Elizabeth Macarthur

English-born landowner and businesswomen (1766–1850)

Elizabeth Macarthur

An oil painting of Macarthur by an unknown artist

Born|

Elizabeth Veale

(1766-08-14)14 August 1766

Bridgerule, Devon, England

Died| 9 February 1850(1850-02-09) (aged 83)

Clovelly, New South Wales

Nationality| British
Occupation(s)| Pastoralist and merchant
Spouse|

John Macarthur

(m. 1788; died 1834)​

Children| 8; including:

* Edward Macarthur
* William Macarthur
* James Macarthur (1798–1867)

Elizabeth Farm.

Elizabeth Macarthur (14 August 1766 – 9 February 1850) was an English-born landowner and businesswomen who was wife of John Macarthur.

## Early life

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Elizabeth Macarthur was born in Bridgerule England, the daughter of provincial farmers, Richard and Grace Veale of Cornish origin. Her father died when she was aged four years.[1][2] Her mother remarried when she was 11, leaving Elizabeth in the care of her grandfather, John, and friend.

Elizabeth married Plymouth soldier John Macarthur in 1788. In 1790, with her newborn son Edward, she accompanied John and his regiment, the New South Wales Corps, to the recently established colony of New South Wales, travelling on the Second Fleet.

## Life in New South Wales

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Elizabeth was the first soldier's wife to arrive in New South Wales. Being educated, articulate, and well-read, her letters provide an important record of the infant convict town of Sydney and colonial life. She was an amateur astronomer and botanist[3] and enjoyed a privileged position in society where she "held court amongst officers of the New South Wales Corps, naval officers and members of the colonial administration".

John was made Commandant at Parramatta and received land grants in 1793 near there, at Rosehill, naming his property Elizabeth Farm after his wife. John became paymaster to the New South Wales Corps and director of public works. Elizabeth's respectability and charm were in contrast to her husband's disputatious nature and meant that she and her children retained a good social standing despite John's many controversial actions in the following years. However, Governor Phillip was the only governor she associated with, as her husband's business activities and actions later were "too controversial for any governor to seek the company of the Macarthur family". She had to travel to London leaving her family behind.

Elizabeth's work centred on her family, the education of her children, and the management of a modest household. Elizabeth died in 1850, having first been estranged from her husband as his melancholia and paranoia deepened, and then surviving him by 16 years.[4] She was an Anglican.

## Role in founding Australian wool industry

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Between 1801 and 1805, John was living in England, where he had been sent for court-martial after wounding his superior officer in a duel, and again from 1808 to 1817, avoiding an arrest warrant for his role in the Rum Rebellion of January 1808, and then because he refused to accept the terms for his return to New South Wales which were that he admits his wrongdoing and promise to be of good behaviour. During these periods, Elizabeth oversaw the family estates at Parramatta, Camden, Seven Hills, and Pennant Hills. This included the management of household and business accounts, the employment of convict labor, the supervision of wool washing, baling, and transport, and the selection of rams and breeding to improve the flock. While John expressed his gratitude and admiration for her ability to cope, her irregular and inadequate correspondence were of constant concern. Nonetheless, her contribution was essential to the success of the enterprise and establishing New South Wales as a reliable supplier of quality wool. In England, John used his flair to promote the Australian wool industry while Elizabeth used her organizational ability and application to produce the wool.

During her husband's insanity and after his death in 1834, she continued to run the enterprises with great success until her death in 1850.

## Family

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See also: Macarthur family

From nine pregnancies, seven children survived childhood. Her sons, Edward (1789–1872), James (1793-1794), John (1794-1831), James (1798-1867) and William (1800-1882), made worthy contributions to colonial governance, agriculture, politics and trade. Her eldest daughter Elizabeth (1792-1842) remained unmarried, despite at least two 'offers' declined by her parents. Her younger daughters Mary (Mrs Bowman, b.1795) and Emmeline (b.1808) married into colonial families. Sir Edward Macarthur (1789–1872)[5] married Sarah (née Neil) in 1862, and they died childless.

* James Macarthur (1798–1867)[6] married Emily (née Stone).[7] They had only one child, daughter Elizabeth (1840-1911).[7]
* Sir William Macarthur (1800–1882) never married.[8]

The bulk of the Macarthur estate, through the brothers William, James[6] and Edward, passed to James' only child, daughter Elizabeth (1840-1911),[7] who in 1867 married Arthur Onslow (1833–1882).[7] In 1892, after Arthur's death, Elizabeth changed the family name to Macarthur-Onslow.[7] She and Arthur had six children, including James Macarthur-Onslow (1867–1946), George Macarthur-Onslow (1875–1931) and Arthur Macarthur-Onslow (1879–1938).

## Legacy

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The Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute[9] is named in her honour. It is the largest Centre of Excellence operated by New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, employing 200 scientists and located at Camden Park.[10]

Elizabeth Macarthur is commemorated on the 1995 Australian five-dollar coin which was struck for inclusion in a special Masterpieces in Silver collector proof set entitled Colonial Australia.[11] She was posthumously inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001.[12]

One of Elizabeth's accounting books refers to a Machiping having made a linen press and other sundry items. He was paid £8 in 1824. The desk is believed to survive in Milton House museum, in Milton NSW. Mak Sai Ying is believed to be the first Chinese man to live in Australia.

Elizabeth Macarthur is the subject of a fictitious memoir, A Room Made of Leaves,[13][14] by Australian author, Kate Grenville, published in 2020.

## References

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1. ^ Steven, Margaret. "John Macarthur". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian Dictionary of Biography. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
2. ^ "Macarthur, Elizabeth – (1767–1850)". A bit of History. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
3. ^ "Australia's First Woman Scientist". The Richmond River Express And Casino Kyogle Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 1 December 1922. p. 4. Retrieved 21 January 2018 - via National Library of Australia.
4. ^ Conway, Jill (1967). "Macarthur, Elizabeth (1766–1850)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
5. ^ Hill, A. J. (1974). "Macarthur, Sir Edward (1789–1872)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 5\. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. pp. 122–123\. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
6. ^ a b Heydon, J. D. (1967). "Macarthur, James (1798–1867)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 2\. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. p. 149–153. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
7. ^ a b c d e Nairn, Bede (1974). "Onslow, Arthur Alexander Walton (1833 - 1882)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 5\. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. pp. 369–370\. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
8. ^ Teale, Ruth (1974). "Macarthur, Sir William (1800–1882)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 5\. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. pp. 124–125\. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
9. ^ "Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle". 2020.
10. ^ "About EMAI". State of New South Wales, Department of Primary Industries. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
11. ^ "1995 Macarthur Five Dollars". Australian Stamp & Coin Co Pty. Ltd. 2003. Archived from the original on 12 May 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
12. ^ "Elizabeth Macarthur". State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
13. ^ Davies, Kerrie (12 July 2020). "Review: Kate Grenville's A Room Made of Leaves fills the silence of the archives". Theconversation.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
14. ^ "A Room Made of Leaves". Kate Grenville. Retrieved 4 May 2022.

## Further reading

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* Tucker, Michelle Scott (2018). Elizabeth Macarthur: a life at the edge of the world. Text Publishing. ISBN 978-1-925603-42-2.
* Grenville, Kate (2020). A Room Made of Leaves. Text Publishing. ISBN 978-1-922330-02-4.
* Williams, Sue (2021). Elizabeth and Elizabeth. Allen and Unwin. ISBN 978-1-76063-134-5.

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST

National|

* Germany
* United States

People|

* Trove
* Australia

Other|

* SNAC

*[m.]: married