People

Fuller Family

George Laurence Fuller sailed from Ireland to Australia in 1839 when he was seven, with his father William, mother Ann, and six brothers and sisters.

During the voyage, typhus fever broke out among the passengers and William died, just 13 days before reaching Sydney. Ann gave birth to a son who also died on the voyage and two-year-old Charlotte died in quarantine in Sydney. Ann Fuller opened a store in Corrimal Street Wollongong, placing her young children in Liverpool and Parramatta orphanage until she could afford to bring them home.

 On leaving school, George helped his mother with her shop keeping business, and in 1852 when he was just 23, he left for the goldfields, taking goods to sell. He did well from this venture. 

In 1865, the southern division of the Peterborough Estate at Shellharbour was advertised for sale; 2,560 acres on the Minnamurra River adjoining the Terry’s Meadows Estate. George bought part of the property and named his new estate Dunmore, after his old family home in Ireland. He built Dunmore House of local blue metal rubble.  George and his wife Sarah had 14 children. Two of their babies did not survive.

By 1880, George owned some 9,000 acres of the original Peterborough Estate extending from Lake Illawarra to the Minnamurra River, and west to Croom. By the 1880s, he had established a blue metal trade at Bass Point.

Fuller is noted for his generosity and contribution to Shellharbour’s development.  He gave two acres for a new school in 1883 called Minnamurra School, and provided tenant farmers to work the land. He expanded the blue metal trade in 188 and provided cottages and work for the quarrymen. George gave land for the Shellharbour General Cemetery, and gifted a fully equipped operating theatre, the Sarah Fuller Memorial Ward (named for his wife) at Kiama Hospital.

George and Sarah’s eldest son, George Warburton Fuller became Premier of New South Wales and another son, Colin Dunmore Fuller served with distinction with the Light Horse in WWI, receiving the Order of the Nile.

Opening hours

Monday  9.30am–8pm
Tuesday 9:30am–8pm
Wednesday 9:30am–8pm
Thursday 9:30am–8pm

Friday 9.30am–5pm
Saturday 9am–3pm
Sunday 12pm–3pm

Shellharbour City Council acknowledges the traditional custodians of Dharawal Country and recognises their continued connection to the land. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and the contribution they make to the life of this city.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have since passed.