The County of Australusia - the first years

History of the County of Australusia - chapter 1: the First Years    

Australusia's first flag and coat of arms of Count Isidro

(Para a versão em Português, clique aqui)

After becoming a noble and being granted his share of land and wealth by the kingdom of Galiza, Count Isidro took the 400 men who were under his command in the war to occupy his new lands. Since these lands were south of Galiza, Isidro named them "Australusia".

All of Isidro's men brought their families with them and thus the County of Australusia was founded, on the year of  1.029 of Our Lord, with a population of about 2.000 good souls. 

The first city, named Campo D'Ouro ("Golden Field", in literal English translation)  was built on the remains of an Andalusian City-State (the small Taifa of Al - Mirdaran) that was besieged for three months and then conquered by Galiza's forces. The former inhabitants of Al-Mirdaran surrendered and were granted a peaceful realocation to Toledo.  This mercy was extended to all civilians and to all the soldiers who  laid down their weapons ans surrendered to the Galizian forces. The few inhabitants who converted to Christianism were permited to stay in the city. 

When Count Isidro raised the flag with his coat of arms in the remains of the city's gatehouse he renamed it Campo D'Ouro.

The new name of the city was chosen due to the golden wheat fields surrounding the place: the remains of vast Almirdaran farms. 

Isidro then occupied an old visigothic fortress that was used as headquarters and residence by the  former Hajib (the title used by the muslim ruler of a Taifa) of the old City. 

Since most of Almirdara's houses and buildings were razed during the 3-month siege,  the people of the newly-founded Campo D'Ouro had to live in tents and improvised huts for the first year while rebuilding the city.

Campo D'Ouro's first important building after its foundation was a small stone church located in what would become the central square of the city. This church was dedicated to Saint Peter, and its first mass was celebrated when the last stone was placed. It took about two years of hard work from the citizens to complete the church, with the works finally ending in the year of 1.031 of Our Lord. 

Its first priest, Hermes Gonçalves, was a cleric who always followed Isidro's band of soldiers in the battlefields to offer them his blessing (and the Extreme Unction, whenever needed) and thus was a respected authority and had the complete trust of Count Isidro, who made him also the first treasurer of Campo D'Ouro. Hermes managed faithfully the city's finances during his years of duty (he would become, years later, the Treasurer of the whole county). 

The first Alcaide (mayor) was Rodrigo Domingos, a  cavalry captain who fought under Isidro's banner in the Galizan wars against the Andalusians, was the first and foremost officer of Isidro's men, and as the Alcaide he only answered to the Count himself.

Luckly for its denizens, the first ten years of the County of  Australusia were rather peaceful and Campo D'Ouro started to thrive under the rule of Count Isidro and Alcaide Domingos.