John Macarthur (ca. 1767-1834) was an Australian merchant and sheep breeder. He became a powerful political leader and was a spokesman for the free settlers.

The date of John Macarthur's birth is uncertain, but he was baptized on Sept. 3, 1767, at Stoke Damerel near Plymouth, Devon, England, the second son of Scottish parents, Alexander and Katharine Macarthur. In 1782 he became an ensign in the army but the following year retired on half pay, as the American War had ended. In 1788 he rejoined the army in the 68th Regiment and in 1789 transferred as a lieutenant to the New South Wales Corps for service in the new colony. With his wife and son he arrived in Sydney on June 28, 1790.

Sheep Farmer

Almost at once Macarthur set the standard for a lifetime of turbulence by quarreling with Governor Arthur Phillip. But in 1792 he became regimental paymaster, and the next year he became...