William Fagan come from Londonderry Ireland and come out to Australia at the age of 24 in 1848 as a free settler. He worked in the city for some time in the brewing industry. In 1849 he went out to Marra Marra on the Hawkesbury River and started to cut timber. It was the time of the gold rush days and there was no man power at this time so pit sawing as it was called was good money.
2 pound10shillings per100ft planks cut and delivered but before the gold rush it only payed 7 shillings per 100 feet planks cut and delivered .Roofing shingles were split from the river oak trees for 2 pound 10 shillings per 1000.Deliveries were delivered by boat to Sydney