He decided to sell his rural holdings and travel overseas for an extended period with his niece (and housekeeper) Leila Murray. So, on 8 November 1881, Frederick Campbell — who had been managing the neighbouring Duntroon sheep station for his uncle and aunt — was able to purchase Yarralumla from his friend Gibbes for ₤40,000. (Campbell made a ₤10,000 down-payment on the property, discharging the rest of the purchase price by instalments in a process that took him until 1911 to complete: see NSW LTO, old system deeds, book 607, number 942.)