In 1797 John Macarthur purchased the first Merino sheep imported to New South Wales and became known as the father of the Australian wool industry.

It was his wife Elizabeth, however, who managed the family estate and grew their Merino flock to more than 4,000 head while John managed the sale of their fleece in the United Kingdom.

By the 1920s the Macarthurs had become the biggest land owners in New South Wales.