Ride to Cow Pasture

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser

26 February 1804

Last Wednesday fen'night at five in the morning, a party of ladies and gentlemen, with servants, set off from Parramatta on an excursion to the Cow Pasture Plains.

In a space little exceeding four hours they arrived at the Nepean which they crossed, and having breakfasted by the side of the river, under the friendly shade of a spreading tree, proceeded through a part of the Cow Pastures to Mount Hunter; and although somewhat discouraged by the apparent difficulty and extent of the ascent, yet were abundantly compensated when having gained the summit of the Mountain, they beheld with an awful astonishment the grandeur and magnificence of the extensive prospect that presents itself, and which impressed their minds, at once with awe and admiration.

The party returned to the River in a somewhat different direction from that they had pursued in their ride to Mount Hunter, and had the pleasure of seeing in the different route several of the roving herds of wild cattle, whose size and general appearance strongly indicated the more than ordinary luxuriance of the soil in those beautiful valleys and far extended Plains, to whose uncultivated verdure they were indebted for support.

Having returned to the spot in the Nepean on which they had breakfasted, the party took a second repast, and returned to Parramatta, whither they arrived before nine in the evening, having rode a space of upwards of 64 miles in a part of the Country hitherto but little frequented, in less than 16 hours.