William Lawson joined the NSW Corps as an Ensign in 1799 and arrived in the Colony on the Royal Admiral on 22 November 1800. He was posted to Norfolk Island where he met Sarah Leadbeater, a convict. While living at Norfolk Island William and Sarah had two sons, Hugh and William Junior. Their third son, Nelson Simmons, was born during their journey back to Sydney on the Lady Nelson, which arrived on 12 June 1806. The Lawson’s settled at Concord and soon after Lawson bought his first land at Prospect, which was the 30 acres that had been granted to James Cleaver on 1 April 1794. By 1810 the Lawson’s were living at Prospect, as the following appeared in the Sydney Gazette:

 

“To be Let, with present Entry, a Farm at Concord, opposite Mr. Edward Powell’s, on the Parramatta Road, with Paddocks and Yards inclosed, the property of Lieut. Lawson. Applications to Mrs. Lawson, Prospect, or Mr Burr who lives contiguous to the above farm.”

 

Lawson built his home, which was believed to be a four-roomed cottage, at the northern boundary of James Dunlap’s grant, which he had apparently purchased. He continued buying neighbouring farms and by 1827 his Prospect property covered 3,000 acres.

 

In 1813 William Lawson, with Gregory Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth, discovered the first satisfactory route over the Blue Mountains. On 12 February 1814, Governor Macquarie offered each of the three explorers 1,000 acres west of the Blue Mountains, only Lawson accepted the offer. On 21 July 1815, Lawson crossed the Nepean River and was the first private citizen to use the new road as he set out to drive 100 head of horned cattle to Bathurst to take up his property, which he named Macquarie. The property, with its 1824 homestead and earlier out buildings, still survives today.

 

In 1819, Lawson was appointed Commandant of Bathurst and during this period, he led a further three major explorations to open up the Mudgee District, where became the first and largest landholder. He resigned from the position of Commandant in1824. At Mudgee, nothing survives of his main home, Bombira Hill, but Putta Bucca, built as a five roomed supervisor’s cottage in 1829 and extended by his grandson, Charles William Lawson in the 1880s, survives, as does Errow-an-bang, (also known as Flyers Creek), built c1845, west of Carcoar.

 

 

 

  William Lawson was a member of our first elective Parliament from 1843 until 1848, when he resigned to allow his 3rd son, Nelson Simmons Lawson to be elected. William died at Veteran Hall on 16 June1850 and was interred in a family vault at St Bartholomew’s graveyard, Prospect.  He had served the Colony for almost 50 years and was one of its wealthiest citizens. His estate was so complicated that it was not until 1914 that probate was granted. By this time, all of his children were dead (the last one dying in 1906), as were many of his grandchildren.