Macclesfield 

Not far away, Macclesfield was at first called Three Brothers, because of the three Davenport brothers who were settlers here in 1842. The official name of this community honours the Earl of Macclesfield who had employed the brothers back in England. The area is noted for its marble quarries, and Macclesfield marble was used in sections of Canberra’s War Memorial. In the surrounding area, dairy cattle and sheep graze, and down by the river, the weeping willows that shade the water were planted years ago from cuttings taken from willows that grow near Napoleon’s grave on the island of St Helena. The Davenport brothers brought them to Australia in their baggage and they have survived and flourished over the years. While you’re in Macclesfield, you’ll probably visit The Three Brothers Arms, an English-style tavern which was originally known as The Goat’s Head Inn. This historic hotel is a fitting tribute to the three men who were pioneers in the area. 

The economic foundation of the town was similar to much of Australia based on primary production, wheat , grapes, sheep and mixed family farming. In recent years family farms have been collapsing and the heart of farming has slowly been disintegrating. However the State government and local entrepreneurs have given grape growing an economic boost. Scottish migrants founded Strathalbyn. The population in 1839 was 2700 and to this day