Hunting in Australia

1810
Equestrian activities were already becoming part of the Sydney scene as the first Horse Race Meeting had taken place at Hyde Park in 1810.

1811
The very old English pastime of Fox and Stag Hunting was introduced to Australia at Sydney in 1811. Hounds were imported under the auspice of Governor Lachlan Macquarie and the original meet of an Australian Hunt, “left Bob the Gardeners where the Rushes are cut (Rushcutters Bay) and hunted towards the Wilds of Bondi” where earlier imported deer were known to frequent.

1830
The precise time of the transition of private hunt to Hunt Club is unknown but newspapers report the Sydney Hunt Club as holding hunt meets at Oatley (Canterbury district) in the 1830’s. Again, Bob the Gardners (Bob Gardner) is mentioned in the Canterbury newpaper as having a property at Oatley through which the Hunt Club hunted deer over “wild and difficult country”.

1860-1910
Reports of hunting at Liberty Plains (Homebush) are frequent in 1860 while the kennels moved to Georges Hall in 1873 under the stewardship of Captain Airey. Hunting was taking place in the Parramatta to Liverpool area and by 1910 the Windsor bound train was taking hunters and horses from Sydney to Box Hill where the hunt would commence when the train arrived and finish when the train departed for Sydney.

This period also saw Sutton Forrest – Golden Vale recorded as Sydney Hunt meets Hunting Kangaroo to the Wollandilly River.

1914-1939
The Great War saw the cessation of hunting in Sydney as all able men joined up for Europe. Following cessation of hostilities the hunt reformed only to be interrupted by WWII.

1956
The Sydney Hunt Club, with the assistance of the Murray Valley Hunt, regrouped in 1956 with hunting occurring initially at Wilberforce and then mainly in the triangle bounded by Liverpool, Penrith and Camden.

The hounds were kenneled at Peakhurst and then to Austral and Luddenham areas and in almost 200 years they have only moved approximately 60km for kenneling.

2005
The Golden Jubille of the Sydney Hunt Club since its reformation.

2011
Hunting in Australia shall hold its Bicentennial celebrations reliving that colonial morning 200 years ago.

Click on the images to the right to view a larger format of a letter written by AB (Banjo) Paterson dated 10th May 1894, which refers to him preparing to hunt.