The North Sydney peninsula of Milsons Point is one of the best known localities of Port Jackson. Old timers would remember it as a busy train, tram and ferry terminus, distributing passengers to and from the north shore. Many more would recall it as the home of Sydney's favourite amusement park; the gaping grin of Luna Park. The suburb's profile changed in the late 1920s with the rising pylons and spanning arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then in the 1990s, Milsons Point made the news again with the excavation of the Harbour Tunnel. Yet despite Milsons Point's fame, few people are aware of the life of the suburb's namesake, the colonial pioneer James Milsons.

First Fleet marine Robert Ryan became the first European land owner of this waterfront locality in 1802, with a 120 acre grant from Governor LF=Hunter(PEP)@John Hunter>. However Ryan allowed this to lapse, and a 50 acre portion was promised to the newly arrived farmer of Lincolnshire, James Milsons. The colony's shortage of cultivated crops, compounded by the chronic flooding of the farms of the Hawkesbury River, ensured the agricultural skills of the likes of James Milsons were in earnest demand. Not long after his arrival in 1806, Milsons was managing a farm at Castle Hill, and his own grant on the northern shoreline of Port Jackson.

In 1810, the 27 year old Milsons married Elizabeth Kilpack, whom he had met on the Castle Hill property, and the couple made Milsons Point their home. Milsons was granted convict assistance to clear his scrubby estate, where he cultivated fruit and vegetable. He even capitalised upon the seemingly useless rocky areas, quarrying them for ship ballast. Additionally, the couple kept a small dairy which supplied Sydney Town colonials with a rare source of fresh produce.

In 1826 James and Elizabeth lost their home and belongings in a merciless bushfire. However the tragedy did not end there; the homeless couple received a hostile audience from Governor Darling, who demanded to see title deeds to the property. As these were destroyed in the fire, the Milsons had no option but to purchase new land, again in North Sydney and Castle Hill.

Milsons frequently journey along the Parramatta River to Castle Hill. He strengthened this affinity with the water in 1845 when he bought into the Sydney Harbour Ferry, the Fairy Queen. His son James Junior was to pursue this venture, establishing the Milsons Point Ferry Company in 1863. This became the North Shore Steam Ferry Company Limited in 1878, the forerunner to Sydney Ferries of today. James Junior was appointed inaugural vice commodore of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in 1863. In 1902 the Yacht Squadron purchased the Kirribilli residence of Carrabella for its headquarters. Ironically Carrabella was erected by James Milsons as a wedding gift for his daughter Sophia, betrothed to William Shairp in 1827. Despite the fact that this historic cottage was unmercifully demolished in 1935, it is appropriate that the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron continue to occupy the land of the region's celebrated colonist, James Milsons.

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