[1] In this letter he claimed that he was the oldest settler on the Hunter River, and stated:'The Maitland district was established in October 1818, by Governor Macquarie.

In the letter Smith avered, that, in the great flood of 1819:'I was one of those who, on that occasion, went to West Maitland to take some of the settlers from the tops of their houses, in a large boat, and landed them on the hill behind the old courthouse.

'[1] Smith's substantial steam flour mill at East Maitland was no longer economical when wheat growing declined in the Lower Hunter from about the 1860s.

He is an interesting pioneer, having lived a long and active life, many records survive that reveal his character, dealings and achievements.

They illustrate how a man might do well in colonial society, moving from lowly convict status to that of a self-appointed "gentleman" of considerable wealth and property, albeit one that many other more respectable people thought lacking in gentility and good manners.