1850s

A great fire sweeps the North Shore from Hornsby to St Leonards, an area described as “dense forests and thick undergrowth prior to the fire”. (McLaughlin 1985)

Bowen is shot by four white bushrangers at Newport. He is 56 years old. John Farrell relates that a bushranger Casey, who frequented Bushranger’s Hill, had murdered Bowen as he sat by his fire at night. Farrell describes Bowen as “one of the finest darkies I ever met. I looked upon Bowen almost as a brother … and was prepared to … have blood for blood” for Bowen’s murderer. His body is taken to St Lawrence Presbyterian Church cemetery but later his grave is moved to Pioneer Park at Botany. (De Boos 1991)

George Thornton becomes Mayor of Sydney. At the age of 19, he was in close contact with local Aborigines of the Manly area. During the time of his residence in Manly, he was known to local Aborigines with whom he became friendly. In 1883 he becomes ‘Protector of Aborigines’, head of the newly established Aborigines Protection Board.