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William Waterford was born at Godstone, Surrey, England in 1800. He became a groom and a ploughman and in 1821 was sentenced to penal servitude in the Colony for a period of 14 years.
His offence was for a petty crime. He arrived in Sydney in 1825, soon after his 23rd birthday, and was assigned as a servant to George Bowman – a farmer and grazier of considerable means.
William remained in Bowman’s employ after he received his freedom.
Bowman had a high regard for William’s knowledge of the land and business ability.
He purchased land for Bowman on many occasions and brought these lands into initial production.
He received his ticket of leave in 1828. Though William was now able to obtain wages from the highest bidder, he continued to work for Bowman.
Near Singleton he established for Bowman a holding called “Archerfield”, well known today.
For several more years he continued to engage in looking after the pastoral affairs of the Bowmans, in different locations, with an occasional speculation for himself.
In 1842 he went to an area now known as Terry Hie Hie in the Warialda district to supervise Bowman’s 167,200 acres.
Some years previously in this area he met the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who was trekking north to Moreton Day, with his companion Thomas Lodge Murray- Prior.
On reaching Rocky Creek, which runs into the Gwyder, Leichhardt and Murray-Prior stayed at Henry Dangar’s Hut in which Waterford was a guest.
William was buried on Merotherie, where his grave and headstone are well preserved.
Murray-Prior rebuffed Waterford because he was once a convict. Both Leichhardt and Dangar were most upset by this unpleasant experience.
In the area around Warialda, George Bowman, on the advice of William took up a vast area of land.
In 1871 a lengthy law case was heard in Sydney to determine the rightful owner of this land that contained 40,000 acres.
John Donald Macansh, the owner of adjoining Gurley Station was the plaintiff.
The case dragged on for some years and Bowman lost. Later Macansh abandoned the land. Cattle duffers stole the cattle and dingoes killed the sheep.
Free settlers came along a few years later on, and took up the land in smaller blocks.
In 1840 William obtained for himself the holding “Bannockburn” in the Inverell district which had an area over 16,000 acres. This was the first time William owned a large holding in his name.
In 1847 he sold the property to James Hale for 30,000 pounds.
William was then granted a publican’s license for the “Farmers Arms” at Murrurundi, and later the “Chain of Ponds” near Singleton.
After his wife Elizabeth died in 1856 he sold all his properties. Now a well-respected man of considerable means he sailed to Ireland to visit his late wife’s relatives.
On the voyage he met Eliza Doherty, a niece of his late wife.
Eliza had gone to American to marry, but the arrangements had gone awry. William and Eliza were soon married after their arrival in Ireland.
In Ireland William spent his money very openhandedly. He had the pig styes cemented and roofed with red tiles. As his money started to run out William and Eliza returned to Australia.
Again he joined up with Bowman and managed for him, “Merotherie”, a property near Uarbry in the Leadville district.
At the same time he took up land for himself in the same area and called the property “ Moreton Bay”.
“Moreton Bay” was to be the home of William and Eliza until William’s death in 1876, when he fell from his horse on a kangaroo hunt.
William was buried on Merotherie, where his grave and headstone are well preserved.
This wife survived him by 30 years, passing away in 1906.
