The Perfect Stillness

"It was about eight minutes to six when the balloon quitted her moorings, and in twenty minutes she had become a mere speck, a homeopathic globule in the far distance, serenely and steadily sailing onwards, as though native to and rejoicing in the buoyant element." - Melbourne Argus 2nd February 1858 

The above newspaper report describes the first manned balloon flight in Australia which occurred in Melbourne the previous day, 1st February 1858. The new fangled flying machine was piloted by Mr Joseph Dean in a gas-powered balloon 'Australasian', imported and own by Mr George Coppin. The balloon which rose to a height of 3,000ft (915 metres) and lasted for about half an hour, landed safely on Heidelberg Road was watched by thousands of spectators crammed around Cremorne Gardens.

This was such an important event in Melbourne society that even a special medal was struck to commemorate this outstanding achievement.

Even though ballooning has now been occurring in Australia for over 150 years, when you come across these beautiful machines ,it can still be as awe inspiring to the casual observer as it was to the crowds that lined Cremorne Gardens to watch Aeronaut Joseph Dean make his first Australian flight. and secure his place in history. 

And so it was for me.

I was working in the Hunter Valley near Branxton the other morning when I noticed in the distance that a hot air balloon was operating over the Lovedale vineyards and while I thought it look spectacular rising above the early morning mist I never gave it much more thought. As I drove out of Greta, I noticed that the balloon was closer than I anticipated and as I continued to drive the balloon began to descend rather rapidly. I couldn't pass up such an opportunity, so I pulled safely off the highway and took out my go everywhere camera, the trusty Sanyo S1275. Luckily the position I selected to stop also coincided with the flight path of the fast descending aircraft and I as soon as I was able to get the camera out of the bag the balloon crossed directly overhead and landed safely in a nearby paddock..

Once again the little portable 'point & shoot' Sanyo digital camera proved its worth and I was able to capture the image of a hot air balloon in very close proximity. 

I have often thought about going up in a balloon, so my next task is to actually book a flight on one of the worlds most endearing aircraft and experience ballooning over some of Australia's most picturesque landscapes, the Hunter Valley. If you want to give ballooning a try, I'm sure locally based Balloon Safaris will be more than happy to scratch that itch, you can find more info at http://www.balloonsafaris.com.au/

I'd like to thank the online resources at National Library of Australia, Museum Victoria and Balloon Safaris for providing the unique photographic opportunity

       

16 In A Box

“I am not guilty of the crime with which I was charged, and I told the judge so, but he would not believe me. May the Lord have mercy on our souls. Goodbye all.” - were the last words muttered on this earth by Charles Hines before the hangman, Robert  'Nosey Bob' Howard, pulled the bolt securing the trapdoor at Maitland Gaol May 21st 1897 at 9.07am, making Charles Hines the last man hanged at Maitland Gaol.

I could think of no better place to visit on a cold blustery June weekend than a mid 19th century penal establishment, so armed with my compact Sanyo S1275 camera, rugged up against the biting winds, I ventured through the gates of Maitland Gaol, entering into a world of confinement, razor wire, barred windows and surveillance.


The Maitland Gaol, which is actually situated in East Maitland (at the time the old Government/Administrative part of the Maitland district), along with Court House, sits along the grand axis of the Sir Thomas Mitchell town plan which was drawn up in 1829. The foundation stone was laid in 1844 and the reception of the first prisoners occurred in December 1848 (although some records indicate that this didn't happen until 1st January 1849). The first stage of the prison was designed by the NSW Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis, which makes Maitland Gaol the only remaining "Inspector's Gaols" and it is also the oldest substantially intact prison in NSW


The prison was constructed using local sandstone from quarries at Morpeth and Farley, with Messrs. Brodie & Craig awarded the contract (Maitland Mercury 11/3/1846). The cost of the first stage of construction is hard to ascertain, however it would seem that the initial contract cost £2,500 and was awarded  in 1846 (Maitland Mercury 2/9/1846), down from an initial estimated cost of construction of £6,327 (Sydney Gazette 19/6/1841) .      


The second stage of construction (1861 - 1887), which included the 3 storey 'B' Block and the  East Wing or 'C' Block (commenced in 1883) was designed by James Barnet, who was also responsible for the design of a lot of the regions Post Offices, including East Maitland, West Maitland (Maitland), Lambton and Singleton. 


In 1896 the prison also became listed as one of the Colony's principle prison for women inmates and they were housed in 'C' Block. 


It is a truly terrifying image as you wander around the site and note the harsh conditions that greeted all the inmates that were transported through the massive main gates. 


In 1972 the gaol was upgraded (electricty was added to 'B' Block around this time!) and from 1977 it became a Maximum Security institution, which eventually housed some of NSW's most notorious criminals including Darcy Dugan, Ray Denning, Ivan Milat, Neddy Smith, the Anita Cobby and Janine Balding murderers. 


