Boyd & King: As mentioned earlier, Amboise (the former Willoughby Bean grant) was in time legally claimed by the Donnison sisters. In 1883 William Joyce Hobbs purchased the property for 5,000 pounds. Hobbs in turn resold the property to land agents Boyd and King for 6,000 pounds.

Entrepreneurs: The entrepreneurial Boyd and King started the Gosford Times Newspaper to promote the subdivision. A beautifully illustrated and informative (if long-winded) prospectus was produced in 1885, with engravings based on photographs by noted photographer Charles Bayliss. The prospectus shows the wharf area, the building of the Punt Bridge, shipbuilding on Erina Creek and other local scenes. Unfortunately for the promoters, land sales were slow. 
Land speculation: In the 1880s there was much land speculation in the Gosford District. Based on the economic advantages brought by the coming of the railway to Gosford, many similar schemes with attractive names, free lunches, band recitals etc. were tried. Very few succeeded.
The 1890s depression further hampered land sales, and many promoters went bust. In the ten years following the first promotion of the Gosford Model Farms subdivision, only 40 out of a projected 369 farms were sold.

Erina Township

Projected village: Erina Township was a village planned for both sides of Erina Creek. Chetwynd Road (opposite McDonald's Restaurant) marks the easterly end of the village as originally surveyed. The 1885 map shows that Chilton Road (now written as Chiltern Road) marked the northern boundary of the village. The area around today's Clarence Street, Springfield was the Western boundary.

The Township was not successful, and no actual village eventuated. The subdivision was a combination of hills and swamp, was difficult to access, and road alignments paid no heed to terrain.

How to attract potential purchasers?: A Sydney Mail advertisement from 1885 unwittingly pointed out what Erina Township did not possess when it stated:

"WANTED, - General Store, Hotel, Butcher's, Baker's, Farrier's, Blacksmith's & c. "

Sales were slow. Groups of 1/4 acre lots were gradually sold to small farmers, orchardists, and market gardeners.

Ah Chong: A Chinese market gardener, named alternately Chong or Ah Chong, grew cabbages, beans and other produce on flood-prone land opposite Hubbard's Bridge. The Berecry family later purchased the land, and they named it "Wondabindi". In 1886 the Gosford Times reported that: "A Chinese at Erina has over 4000 plants in already, and there are many others following his example".

Stores: On the western side of The Entrance Road and Carlton Road intersection, George Henry Wilson ran a General Store. Wilson purchased 2 acres there in the mid 1890s. Shortly before WWI, the Wilsons moved to Terrigal, and Edward Daniel Cohen took over the Store. General Stores, in the times before supermarkets, sold groceries, newspapers and basic hardware and household needs.