The suburb of Camden was discovered almost by accident when a number of cattle who had strayed from a farm in Farm Cove were found to be grazing there in 1795. Governor Hunter originally named the land Cowpastures in honour of this fortuitous discovery. In 1803 the colonial secretary Lord Camden asked Governor Phillip King that controversial ex army Lieutenant John Macarthur and his wife Elizabeth be granted a substantial quantity of the area to be used for sheep breeding. With ewes and rams brought in from the Royal Stud Farm in England, this would be the founding of the Australian wool industry; an industry which would define the agricultural economy in Australia for decades.

Following his death in 1836, The 300 acres of land which had been concerned specifically with sheep farming was subdivided into several smaller properties and a town centre was surveyed. During the world wars, RAAF squadrons were set up at the private Camden Airstrip and with the RAAF releasing the premises in 1946, the airport was sold by the government in 2001. It is now privately run as a training ground for individuals and the Australian Air League. The area remains semi-rural even today although with the spread of Sydney housing development, Camden now has a substantial residential profile with nearby manufacturing industry providing much employment in the region.

External Links

Camden Airport

A Quick History of Camden

Camden City Council

Visiting Camden

Camden Bicentennial Equestrian Park

Location:

SSC11165: Camden

Longitude:

150.695088525

Latitude:

-34.0579192183