Family C-8: Lilla

Lilla's family, still active today, has its roots in an unnamed mare of unknown pedigree that was a broodmare in the Veteran Hall stud of William Lawson at Prospect, NSW.

English-born Lawson purchased a commission in the New South Wales Corps in 1799, and in Australia first purchased a small amount of acreage at Concord, and then received a land grant of 500 acres at Prospect, where he built his mansion, Veteran Hall, in 1812. Trained as a surveyor in England, as a member of the expedition that found a route through the Blue Mountains in 1813, he also received an 1,000 acre grant on the Campbell River near Bathurst, and several years later served as Bathurst's acting commander. Through squatting he acquired vast additional acreage, including 6,000 acres in the Mudgee district, building a homestead at Bombira Hill, and various other property, including 6,000 acres near Bathurst, 25,000 acres on the Tallbragar River, and thousands of other acres, both owned and leased, where he raised sheep and cattle..

Lawson imported The Baron (1816, by Milo) in 1824, and the great early imported stallion Theorem (imported 1828) stood for a time at Veteran Hall. Lawson also bred Brisbane Cup winner and stallion Spring Gun (1825). In 1838 he imported (Lawson's) Emigrant (1831, by Tramp), and bred and raced several other early stallions. Fair Helen, ancestress of Josephine (Family C-19) and the earliest known mare in Family C-8, were both broodmares in the Lawson stud.

This unknown Lawson mare of C-8 bred a filly by Toss (imported 1829, by Bourbon; he died in 1838) that was probably foaled in the 1830s and subsequently given to Lawson's gardener, and subsequently became known as The Gardener's Mare. Toss was a good early stallion imported by Robert Scott for his Glendon Stud in the Hunter Valley. The Gardner's Mare was bred to Young Marquis, a stallion bred by the Lee family (with vast holdings in Bathurst and the central western tablelands and a significant influence in thoroughbred breeding in the 19th century, see Family C - 1), whose dam traces the Family C-9. The resulting filly foal, Eva, born around 1850, was in the stud of Thomas Lee, probably at Woodlands, Bathurst, who bred her to New Chum (c.1845, by imported Boyd's Camel), producing Lilla (1856).

Lilla's foals, all recorded as bred by Thomas Lee's brother, John, quickly established her as a successful broodmare. Her first, Lord of the Wood (1863, died early. The next foal was a filly named The Alpaca (1866, by Kingston), named after the Alpacas raised by brother George Lee for their fleece; it is through The Alpaca that the family extends into the present. After that Lilla dropped Javelin, a winner of the 1871 AJC Derby and the 12 furlong AJC Spring Sakes; Commodore (1869), winner of the AJC St. Leger and the 14 furlong AJC Autumn Stakes; Jessamine (1872), and Tarquin (1874), all by Yattendon. There were two more fillies -- Lillian (1875) and Lilla (1878), both by Barbarian, and a colt by Kingsborough.

Jessamine, bred to Maribyrnong, produced the brown colt Cunnamulla, a grand stayer that won the 16 furlong Sydney Cup and the Randwick Stakes. Lillian produced two good winners to the cover of Gemma di Vergy -- First Demon (1880), winner of the AJC Mares Produce Stakes and AJC spring Stakes, and The Felon (1882), who won the The Shorts at age five. Lilla became second dam of Forest (1894, by Forest King), who won the VRC Newmarket Handicap and the SAJC Goodwood Handicap in 1899.

The Alpaca, like her dam, was a great broodmare. She produced four foals for the Lees -- Llama (1871, by Gemma di Vergy); Ringwood (1872, by Yattendon) and Woodlands (1874) by Maribyrnong, who won the 12 furlong AJC Derby. In 1880 The Alpaca and her two year old filly, Etna (by Maribyrnong) were purchased by James White, whose purchased and home-bred horses dominated Australian racing in the 1870s and '80s. White, who was a native-born pastoralist and wealthy landowner, bought The Alpaca and many other high-quality thoroughbred mares, both colonial and imported, for his Kirkham Stud, near Camden, NSW. The great runner and sire Chester was retired to Kirkham, and is seen in the pedigrees of several foals of Etna, who won the AJC All-Aged Stakes in 1883 for White.

To the cover of Maribyrnong, The Alpaca also bred Hecla, winner of the AJC Spring Stakes, Aberfoyle (1880), winner of the Hawkesbury Claret Stakes and well-placed in other good events, and Angora, dam of Ibex (see below) and Albemarle (1888, by Chester), who won the VRC Hopeful Stakes. The Alpaca also produced a Chester filly, Sequel (1886), who in the stud of J.W. Thompson, became the dam of Western Australian Derby winner Benbow (1903, by Grafton), and second dam of the Maltster colt, Woolerina, a winner of the Caulfield Guineas and other good races.

Etna continued the excellent production record established by her dam and grandam at Kirkham. Her sons by Chester were Volcano (1883) winner of the First Foal Stakes, the VRC Mares' Produce Stakes and the AJC Second Foal Stakes in 1886, and Stromboli (1888), an outstanding runner, winner of the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, the AJC Derby, the Sydney Cup, and other good races. Their sister, Lava (1884, by Chester), won the AJC Oaks, and at A.E. Thompson's Widden Stud bred Loch Lava (1893, by Lochiel), from which the family descends, through her daughters Lady Arlington (1898) and Maltine (1904), a grand winner of the AJC Craven Plate, the Gimcrack Stakes and the AJC Metrpolitan Handicap. In addition to the horses noted below, recent descendants of this family include the gelded Queensland miler Persian World (1982), winner of the Queensland Guineas and the Brisbane Handicap, and his half-siblings Brisbane Cup winnerRoyal Shah (1966) and STC Missle Stakes winner Idol (1974), the latter dam of Major Wilkes (1990), who won the Malaysia Airlines Stakes, and second dam of Our Mr. Woodman (1990), winner of the STC Winter Handicap.

Notable Descendants