RICHARD BROOKS is, it is almost safe to say, the earliest pioneer of whose settlement any authentic record exists. He was a son of Captain Richard Brooks, of Bermondsay, Surrey, and was born in 1812. Captain Brooks, who had a naval career, sailed his own schooner to New South Wales, and settled in 1814 at Denham Court , near Liverpool, and, according to a memorial window in St. Mary's Church, Denham Court, died in 1833, at the age of 69. Richard Brooks, his son, came to Manaro with cattle in 1827, and reached what was afterwards Cootralantra Lake, where, consequent upon the blacks proving hostile, he lost his cattle, which he later found on Gejizrick Flat, where the rich pastures that then existed caused him to determine to settle. He erected a homestead of timber and slabs with a thatched room in the bush at the foot of Gejizrick Hill. The blacks, however, proving still unfriendly, caused him a few years later to erect in the open another house, which still remains as part of Mr. Woodhouse's Gegedzerick Station. In order to placate the blacks, who were continuously spearing his cattle, Mr. Brooks elevated one of their chiefs, . 'Blueskin," to royalty by presenting him with a brass plate inscribed, "King of Monaro." In return for this, "Blueskin" stopped any further molestation by his tribe of Mr. Brooks' cattle. Each Christmas the owner of Gejizrick gave the blacks a bullock. This they roasted whole and then had a great feast near the homestead.

Richard Brooks married Augusta Weston, and their eldest son, W. H. Brooks, who died a few years ago, was born at Gejizrick in 1838. Richard Brooks died at Illawarra in, 1885, at the age of 43, and was buried in the cemetery there. He left a family of seven children-four sons and three daughters; and many of his descendants are still on Manaro, living in the neighbourhood of the old home. His widow married again, and, as Mrs. Torkington, is borne in kindly recollection by old residents. The widow and family of W. H. Brooks, his eldest- son, reside at Killarney, Berridale; the wife and family of H. H. Brooks live at Adaminaby.

In February, 1845, Mr. Brooks had been visited by Bishop Broughton (Bishop of Australia) who, during his stay, had arranged for the erection at Gejizrick of a small wooden chapel which, known as the Gegedzerick Church, and built largely by members. of the Brooks family, is one of the oldest of the sacred buildings on Manaro. Richard Brooks controlled a vast tract of country, said at one time to extend from Micalago to the Snowy River. As settlement increased his area decreased, but he actually held what in after years was known as Gegedzerick, Glenbrook, Kiah Lake and Middlingbank. He also was the lessee from the Crown of the Jindabyne run, his total holdings being 60,000 acres. The adjoining holdings to Gejizrick were Arable, Woolway and Murranumbla, belonging to Mr. Abram Brierly, with whose manager, Alexander Hamilton, Mr. Brooks had trouble over boundaries. Mr. T. V. Bromfield, of Collamatong Run, who married Christiania, daughter of Captain Brooks, was his brother-inlaw.

On his Jindabyne holding Mr. Brooks ran cattle, but on Gejizrick he grazed cattle, sheep and horses. The horses were sent to India, the stock to Sydney, and of those not otherwise disposed of, some were boiled down on the station for tallow.