The most chilling section, besides the Gallows (located at the front gate), is the clinical high security 5 Wing, which  was opened in 1993 to house the states worst prisoners and would have to be the most soul destroying part of the tour, with its segregation, the use of stainless steel and minimal human contact makes it  truly awful experience for casual observers And we were only there for 10mins, not 10 years! 5 Wing had all the charm of a dog pound and the ambiance of a morgue and although the other cell blocks were constructed in the 19th century, I would prefer to spend time in the notorious 'B' Block than be confined to the odious 5 Wing.           


The Maitland Gaol continued as a fully functioning prison up until its closure in 1998, then after 150 years of service it ceased its function as a prison as the cost of maintaining and securing a 19th century prison close to a heavily populated area was becoming prohibitive, so without fanfare the prisoners were transferred to other prisons in the system. The prison was then handed over to the community, which besides providing tourists a real insight into the history NSW's penal system, the prison also caters for a variety of events from Laser Skirmish to theatre groups and  ghost tours. 


If you do intend to visit Maitland Gaol, try and do the tour with a guide (self guided tours are available) for it is the stories that add real depth to the tour. Our guide was Peter Fraser, an ex-inmate, who was quite authentic in his descriptions of the day to day existence of prisoners at Maitland Gaol during latter part of the prisons life and his recollections of those days were enough to convince me that prison is not the place for me!


As for the '16 In A Box'  title for this post, well 16 prisoners were hanged in the prison and their mortal remains left in a box ... however it would seem that some of the departed souls decided to 'hang' around a bit longer!         
           

I'd like to thank the staff at Maitland Gaol, the online resources of the National Library of Australia & the NSW Office of Heritage and Environment for their assistance in my research for this blog. 

The Lost Post Offices of Australia - Wollombi (2325)

"Last week we noticed that at the meeting of this body several communications from his Excellency the Governor were read over. We cannot forbear saying a few words with reference to one of these letters. It conveyed permission from his Excellency to the Council to hold their future meetings in a wretched looking hovel, bearing the dignified name of post office, with the proviso that their meetings should in no way interfere with the duties of that establishment. Now to us of the township, who know the building in question, this gracious offer with its stipulation appears highly ridiculous; and we will venture to say that this murky looking affair would never have been honored by the Governor's notice had he been rightly informed of its appearance and history. We will give both in as few words as possible. It is one of a group of old ruinous road-party huts, which have been allowed to remain, a standing disgrace to the township ; it is composed of slabs, with a mixed covering of thatch and bark, and it has served in its time for a constable's barrack, a bawdy house, and a gambler's hell. Such is the concern which no doubt misrepresentation induced the Governor to offer for the accommodation of the Council." - The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser 29 June 1844

It would seem that the locals at Wollombi were not happy with the state of their local Post Office in 1844!

Back in 1818 Governor Lachlan Macquarie decided it was time to open up the rich fertile land on the Hunter River around Wallis Plains (present day Maitland) and Saint Patricks Plains (later known as Patrick Plains or Singleton as we know it today) to free settlers. After several attempts, including a track that roughly followed the present day Putty Road through Bulga to Singleton, the route that was eventually selected by the government was a route that was surveyed in Heneage Finch in 1825 and roughly follows the present day Great North Road. This new 240 kilometre road was commenced in 1826 and using convict labour, was finally completed in 1836. The road, although better and easier to travel than the previous attempts was still steep and rocky in parts but it levelled out into rich pasture land at Wallumbi (Wollombi). Wollombi quickly became an important overland transport hub to the Hunter River port of West Maitland and an easy trek to Patrick Plains (Singleton).


The future of Wollombi seemed assured.


During the construction phase, as the road came north from Wisemans Ferry, various locations were sought to site the convict camps and one of those places happened to be on the banks of Wollombi Brook,  where soldier settlers (veterans of the Peninsular War), free settlers and emancipists had already began to take up allotments. The first sale of village allotments  took place in July 1838 and the first Post Office was established 1st January 1839 with a weekly mail service to West Maitland with Mr John McDougall appointed Postmaster.  Mr McDougall was an interesting choice as Postmaster as he was a former convict overseer on the Great North Road and was in charge of Iron Gang 7 from 1830 -1834. However his tenure as postmaster was quite brief as the it seems that Augusta Dunlop, eldest daughter of the new Police Magistrate, David Dunlop, took over the role of Postmistress in 1840.


