President Edward Cox Biography

Edward Cox       (1805 – 1868)

[Image courtesy Australian Royalty]

President Agricultural Society of New South Wales 1864-65

Edward Cox (brother of George Cox, also a Society president) was born on the Hawkesbury in 1805, the youngest of seven children and the only to be colonially born.

Land at Mulgoa was granted in his name when he was five years old and it was here that he later established a thoroughbred stud and built a grand sandstone house, Fernhill.

He was a renowned pastoralist with additional properties at Bathurst and Rylstone which were managed by English wool classing expert, John Thompson, whom Cox had been shrewd to engage. 

Edward Cox was a member of the first NSW Legislative Council (1843 – 1856) and served again in 1866 having been appointed for life.

As a member of the Agricultural Society he was instrumental in promoting Parramatta as a location for permanent showgrounds and also facilitated the name change of the Society in 1859, seconding the motion. As well as being president, he served as vice-president and as a member of the Committee of Management.

A full list of Presidents can be found here.