'Arthur Dewhurst was born in Cambridge, England, about 1833. He was the son of Rev Edward Dewhurst, the Anglican rector, and his wife, Caroline, nee Dury. As a young man he realized the opportunities that would be available in Australia, so he sailed for Sydney. His first position in the new country was in the N.S.W. Civil Service, where in June, 1858, he was listed as a Surveyor, second class. Almost immediately he was transferred to Tamworth and in June 1860 he was sent to the Dubbo area where he did survey work on the Lachlan River. In 1862 on his promotion to Surveyor First Class, he was transferred to Cooma but by January 1863 he was posted back to the Tamworth Lands Board Office and it was in Tamworth he stayed for the remainder of his working life. When he returned to live permanently in Tamworth he brought with him his bride, the former Emma Owen.
'In 1875 he was listed as District surveyor for Liverpool Plains with his headquarters still being in Tamworth. About the same time he purchased from Abraham Cohen, two allotments facing Peel street and these linked up with his land in Marius street – his office then faced on to the Peel street frontage. ' (Source : State Library of New South Wales)
