D'arcy Wentworth

D'Arcy Wentworth
Born	14 February 1762
Died	7 July 1827 (age 65)

D'Arcy Wentworth (14 February 1762 – 7 July 1827) was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland and emigrated to Australia as an assistant surgeon to the then new colony of Sydney.

The Australian Dictionary of Biography says that Wentworth was from an English aristocratic family that fell on hard times, and when he was acquitted of three charges of Highway Robbery he only narrowly escaped conviction of a fourth by declaring that he was moving to Botany Bay to serve as assistant surgeon to the colony. He arrived in June 1790 on the Second Fleet convict ship Neptune and not only served in this role, but was made Superintendent of Convicts on Norfolk Island, in Parramatta and Sydney.

Wentworth had several children by several local women; he acknowledged William Charles Wentworth as his eldest son. According to Ritchie (page 23), D'Arcy did not board the Neptune until mid-December 1789 when he met for the first time Catherine Crowley who was already on board. Catherine gave birth to William on 13 August 1790, barely eight months later (Ritchie page 52). Ritchie on page 53 noted that the baby was at least five weeks premature and had to struggle for his life. D'Arcy, who had assisted at the birth, appeared to have no doubt that the baby was his. A second child, Dorset Crowley, was born in 1793.

Wentworth was granted 3.73 km² of land in what is now known as north Homebush, part of the Strathfield municipality. Historian Michael Jones says that "Wentworth is popularly credited with having called the area after his 'home in the bush', although Homebush is also a place in Kent." In about 1807, he sold to Gregory Blaxland 450 acres (180 ha) at the Brush Farm (near Eastwood) for £1500. In Homebush he was put in charge of the police force and in 1810 became the commissioner of a toll road from Sydney to Parramatta.

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