Edward King Cox (1829-1883)

Edward King Cox (1829-1883), grazier, was the eldest son of Edward Cox, M.L.C. of Fernhill, Mulgoa, and his wife Jane Maria, and grandson of William Cox.

Edward was born at Mulgoa on 28 June 1829, and until 1847 lived at Mulgoa and attended the parish school of Rev. Thomas Makinson and then went to The King’s School at Parramatta for about three years.

After leaving school Edward lived on his father’s sheep stations at Rawdon, Rylstone, in the Mudgee district, and his leases on the Namoi. In 1852 he accompanied his brother to Europe where he studied sheepbreeding and inspected the principal flocks in England and on the Continent. At Tralee, County Kerry, on 19 May 1855 he married Millicent Ann, daughter of Richard J. L. Standish. Soon afterwards he returned to take charge of his father’s stations.

Edward was an outstanding breeder of stud stock. He inherited his father’s merino stud at Rawdon, Rylstone, and by careful breeding won world renown as ‘the great improver of the Australian Merino’. He won awards in many countries for his wool, particularly the grand prize at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878. Edward brought together at Fernhill, Mulgoa, his stud Shorthorn cattle and thoroughbred horses in 1868. His chief sires, Yattendon and Darebin, both won the Sydney Cup; he also imported stud mares from England and bred the Melbourne Cup winners, Chester and Grand Flaneur. In 1873, with John Agar Scarr, Edward was joint editor of The Stud Book of New South Wales.
Ref: Australian Dictionary of Biography