SMITH, Charles Throsby
Charles Throsby Smith was born in Cambridge, England on 1 March 1798. His father, Joshua Smith, died when Charles was young and his mother, Martha Throsby, relied upon Joshua's sisters for support. After a period at sea, Charles settled in New South Wales where his uncle, Dr Charles Throsby, was an established landholder with extensive social, political and business connections.
Charles married Sarah Broughton in 1823 and took up a 300 acre land grant encompassing what is now North Wollongong. In 1834, 100 acres of his land were subdivided to become the Private Town of Wollongong. The remaining 200 acres were subdivided after his death in 1876.
Charles, Sarah and their children were the first non-Aboriginal family to live in the district. Sarah died in 1838 leaving seven young children. The following year he married the widowed Isabella Campbell. They increased the Smith progeny by four. Isabella died in 1865 and Charles married Rhoda Fry in 1866. Rhoda outlived Charles and was one of the trustees who oversaw the sale of his land.
During his life at Wollongong, Charles played an integral role in the community. He donated land for community facilities including churches, school of arts, and hospital. He was a magistrate and government land agent. Unlike many of the other early land grantees, Charlie Smith, oversaw the working of his land initially with assigned convicts and later with hired labour. He did not utilise the clearing lease system popular with some other local landowners.
As he aged, he referred to himself as Old Charlie Smith and delighted wandering around Wollongong talking to other residents and visitors. While proprietorial about the town, he seems to have lacked the aloofness and superiority of other society leaders. He was noted for his charity and fair dealings with Aboriginal people and with needy members of the community. Whilst Charles Throsby Smith and his family lived comfortably, he was never overly wealthy. His income came mostly from sales of his land allotments, commissions as government land agent and interest on money lent as mortgages. His wealth was compromised during the depression of the 1840s and he was forced to sell land granted to him at Calderwood.
Sarah and Charles Throsby Smith lived initially near the sout-east corner of Smith and Harbour Streets, Wollongong. Twice their house burnt down and the third home was built on the highest hill of the Smith land. Charles Throsby Smith named his land 'Bustle' and the bungalow-style house was referred to variously as 'Bustle', "Bustle House' and 'Bustle Hall'.
| South Flowing Water | Article by Dick Monks on the exploration activities of CT Smith in 1820 |
| Bustle Smith | Genealogy of Charles Throsby Smith by Dick Monks |