The Osborne Family

The Osbornes originated in Northern Ireland. Henry Osborne and his wife arrived in 1829 and settled on a large grant in the Illawarra, owning most of Kangaroo Valley and acquired considerable properties involved in stock breeding in NSW. He was elected to the first Legislative Assembly (Camden) until 1857. Henry and Sarah had 13 children, two of their sons, Alick and Benjamin, marrying two of the daughters of Charles and Elizabeth Throsby. He died at Marshall Mount and was buried near Dapto.

Their 6th son Ben Marshall Osborne (1837-1912) inherited Jugiong Estate and in 1869 began to consolidate many properties across NSW. A keen businessman, he married Lucy Throsby in 1886, having 7 daughters and 5 sons. Alick Osborne, (whose plaque is on the wall of the church) inherited “Barrengarry” in 1860. When he retired, he built a new mansion near Moss Vale, called “Hamilton House”, designed and constructed by well known architect John Horbury Hunt, (who also designed and built several churches). In 1888 the family moved to “Hamiliton House”, where he died in 1895.

In 1901 it became Tudor House Preparatory School. It adopted the name in 1925 when it was acquired by the Anglican Church. It had several extensions and is now the Preparatory School for Kings School Parramatta. For many years, the boys from Tudor House attended Christ Church Bong Bong before their own chapel was built and pumped the organ in the early days. Many other Osborne descendants are buried in the cemetery and have distinctive cross shaped headstones.