As the town grew so did the services with the telegraph (3/3/1860), Money Order Office (1/7/1866), Government Savings Bank (11/12/1871) and then Wollombi finally gained official status (10/7/1882). Although the services provided expanded, it seems the building did not and there were many calls to upgrade the Post Office. In early 1892 tenders were called for for the erection of a new two storey building and in June 1892 the successful  tenderer was Elliot & Halliday who won the contract to construct the new Wollombi Post Office for £1852 (SMH 2/6/1892). Although no one seems to really know when the building was completed, it seems construction was well under way by September 1892 (The Maitland Mercury 13/9/1892) and seems to have been completed by September 1893 (Richmond & Windsor Gazette, 23/9/1893).          

Despite the boom years of the 1840's, the town was doomed by technology and it came in the form of the Sophia Jane, a steam powered ship that could do the run from Sydney to Newcastle in 8hrs and then travel up river as far as Green Hills (Morpeth). The next blow was the arrival of the Great Northern Railway at Maitland in the 1860's which meant that stock and produce ceased to use the old convict road to Sydney. The Post Office then lost it's official status in 1934, however the town still survived and the Great North Road served as an alternative road north. Then in 1945, with the building of the road bridge across Hawkesbury River at Peats Ferry, even vehicular traffic stopped using the winding hilly convict era road and this signaled the end of Wollombi as a vital transport hub. 


Today Wollombi is a quaint village, that is steeped in Australia's convict history, with many fine buildings that have stood the test of time, including the former Post Office, which is still standing after 120 years of service to the community and looks like doing so for quite some time to come.

I'd like to thank Newcastle Historical Society , Newcastle Library, The National Library of Australia & Neil Hopsons book 'The 'NSW & ACT Post, Receiving, Telegraph & Telephone Offices' for all their help and information

Day Tour In The Wineries

I was recently doing my research at the Newcastle Historical Society when I came across an old Cessnock Council tourist map, originally issued in 1969 and it details 3 day tours that tourists can follow around the Cessnock area. So being an adventurous soul, I decided that I would try to follow one of the tourist drives and attempted  Tour 3 - Mount View Range and the Vineyards. It should be noted however that a lot of the wineries have changed owners and some landmarks are no longer visible , which I'll point out and I have left the distances in the original format, being miles, instead of kilometres.

0m. RIGHT - Mount View Road, Millfield (turn off Wollombi Rd, around 15.4 klms from Wine Country Drive Cessnock):

• Follow Mount View Road. To the north we see Mount View, though to be one of a north-south line of extinct volcanoes.

0.9m. LEFT - Entrance to old Millfield Racecourse: 

• Most of the rails and even the winning post on this racecourse still stand (now gone, it is now the entrance to a private property) 

1.3m. Bridge Across Creek:

• To the west at the foot of Mount Baker is William Lewis's diary farm, which stands on the Baker's grant of 1825-31. Some of the Baker family became pioneer farmers on the Orara River, west of Coffs Harbour

2.5m. RIGHT - Cedar Brush Valley:

• Red cedar trees still grow in this valley. In a paddock on its southern side Prof, T.W. Edgeworth David and his students at the turn of the century sank bores in the course of a survey of local coal seams ("and blew a blessed bugle all night at their camp")

3.3m. RIGHT (on the horizon) - Myall Range:

• A Jewish bushranger and his gang used Jew Boy Mountain in the Congewai Valley, which begins in the Myall Range, as a base for making raids on local settlers. He was Edward Davis, hanged in Sydney in 1841.

4.3m. RIGHT - "Jerusalem Rock":

• These greyish extrusions, known locally as "Jerusalem Rock", are characteristic of this area, which greatly interests geologists (although there are plenty of these formations to be seen in the area, I was unable to pinpoint this feature to its exact position & none of the local vignerons I spoke to were able assist ... more investigation needed)

5.4m. Mount View (Bimbadeen) Lookout:

•   From this look out you may see much of the valley of Black Creek. From the north to south you may see in the background the Barringtons, hils at Nelson Bay, Mount Sugar Loaf, and the Myall Range; in the middle-ground Molly Morgan's Range, the town of Weston and Kurri Kurri, and Mount Tomalpin (600ft), an isolated flat-topped feature; and in the foreground Black Creek farmlands, Allandale Geriatric Centre, Cessnock District Hospital, inner Cessnock, Aberdare, and Bellbird. In the immediate foreground a gravel road winds down past a dairy farm (and continues on to the vineyards). This is the road we shall follow (this road is now sealed).

Resume journey, first proceeding south, then north, and avoiding the turn-off right to Bellbird. Continue through undulating grazing lands to the foot of the range.

9.0m. RIGHT - Turn Off For Cessnock:

• Avoiding this turn off, continue north along tar-sealed road (Oakey Creek Road).

