The Karuah Valley, in which Stroud is located, was included in the 1826 land grant of almost a million acres made to the Australian Agricultural Company (AAC) between Port Stephens and the Manning River. The company itself was established in London in 1824 to expand on the production of fine wool in the colony.

Stroud House was built by convicts as an early Australian Agricultural Company residence. It is now privately owned (courtesy Stroud and District Historical Society Inc)

The AAC's inaugural superintendent, Robert Dawson, arrived at Port Stephens in 1826 and was impressed with the surrounding land. Stroud was named by Dawson in 1826 after a town in the Cotswold country in England, it is thought, because the land reminded him of the English countryside in that area.

The Stroud townsite first developed as a sheep and farm outpost in 1827. In 1828 Dawson was relieved from his post as Superintendent. Stroud's early community and buildings were developed under Dawson's successor, the Arctic explorer Sir Edward Parry, who was Company Superintendent from 1830 to 1834.

One of eight underground silo's at Stroud built for the storage of wheat in 1841 (courtesy Stroud and District Historical Society Inc)

The AAC-built Stroud House on Cowper Street dates back to 1828. In 1832 a two-storey was added under Parry's direction. Stroud house was used by Parry and later Commissioners as accommodation while visiting the district. Company employees last occupied the building in 1873. The building was used as a Bank of Australasia branch from 1882 to 1927. The cement-rendered building then became a private home.

It was also under Parry's instructions that the convict-built St John's Anglican Church was erected in 1833. The building was constructed using locally made clay bricks and featuring cedar doors, altar, pews, pulpits, floor, stairway and balustrade. The first service in the church was held on 22 December 1833. An Anglican rectory was constructed by the AAC in 1836 but was partially reconstructed twenty years later following a fire which destroyed much of the original building and all early records.

'Quambi' was built as a school and teacher's residence in the 1830s and is now a museum (courtesy Stroud and District Historical Society Inc)

The majority of the AAC's convict labour force were based in Stroud by 1836. It was also the ACC's main storage location. Eight underground silos were constructed by convicts at Silo Hill in 1841 to provide pest-free storage for the AAC's grain.

The AAC post office of the 1830s was later used as a hospital. It is today privately owned and is known as 'Orchard Cottage'. Stroud also retains other convict-built buildings from the 1830s, now privately owned, including 'Melrose', the Storekeeps Cottage and two Company cottages originally built for AAC employees.

The courthouse in Stroud was completed in 1878. It is now a museum (courtesy Stroud and District Historical Society Inc)

Around the late 1830s the Company established the convict-built school and schoolmaster's residence. The building was acquired by the Anglican Church circa 1850s and was used as a school until 1900. The building was used as a private residence until 1973, and it was during its occupancy by the Callow family that the name 'Quambi' ('place of shelter') was first used for the building. Quambi was purchased by the Stroud Historical Society Inc. in 1975, restored and converted to a museum.

Stroud's first courthouse was established by the AAC circa 1840s. A new courthouse was built on this site in 1877. Court proceedings were held in this building until 1974. The former courthouse and now houses a historical museum.

Stroud's post office was built in 1884 (courtesy Stroud and District Historical Society Inc)

Land at Stroud was first subdivided for sale in 1849.

In 1850 Stroud became the AAC's headquarters in Australia. This role, however, was short-lived and the headquarters were relocated to Sydney in 1856.

St Johns Church was built in 1833 as a school (courtesy Stroud and District Historical Society Inc)

The majority of the AAC's sheep farming interests were transferred to Tamworth by 1856 due to the mediocre returns of the local industry. An attempt at coal mining was made on AAC land in the late 1850s, but was ceased due to the exorbitant costs of extraction. In 1873 the ACC cut all official ties with the town when Surveyor Ogden left Stroud House.

Stroud's second oldest church, St Columbanus Catholic Church, was erected in 1871. Prior to this time the courthouse was used to conduct Catholic mass.

The Stroud post office was constructed in 1884.

A rail connection was made in 1913.

The historic town of Stroud (population approximately 670) is located 219 kilometres north of Sydney. Stroud and the surrounding district today retain many 19th century buildings dating from the earliest days of occupation by the AAC.