George William Barnard

GEORGE WILLIAM BARNARD was christened on 13th March 1791 at Lambeth, Surrey, England. In his younger days he served as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, and later he became a Captain in the Mercantile Marine. He saw service in the Navy during the French wars. In mid 1814, he appears to have left the Navy and began to study agriculture.

He applied to come to NSW as a settler and was promised a grant of land "proportioned to his ‘means’ of cultivation". In 1817, he wrote to the Governet Macquarie that he was prepared to lay out £1,000 to £1,500, and that he wished to settle in Van Diemen's Land.

George eventually arrived at Sydney Town aboard the ‘Duke of Wellington’ and proceeded to the Derwent River in Van Diemen’s Land in late 1817. He bought a Colonial built schooner “Sinbad” in which he traded between New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land in 1818/19.

In September of 1818 he decided to settle in the north of the island was allotted a parcel of 1000 acres of land near Mountgarretts Lagoon on the right bank of the Tamar River on which he built a store and residence, received rations for himself and six Government servants for twelve months and the use of six cows on two years credit, the purchase price to be paid on expiry in wheat or cash currency.

In 1820 he owned livestock and contracted for meat with the Government. In 1823 he had wheat contracts with the Government and had a large area under crop.

In 1826, Governor Arthur engaged his services as a surveyor for the survey of King Island in Bass Strait. He owned the boat ‘Prince Leopold’ which plied between Tasmania and Sydney.

On 4th November, 1826 he left from Hobart Town, surveying the coast and King Island from December 1826 to February 1827. On 28th February, 1827 his extensive report of it's soils, fauna, flora, climate and coastal outlines was presented to Parliament. His work was much appreciated and is quoted largely.

The ‘Prince Leopold’ was one of two ships involved in the discovery of Strahan and the Gordon River while transporting convicts in the area and surveying for huon pine for the Government.

George applied for further occupation as Surveyor under the Colonial Government, but the British Government had appointed Mr S Sharland to the Survey Dept. in the early twenties and he, with Thomas Scott, did the necessary field work until the early thirties.

George returned to England at the end of 1827, probably leasing his Van Diemen’s Land property or employing an overseer to develop it for him. He returned to Lambeth in Surrey, England. On 13th May, 1829 at Saint John the Evangelist Church, Lambeth, he married Anne Greensill.

On 27th May, 1845, George returned to Van Diemen's Land, arriving at Port Dalyrimple near Launceston on the 369 ton barque he had chartered from London. He brought with him his wife, nine children and 3 female servants. The family settled at Landfall where a large 3 level house was built on the banks of the Barnard Creek to accommodate both the family and the flour mill which formed part of the house adjacent to the creek. A large rock and soil dam was built over the creek to channel stored water to the water wheel driving the grinding mill, however a huge flood broke the dam wall and unexpectedly flooded part of the house. As it became apparent that this phenomenon would occur again in the future, the mill workings were dismantled, sold, and later re-erected in Launceston.

Undaunted by the mill failure, George carried on farming and developed the property with the help of his sons, George and Thomas. In the meantime in 1842 he had purchased his brother Charles' 1,050 acres.

George became involved with local affairs and was for many years an active Trustee of the Church Grammar School.

He died at ‘Landfall' on 2nd September, 1864 aged 73 years from disease of the liver and a stroke which paralysed his right side. Anne survived him till 19th November, 1879 when she died at the age of 70 years. They are both buried in the picturesque cemetry at St Matthias Church, Windemere, overlooking the Tamar River which he loved so much during his lifetime.

From his will, dated 21st August, 1864

"This is the last Will and Testament of George William Barnard of Landfall, Tasmania, Esquire. I give and bequeath unto my dear wife Anne Barnard, all my household furniture, plates, linen, china, books, pictures, money and securities for money, after payment of my just debts for funeral and testamentary expences. I give, devise and bequeath all the real estate and residue of the personal estate of which I shall have possessed in Tasmania aforesaid of over which I shall have any disposing power, unto my said wife and to my sons George and Thomas and to my daughters Sarah and Rose and their executors and administrators, according to the nature of the property. But nevertheless, upon trust to and for the ends, intents and purposes herein before declared, all my real estate in Tasmania aforesaid to sell and absolutely dispose of the same within twelve months after my decease, or soon thereafter as my trustees shall deem prudent and advisable and most advantageous, upon such terms and conditions and in such manner as they shall think fit.

And I direct that my said trustees shall stand possessed of the monies arising from the sale and conversion into money of my said real and personal estate and of the income produced or profit which may arise there from and in such interval between my decease and such date. I direct that the trustees pay one third of such monies unto my said wife for her own absolute use and benefit and the remaining two thirds of such monies to pay to and equally divide between all children of mine living at my decease, share and share alike.

I give, devise and bequeath all the real and personal estate which I shall have possessed or over which I shall have any disposing power in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland or any part thereof, unto my nephew, George William Barnard of Lambeth in the County of Surrey in England, solicitor, his hire as executive administrator according to the nature of the property."

Full history of George William Barnard