal Creek,joining in part on Perceval's;

thence joining Keighran's down Brungal Creek to the gully between the Bald and Stockyard Hills; thence up the said gully across the gap, and down the corresponding gully to that Oak Creek, which springs from the Kangaroo ground;

thence up the said Oak Creek to a point half a mile south of the old sheep station near the waterholes;

thence joining Osborne's, along Osborne's road to the summit of the Big Hill Range;

thence along the summit till it join the range which divides the Blind Creek from other waters;

thence along the summit to the main gully leading down the green arm at the head of the Durilalura Lagoon;

thence down the said gully to Osborne's fence on the said Lagoon; thence along this fence to the River Tumut, and thence down the Tumut till its junction with the Murrumbidgee.- (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Monday 16 October 1848).

This report is submitted in good faith. All endeavors have been made to make all entries authentic and correct. For any corrections and additional valuable information, maps and photos you may have please contact

John Stephenson (Mobile 0431 481 451) Ex West Blowering Resident, now living in Wollongong, NSW. Australia.