Who they were
Macarthur came to the colony as a soldier and, with his wife Elizabeth, introduced merino sheep and built up the production of fine wool, which became the colony’s chief export.
What they did
In his pursuit of land and power he clashed fiercely with governors and was a central figure in the 1808 Rum Rebellion that deposed Governor Bligh.
Legacy
The wool industry became a pillar of Australia’s economy and gave rise to the idea of a country that rode to prosperity on the sheep’s back. Macarthur is regarded as the father of that industry and also remembered as a man of great ambition.