“Home of Princes and Kings, Knights and Pelicans; Agaricus has fielded combatants at every Rowany Festival for the last 30 years” – Rachel the Untame
A history of Agaricus – Thirty years
On January 20, 1984 (AS 17) the Barony of Rowany held a meeting at Winterhelm in the suburbs of Liverpool. At that meeting the Rowany Seneschal, Roddhi Oakburn announced that the Barony was going to split into two or three groups. He then asked for volunteers to run those groups. Guillaume Arnaut and Marit the Wanderer volunteered. Roddhi announced that they would be seneschals of the proposed College and of the proposed Shire respectively.
Those perceiving themselves to be part of the new Shire (19 people) held a discussion following that meeting to determine borders and elect officers. A name was sought. When one person noted that the group covered “every mushroom farm of the greater Sydney area” and another commented “Agaricus is the Latin for mushrooms” the general consensus led to the choice of Agaricus as the name for the group. The Herald claimed that mushrooms were easy to draw; leading to a device with five mushrooms (one for each household in the group) surrounding a laurel wreath. Six weeks later Agaricus was a group with a registered device (a record at the time).
The original borders lodged by Roddhi Oakburn gave Agaricus the lands west of Joseph Street, Lidcombe and south of the Georges River. The original claim made by Agaricus was west of Woodville Road and Dead Man’s Creek. Since then the borders have changed many times. Currently, Agaricus extends from Merrylands in the north to the edge of the Southern Highlands in the south; and to the Nepean River in the West.
The first officers were:
- Seneschal – Marit the Wanderer
- Marshall – Raymond of Annan
- Herald – Guillaume Arnaut
- Capt of archers – Thomas du Chat
- Chirurgeon – Mehitabel du Chat
- Arts and sciences – Selivia de l’Estoile
- Reeve – Richard Hryckiewicz
The original households:
- Winterhelm
- Maison du Chat
- Maison de l’Estoille
- Pandemonium
- The Brotherhood
The seneschals of Agaricus:
- Marit the Wanderer
- Raymond Annan
- Susannah of Locksley
- Marit the Wanderer (acting in Susannah’s absence)
- Susannah of Locksley
- Martin le Merchant
- Blaeney of Bolthofsun
- Aelfred se Leof
- Luan an Fael
- Paul Raymondsen
- Iago del Arte
- Malora
- Lyndsay
During Susannah’s time as seneschal, the area north of the great Western Freeway and further into Rowany split off to become, after many name changes, Stowe on the Wolde.
During Martin’s time as seneschal, the College of St Malachy was sponsored by Agaricus, and our device was changed to incorporate the Phoenix.
During Aelfred’s time as seneschal, the college and its surrounding area split off to become what is now the Shire of Adora.
[History Written by Marit the Wanderer]