On the district's eastern side, the densely timbered terrain impeded settlement until the 1860s, when pioneers began clearing and using the fertile soil for vegetable growing and dairying, with small villages coming into existence including Robertson, Burrawang and Kangaloon. Timber clearing soon evolved into a business: Barrett and Co had a mill at Burrawang from at least 1885, George Cupitt established the Kangaloon Sawmill in 1888, and Seery, Hayter and Co opened a mill in 1889 at East Kangaloon, it being relocated in 1894 to a large forest at Mt Murray, operating until 1905 when a bushfire destroyed the mill there. The eastern area's longest running sawmill, owned and operated by John Missingham and Sons, would open in 1906 on Jambaroo Road near Robertson.

Following here is an historical overview of Thomas Seery of Avoca and John Hayter of Burrawang. As well as being sawmilling partners, they each played major roles in the district's development. Both were long associated with the Robertson Agricultural and Horticultural Society and with farmers' cooperatives that ran butter factories to supply milk and butter to Sydney, including the Beehive near Burrawang, the Emu at Wilde's Meadow and the Berrima District Farm and Dairy Co.

Thomas Seery was born in 1830 at County Westmeath, Ireland and arrived in Melbourne in 1860 on the Whitestar Line. In 1863 he married Letitia Limond at Appin, both being Roman Catholics, and they would have 12 children. The first three were registered at Picton, the others at Berrima from 1868, Thomas having established a dairy farm at Avoca. He soon became involved in industry and civic associations, and was an active member of the Burrawang Catholic parish. He died in February 1905, aged 76.

John Thomas Hayter was born in 1839 at Camden. In 1860 he married Emma Garner. Of their 12 children, the first two were registered at Camden, and the others at Berrima from 1866. In the mid-1860s John took up dairying on a large scale at Burrawang and was a member of numerous industry associations. He left the district in 1914, moving to northern NSW where he died in 1927, aged 88 years.

More about their local contributions will be provided later in this series.

On December 3, 1889 the Moss Vale Scrutineer published a description of a picnic at Seery, Hayter and Co's steam sawmills that took place the previous Saturday to celebrate the opening of Seery and Hayter's new sawmills at East Kangaloon. The spot chosen was a clearing just below the works, described as being in the bend of the Big River (we know it as the Nepean), "where it is nicely sheltered with tall gigantic trees awaiting the woodman's axe to be felled and further manipulated at the mills close by and then utilized for the various purposes of civilised life".

"The route there and back to Moss Vale, via Burrawang, Robertson, East and West Kangaloon, and home by the road past Eridge Park, forms one of the grandest and most picturesque panoramic stretches of scenery throughout a journey of 40 miles, that may probably be seen in any part of NSW. The roads are greatly improved since the management has been in the hands of our present able Superintendent (Mr Bloomfield); not a piece of road which before was difficult has missed his careful and practical eye, but has been properly graded, levelled, and substantially formed so that travelling the whole route is now comparatively easy and pleasant."

"The day was exceptionally fine and enjoyable. Making a start at 10.30am from Moss Vale we arrived by 2pm on the pleasure grounds, rough enough but most picturesque, and then the road through the bush to the mill. We got there without broken bones or saggy springs safely over the ground, having our old friend, John Haddin, as whip, in whose hands we felt safe, even in the face of many dangers."