Hi, Acording to my family info, there was a town Cooyal, a Cooyal Creek, and a property named Cooyal. I always believed (although I have no documents to back it up) that the creek was named when it was first discovered, the property was named after the creek, then the town was established not long after to service the property and travellers. Cooyal is around 70 miles north of Bathurst, (about 12 miles from Mudgee). The station was originally settled/owned by James Blackman (who was was intrumental in the discovery of the Mudgee area). In 1828 Cooyal consited of 640 acres 15 cleared, 6 cultivated, 170 cattle, 850 sheep. James also owned "Home Bush" 6 miles north of Bathurst, "Cooks Farm" on the Bathurst Plains & "Brake Vale" Following is a petition by James Blackman to the governor which mentions the station. "Petition of James Blackman of Bullerora on the Castlereagh River, Respectfully That in or about the year 1821, your Petitioner being then a resident in the Bathurst District came thence across country, and was in fact the explorer of the immediate district of Mudgee and the pioneer of the white man in that locality. That upon survey being afterwards made of the surr-- onding country, your petitioner obtained a promise of a grant of a section of 640 acres in the district, and situated on the left bank of Cooyal Creek opposite the village previously called Cooyal, being distant from the township of Mudgee about 12 miles, the particular description and sketch of which is annexed herewith. That your petitioner resided in the immediate neighbourhood of the land in question and occupied the same with sheep and cattle for 20 years and upwards, at the end of which period your petitioner changed his residence, and becoming reduced in circumstances discontinued occupation. That your petitioner has ever been unable to redeem the rent chargeable thereupon, and has remained from that time in indigent circumst- ances, no grant has issued to him thereof. That the land in question is now and has been since your petitioner left it entirely unoccupied, would, if now granted to your petitioner, afford him the means of providing for maintenance in old age and the benefit thereby conferred would awaken within him a lively sense of having reaped the close of his life the reward of former toil, and, well timed compensation for the former privations." Grant issued 12th. February, 1840 ----- Original Message ----- From: <AUS-NSW-PILLIGA-D-request@rootsweb.com> To: <AUS-NSW-PILLIGA-D@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 3:00 AM Subject: AUS-NSW-PILLIGA-D Digest V03 #19