Sturt apparently sold his uncleared grant 5000 acres [at Ginningdera, [sic] Canberra] at its auction value with the proceeds bought a small but ready- fenced property at Varroville, which on his sudden departure for South Australia in 1839 [to take up the post of Surveyor-General], he was forced to sell at so great a loss that the final outcome of the grant dwindled to less than £450.'