ente e ▁squ atter ▁who ▁owned ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁runs . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁Sydney ▁business man ▁and ▁a ▁Member ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁from ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 0 . ▁It ▁appears ▁that ▁Nicol ▁continued ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁property ▁for ▁W att , ▁and ▁likely ▁still ▁held ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁it , ▁voting ▁in ▁the ▁district ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁under ▁his ▁lic ence ▁to ▁dep ast ure ▁stock ▁at ▁Ball ande an . ▁ ▁Robert ▁Re id ▁C unning h ame ▁Robert son ▁acquired ▁the ▁le ase ▁to ▁Ball ande an ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁Robert son ▁was ▁from ▁Well ington ▁V ale , ▁west ▁of ▁Deep water ▁in ▁northern ▁New ▁South ▁Wales . ▁ ▁Donald ▁G unn , ▁whose ▁father ▁owned ▁nearby ▁P ik ed ale ▁station , ▁visited ▁the ▁hom est ead ▁ ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁and ▁later ▁re called ▁it ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁houses ▁in ▁the ▁district . ▁G unn ▁attributed ▁the ▁improvements ▁on ▁Ball ande an ▁to ▁Nic ols , ▁not ▁Robert son , ▁who ▁he ▁believed ▁spent ▁little ▁on ▁the ▁property . ▁Tim ber ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁dwell ing ▁was ▁cut ▁on ▁the ▁property ▁and ▁lim estone ▁for ▁the ▁mort ar ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁quar ried ▁from ▁a ▁Ball ande an ▁p add ock . ▁ ▁During ▁Robert son ' s