Frederick William Chapman gave his name to the town of Frederickton N.S.W
Below is one of two obituaries given to Leo
Haulville by Mrs Billie Crawford, who is a member/researcher with
the Macleay Historical Society.
"Frederick William Chapman "
February 6, 1920.
The death occurred at the age of 94 of Mr Frederick William Chapman, a former well-known resident of the Macleay River after whom the township of Frederickton was named. Deceased, who married Miss Agnes Scott, a member of another well-known Macleay family, was a prominent church man and at one time read the services at Frederickton. He was also a keen yachtsman and took an active part in the Frederickton Regatta.
The late Mr. Chapman was born in Princes Street, Sydney in 1826 and educated at Sydney College (Now Sydney Grammar School). After a few years mercantile experience in the shipping business of his father (then owner of "Towns" wharf) he went with his parents to the Macleay River about 1849 where Yarrabandini, Yarrahappini, Tennessee and other pastoral properties were acquired.
Sheep-raising was attempted on a moderate scale without success. The runs were then stocked with horses and cattle - a central cooperage and meatworks being established for the use of the several stations. Most of the meat production was packed in casks and shipped. Prime bullocks in those days were worth about £3 a head.
The deceased left the Macleay about 1873 and removed to the Clarence where he embarked in business as a timber merchant, having his own steam sawmill and principally exporting hardwoods. A1though from one 640-acre block on the Clarence River end of the Dorrigo Plateau he took over 750,000 super feet of cedar, there was quite as much pine as cedar on the block which it did not pay to remove.
The late Mr. Chapman was appointed a Magistrate in 1869 and for some years acted as Commissioner for Crown Lands. For six successive years he was Mayor of Grafton.
The late Mr. Chapman retired to Sydney some
years ago, making his home at Randwick."
In 1853, when Frederick Chapman, the eldest son, married Jane Scott of Port Macquarie, Mr. and Mrs. Chapman once more
returned to Sydney. Yarrabandinni was left in the capable hands
of Frederick Chapman, who purchased some of the station land
under pre-emptive right. In 1857 this land was subdivided to form
the private town which he named Frederickton. His father also
made several large purchases of portions of Yarrabandinni and
Euroka stations before he died in Sydney in 1857, aged fifty-six.
He was buried in the cemetery attached to St. Stephen's Church at
Camperdown. Mrs.
Ann Chapman lived in the Macleay valley
until her death in 1889, but, without the guiding hand of her
astute and capable husband, her land, and that of her family,
soon passed to other hands.
William, Henry Chapman of Yarrabandinni was not only a businessman of exceptional ability, but was public-spirited and possessed of truly humane qualities. His convict servants and the local Aborigines held him in high regard. Among his descendants were many who became highly successful in civic and cultural spheres, not only in Australia, but overseas.
