▁location ▁after ▁the ▁Governor ▁of ▁New ▁South ▁Wales , ▁L ach lan ▁Mac qu arie . ▁ ▁Ox ley ▁noted ▁that ▁" the ▁port ▁ab ounds ▁with ▁fish , ▁the ▁sh arks ▁were ▁larger ▁and ▁more ▁numerous ▁than ▁I ▁have ▁ever ▁before ▁observed . ▁The ▁forest ▁hills ▁and ▁rising ▁grounds ▁ab ounded ▁with ▁large ▁k ang aro os ▁and ▁the ▁mar sh es ▁afford ▁shelter ▁and ▁support ▁to ▁in numerable ▁wild f ow l . ▁Independent ▁of ▁the ▁H ast ings ▁River , ▁the ▁area ▁is ▁generally ▁well ▁water ed , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁fine ▁spring ▁at ▁the ▁very ▁entrance ▁to ▁the ▁Port ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁Port ▁Mac qu arie ▁was ▁founded ▁as ▁a ▁pen al ▁settlement , ▁replacing ▁New castle ▁as ▁the ▁destination ▁for ▁conv ict s ▁who ▁had ▁committed ▁secondary ▁cr imes ▁in ▁New ▁South ▁Wales . ▁New castle , ▁which ▁had ▁ful filled ▁this ▁role ▁for ▁the ▁previous ▁two ▁dec ades , ▁had ▁lost ▁the ▁features ▁required ▁for ▁a ▁place ▁for ▁dump ing ▁irre de em able ▁crim inals , ▁that ▁being ▁isol ation , ▁which ▁was ▁lost ▁as ▁the ▁Hunter ▁Region ▁was ▁opened ▁up ▁to ▁far mers , ▁and ▁large ▁amounts ▁of ▁hard ▁labour , ▁which ▁had ▁dimin ished ▁as ▁the ▁ced ar ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁ran ▁out ▁and ▁the ▁settlement ▁grew ▁in ▁size . ▁Port ▁Mac qu arie , ▁however , ▁with ▁its ▁thick ▁bush , ▁t ough ▁terrain ▁and ▁local ▁ab orig ines ▁that ▁were ▁keen ▁to ▁return ▁esc aping ▁prisoners