Squatter, and land owner, New South Wales. Attended school in England, a nephew of Lord Brougham's being one of his schoolfellows. Emigrated to Australia. In partnership with his brothers Richard and Henry, took up Crown Lands outside the "Limits of Location". The Gwynne brothers are recorded, in 1848, as holding the Barratta cattle station, north of the Edward River, and the Werai, south of the Edward, in the Murrumbidgee squatting district. Barratta they held until 1853. When they dissolved their partnership, Henry Gwynne took over the Werai, holding it until 1876. In 1855 Francis Gwynne bought the Murgah station, adjoining the Barratta to the west (see map, end-paper, Ronald, The Riverina), with 750 head of cattle, for £6750. He sold the property in 1872. In the 1860s he was justice of the peace in the Moulamein district. His brother Henry had earlier served as justice of the peace (Ronald, The Riverina, pp. 55, 110, 112-13, et passim).

Office Book refers to contributor as "Mr. Gwynne". The two letters that constitute the H.W. item were addressed by the writer, according to the editorial comment, "to a relative in Cheshire"—apparently a brother named William. In the first letter the writer states: "When we separated from our partner, Mr. W., it became necessary to look for stations outside the limits of the colony ... R. and I first took the stock up to the station on the Murray ... "; then "R. very kindly gave me the option" of remaining with the stock on the Murray or of forming new stations on the Edward. "R." is clearly the writer's brother Richard. In the second letter, telling of an attack by the blacks, the writer states: " ... there were only four of us at Barratta, viz., H., (who had just arrived), myself and two men .... " "H." seems clearly to be the writer's brother Henry. The writer, therefore, is the third of the Gwynne brothers in Australia, i.e., Francis.

Author: Anne Lohrli; © University of Toronto Press, 1971.