By 1806 the first farms were under cultivation in Gloucester as Sorell district was then known. Early land grants were given in 1812 to the following:
Robert Alloms or Allomes | Charles Anthony | William Baxter | Jacob Billett or Bellette |
John or James Birchall | Richard Buckingham | James Davies | Frederick Dawes |
J. Duncombe | William Fenner | Arnold Fisk | Mary Fogarty |
Silas Gatehouse | James Grimes | William Hambly | James Hannaway |
Jane Hobbs | William Hopley | Jane Horton (Gill), | A.W.H.Humphrey |
John Ingle | Charles Jeffries | Thomas Kent | John Knox |
Alexander Laing | I. Larsome | John Liddle | David Lord |
Edward Lord | R. W. Loane | William McDowall | John Miles |
George Morrisby | Robert Nash | Thomas Pennington | J. Prestage |
Bartholomew Reardon | Walter Redpath | Mary Richardson | Thomas Riley |
S. Sederick | James Turnbull | John Wade | M. Wicks |
Charles Willis | J. Wilson | William Wilson | W. Wood |
Thomas Richardson | Thomas Solly? |
Sorell was a big farming community. They transported crops and vegetables to neighbouring parishes to sell at markets. There were two wind mills called Nash windmill and Downwards windmill. Farming was an important part of Sorell history and the main thing that Sorell farmed was wheat and most of the wheat was transported to Sydney.
In 1815, so much wheat was being produced that a flour mill was built by Robert Nash.
John Birchall of Marsh Farm, began in 1816 a wheat delivery service from Pittwater to Kangaroo Point on his new schooner ‘Young William‘ at a rate of 1/6 a bushell.
In south, sheep dominated the Bream Creek area around the coastal flats with dairying the preferred industry on the rich basalt soils of the Ragged tier and at Nugent. Dairy properties were generally small family’s properties with produce being sold to the Bream Creek butter factory from 1899. Pigs were also raised at Bream Creek and sold at the Sorell sale yards.