Andrew McDougall, Snr, Free Settler "Barwell" 1798

Andrew and Elizabeth McDougall with their children, Thomas, John Kerr, Andrew the younger, James Taylor and Elizabeth Maria arrived in the colony of NSW as free settlers on 18 May, 1798 in the "Barwell", an East Indiaman of 796 tons, carrying 18 free settlers, 31 soldiery, 77 crew and 296 others at the Queen's pleasure, a total of 422 persons.

Andrew the elder, the son of Thomas McDougall and Elizabeth Taylor, was born in Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland on 9 June, 1759. Elizabeth, the daughter of John Wood and Elizabeth John, was born in Coldstream, Berwickshire, Scotland on 17 December, 1761. Andrew and Elizabeth married after banns in St. Anne's Church, Soho Square, Westminster, London on 15 May, 1786.

Their first two children were born in the districts of St Pancras and St Giles, London respectively and the following three at Jew's Harp House, a converted farmhouse in the Parish of St Marylebone which boasted tea gardens, a pond and facilities for trapball, tennis and skittles.

Andrew was a chairmaker in London and the five children were baptized in the Presbyterian Chapel in Wells Street, St. Marylebone by Rev. Alexander Waugh. A sixth child born at Parramatta in 1800 was named after that minister.

There were three families chosen by Lieutenant-Governor King while on a visit to London in 1797; John Bowman, Andrew McDougall and John Smith, all being carpenters who it was thought, would make themselves useful in constructing corn mills.

Andrew the elder was first granted land of 1 acre 96 rods in Parramatta near the gaol (now Prince Albert Park) in October 1798. The following month he was granted 150 acres in the District of Toongabbie, naming his property "Roxburgh Place" and built a house there calling it "Roxburgh Hall", having surrendered his first grant.

Andrew was also responsible for calling the district "Baulkham Hills", now a suburb and shire. The earliest known use of this name by residents was in the year 1803.