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This collection accumulated by the Gordon family comprises records of the Manar property in Braidwood, including correspondence ledgers, journals, diaries and cash books;legal documents, witness statements, newspaper clippings and correspondence associated with the Coghill vs Gordon "squatting case" in 1850; and a letter from 1812 sent to Maria Macarthur, wife of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur and eldest daughter of New South Wales Governor Phillip Gidley King, believed to have been written by Elizabeth Enderby, wife of Charles Enderby and Maria's godmother, that includes recipes and advice to young ladies in the colonies on hosting dinner parties and general home economics. Hugh Gordon built 'Manar' in 1841 after buying the large Braidwood property from Dr Matthew Anderson,(Colonial Surgeon at Parramatta in the 1820s). He named the house after his birthplace Manar in Inverarie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. After his marriage to Mary Macarthur, daughter of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur ("The Vineyard", Rydalmere, Parramatta), he extended the homestead in the Georgian style and an extensive ornamental garden was also created with the assistance of Hannibal Macarthur sending seeds, cuttings and plants. In later years, Manar operated as a public school from 1883 - 1907.