Cooma Cottage, Yass

The Sydney Morning Herald

17 February 1921

Sir,

A paragraph referring to the forthcoming centenary celebrations at Yass, which appeared in Saturday's "Herald," stated that Cooma Cottage, the residence of the late Hamilton Hume, was built by him about 1830.

This house was known as "Cooma" till Hume's death in 1873, and was certainly not built by Hume in 1830.

The land upon which it is situated formed part of a grant of 960 acres to Henry O'Brien, and was the home for a while of his brother Cornelius and his wife, who was a Broughton.

The conveyance of this land, "Henry O'Brien to W. H. Broughton for Mrs. Rebecca O'Brien," was dated, July 1, 1833.

A lease, "Henry O'Brien and other to Hamilton Hume," was dated June, 1839.

In addition to this, Hume's address up to and during 1838 was "Appin" (vide Parliamentary Documents, Vol. 19).

These facts seem to show that Hume did not make Yass his home till 1839.

As he had flocks in the neighbourhood, he was, of course, going backwards and forwards, but I can find nothing to indicate that Hume resided permanently in Yass before 1839, and I have been working at the history of Yass for some years.

I am, etc., Mary B. J. Yeo. Yass, Feb. 8.