The estate contained an area of 12,980 acres freehold land, with about a six miles frontage to Turee and Croppy creeks.

When offered for sale it contained a 15 room homestead, woolshed, haysheds, managers and shearers quarters and stables.

The property was subdivided into 13 grazing and two cultivation paddocks, with the external boundary enclosed with rabbit-proof fencing.

Lebbeus Hordern, age 21, son of Samuel Hordern of Anthony Hordern and Sons, Sydney, became the new owner of Turee Station, on June 13, 1913.

Lebbeus was known as a young man of varied interests.

For some time he was a director of Hordern Brothers, but it was in the field of aviation that he was most respected.

He was one of the first civilians to fly over Sydney. In his early exploits he was associated with Maurice Guillaux, the French aviator who in May, 1914, taught him to fly the 50 h.p. Bleriot monoplane.

In England in 1913 he had purchased a Maurice Farman seaplane and was immediately captured by its potential.

At the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914 Hordern presented the Farman seaplane to the Australian-New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

The aircraft was taken to Rabaul to assist in repelling any uprising by German settlers. Lebbeus immediately left for England and joined the Royal Artillery.

He was gassed in action in France and was invalided back to Australia in 1917.

On his return Lebbeus with Campbell Macfie, Deputy Manager of the Sydney Morning Herald, and Lt.Col P.H. William Woods formed the Aerial Company Ltd and purchased two D.H.ces from the Defence Department auction at Point Cook.

These were used for charter work and joy flying throughout New South Wales. One of their first passengers was F.D. McMaster, grazier of Dalkeith, Cassilis. Later the Company added two Curtiss Seagull flying boats to the its fleet .

Hordern owned several aircraft, one of them was most unusual. It was a small metal twin-engine flying boat, of an entirely new type, built to Hordern's carte blanch order by Short Brothers.

It was named the Cockle. In its test it revealed such a high performance that the British authorities then requisitioned it.

They showed such excellent foresight, the Cockle in effect, became the ancestor of the famous Empire Flying boats.

As a result of his war injuries Lebbeus suffered from nervous problems and

insomnia. He died in his sleep of an overdose of sedatives at his Darling Point home on the night of Sunday, September 9, 1928, age 37 years.

The noted photographer, Frank Hurley said, "He was a benefactor in the field of science and aviation," His son, Lebbeus joined the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm in World War 11 and was award a D.S.O. for his part in the attack on the German battle-cruiser Tirpitz.

Lebbeus Hordern ran "Turee" with William G Woods who, when the property was sold, moved to Harparary at Bean Baa north of Boggabri.

William Woods was said to be a nephew of the manufacturer of "Wood's Great Pepperment Cure," a cough medicine popular in the 1930's.

Oswald Richards acquired "Turee" Station from the Hordern Estate on January 9, 1922, but only retained it for seven months, when it was purchased by Richard Halifax Dangar on August 24, 1922.

Further information on Turee Station may be gleaned from Roy Cameron's 1992 book, "Around the Black Stump".