Robert Thirkell was a pastoralist and farmer who established properties "Darlington Park", "Rockthorpe" and "Woodstock". Darlington Park became renowned for its fine wool. Upon Robert's death, Darlington Park passed to his son, George Frederick Thirkell. George married Marion Wilson in 1864 and they had four children. After Marion's death, George married Elizabeth Bayles in 1873 and had a further eight children. One of these, Effie, married Arthur Bayles, joining the Thirkell and Bayles families again. It is through this part of the family that the record of wool was deposited in the Tasmanian Archives.