b'A tale of highs and lows Much of the work undertaken in the firms early yearsWith the profits from his businesses, Eales constructed an revolved around estate and property management for townextravagant estate, known as Duckenfield. When he died and country clients, and many of these relationshipsin 1871 his son, John Eales junior, spared no expense in continued through several generations. An early andexpanding the already spacious home to forty-five rooms, longstanding estate client was the Eales family. Their storyincluding a ballroom, a billiard room and a gymnasium, is a tragic tale. As solicitor to John Eales and his estate foralong with a two-storey servants wing. over 100 years, the firm supported him, and many of his descendants, through the rise and demise of their extensiveIn 1895 a creamery and butter factory was established at property and business portfolio. Duckenfield, but by 1908 the business was in liquidation. Already in financial distress, responsibility fell to the third John Eales was a pioneering pastoralist who became one ofgeneration to cover the growing debts by selling the smaller the wealthiest men in New South Wales. After emigratingproperties. This process continued until 1917, when all from England to New South Wales in 1823, he was grantedthe finery at Duckenfield House was sold piece by piece 2,100 acres (850 hectares) of land in the Hunter Rivereverything from the two cedar staircases, seventy cedar district, which proved to be tremendously fertile thedoors and thirty marble mantlepieces, down to the skirting wheat and maize he planted quickly generated a steadyboards, plumbing and electrical fittings. The homestead, income. Eales named the estate Berry Park and it becamewhich had reportedly cost 70,000 to build, was eventually one of the most productive farms in the area.sold for 4,000 to the Broken Hill Proprietary Company(now known as BHP). Eales expanded his property portfolio and is believed to have been involved in more than 240 land transactions over hisGeorge Allen advised Eales senior on legal matters during lifetime, keeping the firm busy. In 1839 Eales establishedthe establishment of his empire. It fell to Georges children the Hunter River Steam Navigation Company, initially toand grandchildren to assist the Eales descendants with the transport his farms produce and later to transport coal afterunpicking of the once grand estate a not uncommon story it was discovered in the region in the early 1840s. as the colony grew. 20'