Donald McDonell and wife, Jane nee McPhee, and three children (a fourth born on board ship died on the voyage) came from Scotland during the 1830s, first settling in the Hunter area before purchasing land at Woola Woola relocating to this property by bullock dray driving their cattle with them. Sons Alexander and Donald, were sent ahead to build a house on the property. Donald and Jane had 10 children. Family members scattered over the Manning area and further afield. Son Alexander and his wife, nee Matheson, purchasing land at Moto, Cundle Plains and Lansdowne along with acres in the township of Cundle purchased from Cundle Cundle Company in 1882 where he built his final home called "Riverview" which is still standing and owned by family members. Alexander and Jessie had 13 children, six of whom entered the Roman Catholic Church either as priests or nuns. Charles McDonell, who farmed at Mondrook, traded with Mr Lamond eight heifers for the racehorse "Zulu". "Zulu" was trained at Mondrook and Cundle Plains before winning the Melbourne Cup in 1881. In 1881, the poet Henry Kendall took up residence at Cliff Cottage in Cundletown but unfortunately died in 1882. He wrote a long poem called Taree, which began with the stanza: "Here where the silver stream of Manning strays by folded hills and great green gracious ways¹