Joseph ONUS, who married Ann EATHER, was the son of Thomas HONESS and Sarah FIELD he arrived on the 'Glatton' from Kent on 11th. march 1803. His was a success story, for, starting from a 25acre farm near Richmond, he was able,in about 1820 to build the fine two-story house on the north side of Francis St. Richmond and referred to in tourist brochures as "The Farmhouse". It is situated on a knoll on the outskirts of the town.
In Partnership with his wife's brother-in-law, Robert WILLIAMS, he began to send cattle across the mountains to the Hunter River district where they established a run of 1,000 acres near the junction of Wollombi Brook and Parson's Creek.In the Bulga area.
Before long, they extended their interests far northward to the Liverpool Plains and there established a station known as "Boorambil" on a creek which received the name Onus's Creek.
Separately from his partnership with Robert WILLIAMS, Joseph Onus accumulated much landed property in his own right, principally at Wollombi and Howe's Valley (on route from Richmond to Bulga). Eight months before his death he purchased four allotments at Bulga running back onto the land of his brother-in-law Thomas EATHER.He died on the 22nd.June 1835.His widow continued to interest herself in land on the Wollombi and at Howe's Valley until she remarried, to William SHARP at Windsor in February 1837.

Joseph and Elizabeth's children:
1. Elizabeth, b:1st.January 1811. Married John TOWN.
2. Mary Ann, b:1813.d:1897 married John EATON
3. Susannah,B:1815 d:1882 married William Glas McALPIN in 1833.
4. Joseph, b:1818 d:1895 married (i) Emma POWELL (ii) Clara HUNT.
5. Thomas, b:1820 d: 1855 married Elizabeth EATHER.
6. William, B:1822 D: 1855 married Ann HOUGH.

The eldest son, Joseph, was a prominent resident of Richmond,an alderman of the first municipal council in 1872. In the 1880's he built 'Josieville' a two-story mansion on the corner of Francis and Chapel Sts. linked by an avenue of Plane trees with 'Hobartville' the the residence of his daughter, Emma Mrs. Andrew TOWN
In 1891, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the consecration of St. Peter's Church, Richmond, he presented the stained glass windows at the eastern end of the church.
The two younger sons Thomas and William, both married into old Hawkesbury families in the same year, 1842, and they died only six weeks apart in 1855, whereupon both widows took to inn-keeping as a means of support. Thomas's widow Elizabeth (who was his first cousin, daughter of Thomas Eather), backed by her father and brother , conducted the 'Queen's Arms'at Richmond until her marriage to Joseph Hirons RUTTER, son of Dr.R.C.RUTTER of Parramatta on 13th May 1857. This was an even shorter lived union for J.H.RUTTER died in July 1861, aged 31. William ONUS's widow (formerly Ann HOUGH) kept the 'Prince of Wales Hotel' at Windsor until she married William REID of Parramatta on 27th. May 1857.
The second daughter, Mary Ann, married John EATON at St.Mathew's Windsor, on 17th. January 1831 and they also moved to the Hunter River district.

John EATON, being such an interesting and successful character, he deserves his own journal. Which is my next project.

*credit for a lot of the above information belongs to The Eather Family Newsletter and the Society of Australian Genealogists.