About

Across the Wollondilly River and adjoining Kippilaw is St James’ church. This church is maintained by the Clan Chisholm, the descendants of the Chisholm family. The Clan Chisholm recounted the following historical account of Kippilaw;

In the early days of the colony of New South Wales, travel on the few roads out of the first major settlement, Sydney, was hazardous. Not only were the roads rough and unmade and subject to the weather at the time, the responsible citizen was a prime target of the bushrangers, who preyed on travellers. They would hide in the bush, in a conveniently dense forest area and pounce on a lonely conveyance making its way to the next staging post–usually a remote inn. “Stand and deliver” was the cry as the bushranger, sometimes with accomplices, would bail up the coach, brandishing his firearm.

One of the frequent travellers on the roads of early New South Wales was Mr. James Chisholm, son of the early settler, also James, who had come to the colony from Mid Calder outside Edinburgh, as a member of the New South Wales Corps, to keep the peace, in 1790. James, the elder, elected to remain in the colony after the expiry of the period of service of his regiment in 1810, having acquired property and a family. He had married Mary Brown in 1806, and they had one son, James. Mary died in 1817, and James later remarried, producing a large family before his death in 1837.

From his early days in the colony, James the elder began to acquire land, often paying in goods. His grandson, also James, described payment for one transaction in his book “Speeches and Reminiscences” as “4 gross port wine, 6 gallon hollands, 2 pieces broadcloth, 5lbs American tobacco, 1 chest tea, 2 bags sugar, 1 set harness for a gig, 1 saddle, 1 bridle, 1 single barrelled fowling piece, 2 canisters powder, 4 bags of shot”. This sort of transaction was quite common at that time as the colony was very isolated and very dependent on infrequent supply ships.

In addition, James was one of the lucky settlers to be granted a “Rum Licence”. These licences were granted by the governor to a small number of free gentlemen. As rum was the only liquor in the colony it became a more important currency than money. At his property in what is now central Sydney, James set up an inn, the Thistle Inn, one of the earliest and better known establishments. As a result, he prospered exceedingly and was able to buy and receive grants of land in the expanding colony. As James, his son, grew and received his education, he went on to learn about stocks and property and gradually joined his father in running the farms. Between them, the two James Chisholms acquired much property over the years and by the 1830s held vast sheep country in the Goulburn district–some 195 kms south from Sydney. In addition to this, James senior had bought a property in the Narellan district, then on the outskirts of the colony, which he called Gledswood, and it was here that young James took over the management and running of the farm, extending the original house and building a substantial colonial home.

When James, the younger married in 1829, he therefore had control of the Gledswood property, where he took his new bride, and the administration of the property in Goulburn. This involved many staff members on the land–from overseers to convict labourers. In those days the farming community was allowed convict labour to run the farms and also took in free settlers who came to the colony to make a new life. James, in his dealings with these farm workers gained the reputation of a kind and fair employer, which was often an exception to the rule, as some landholders were very harsh masters.