1759 August 9th James Ruse born in Cornwall, England

1780 Works as a farm hand

1782 Charged with Burglary of 2 silver watches

Sentenced to 7 years imprisonment

1788 Ruse transported with First Fleet to Botany Bay

Governor Philip establishes a settlement at Sydney Cove

Attempts to grow food at Sydney Cove fail

1788 April Governor Philip travels up the Parramatta River 13 ½ miles to find

arable land

1788 November Settlement established at Rouse Hill, land cleared and cultivated to

make the Government farm

Ruse working on Government farm

1789 November 21st Ruse given 1 ½ acre land grant, seeds, tools, 6 chickens, and 2 pigs

in order to grow own food and become self sufficient

1789 December First successful harvest of Government farm

1790 May Ruse sows some wheat

1790 June Elizabeth Parry arrives with the Second Fleet on the Lady Julian and

goes to work on Government farm

Ruse advises Philip that if one more acre were cleared for him he

would be able to support himself

1790 September Ruse marries Elizabeth Parry (1791 – c.1801 Parry & Ruse have 6

children)

Ruse loses convict help

1790 May 1 ½ acres wheat, ½ acre maize and a small kitchen garden

1791 February 25th Ruse declares that he is self-sufficient, declines further help from

Government store

1791 March Ruse granted a further 30 acres and has a brick house built

1792 July 16th Elizabeth Ruse first female convict to be emancipated

Ruse has 11 ½ acres cultivated and has several more cleared by

convicts in their leisure hours on condition they receive first crops

Has 4 breeding sows and 30 fowls

1792 December Elizabeth no longer on Government stores

1793 October Ruse disappointed with failure of crop

Sells farm to Surgeon Harris

Ruse moves out to the Hawkesbury River to farm with fellow

convict and farmer, Charles Williams

1837 September 5th James Ruse dies