9.5m. LEFT - Turn Off To Vineyards And Vineyards Lookout:

• Follow this turn off (still on Oakey Creek Road)

11.1m. Right - Happy Valley Wine Cellars (now Wynwood Estate):

• Happy Valley vineyards are managed by Barrie Drayton, member of a branch of the wine making family, whose founder, Charles Drayton, planted a 40 acre vineyard at Pokolbin in 1870. 

LEFT  - Bellevue Wine Cellars (now Drayton Family Wines): 

• Bellevue, whose cellars stand on the 40 acres planted by Charles Drayton in 1870, is managed by Len Drayton. From the beginning the Draytons combined mixed farming with wine making. Fortunately for wine lovers, the Draytons resisted the temptation, during the Great Depression, to abandon wine making altogether.

LEFT - (beyond Bellevue) - Mount Pleasant Vineyards (Marrowbone Road):

• Mount Pleasant was acquired from Maurice O'Shea (who acquired it from Charles King) by the company whose founder was a London surgeon, Henry John Lindeman (1811 -71), who settled at Gresford in 1840, purchased Carwarra in 1843 and, later, Dr. Carmichael's Porphyry Estate. The Lindemans retained O'Shea as manager until his death in 1956. He was one of our greatest winemakers.

13.0m. RIGHT - Turn Off To Lindemans Ben Ean (McDonalds Road) :

• Avoiding this turn off, continue west along a gravel road the which leads to to the Vineyards Lookout (this road is Pokolbin Mountain Road) 

RIGHT - Cote d'Or :

• Note grove of trees surrounding an old house, Cote d'Or. Cote d'Or was built by Lieutenant Frederick A. Wilkinson who came to Pokolbin in the 1860's and set about clearing thick scrub and planting a vineyard. After living in tents for six months the Wilkinsons, a cultured family, set about building Cote d'Or: they used hand made bricks and nails, pit sawn slabs and shingles.* Cote d'Or is nearly collapsed & it is a real tragedy that it historical building hasn't been preserved. The ruins can now only be glimpsed from the Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard on De Beyers Road.

When turning right to begin the ascent to the Vineyards Lookout note the old road, lined  with trees and fenced on either side, which runs straight up the ridge. This road, abandoned 60 years ago, leads directly to the Pokolbin Vineyards Lookout, which we now approach by  means of a relatively easy deviation. Towards the end of the climb note to the right the farms of the pioneer Mathews Family.

15.5m. Sharp Turn Left Off Road To Vineyards Lookout:

• Proceed on foot in a southerly direction along a ridge (following portion of the abandoned road already noted). This old road follows the general line of a road noted in 1832 which ran from Millfield across Mount View and the eastern side of the Broken Back (Range)and on to the Hunter River. From this ridge you have an uninterrupted view of the vineyards, the Liverpool Range and Mount Royal Range  * the Vineyards Lookout that is mentioned isn't the current Pokolbin Picnic Area (cnr McDonald & De Beyers Road); but it is an older point of interest & is no longer in shown on contemporary maps or signposted. The Vineyards Lookout is 4.2 kilometres from the intersection of McDonald & Pokolbin Mountain Road .  

Rejoin vehicle and retrace journey as far as the intersection of the Vineyards Lookout road and the tar sealed road leading north (McDonalds Road). There continue north.

19.9m. LEFT -   St. Mark's Church of England:

• Students should not confuse this building with the one referred to as the church of the 1860's at Pokolbin: the church of the 1860's at Pokolbin was St. Luke's, the church near the cemetery at Nulkaba. George Frederick McDonald, a Presbyterian, donated the land on which Church of England vignerons erected St. Mark's. 

LEFT - Pokolbin School of Arts:

• Here there have been social and official gathering of our own great winegrowers and internationally known wine lovers.

RIGHT - Pokolbin War Memorial:

• Inscriptions on the tablets at the gates read like a roll call of our vignerons. They include the names of Pokolbin men who fought in the Great War of 1914 - 18 and the 1939 - 45 War.

LEFT - Lindeman's Ben Ean Wine Cellars and Vineyards

• Frederick, son of Dr Lindeman, purchased Bean Ean from J.F. McDonald, son of John McDonald, who obtained the grants in 1825 - 31 here and at Rothbury Creek. 

20.5m. Intersection With De Beyers Road:

• Turn right along De Beyers Road. Harry De Beyer, a German migrant, who worked in a Newcastle district coal mine, acquired and developed a vineyard property near Broken Back. At the same time there came to Pokolbin another coalminer. This coalminer's son, Bob Elliot, took over Oakvale vineyard on the Broke Road; developed Belford on the mainstream of the Hunter; acquired land at Fordwitch; and shortly after the 1939 - 45 War acquired Tallawanta east of Oakvale.

21.5m. LEFT - Entrance To Glen Elgin:

• John Younie Tulloch, a prosperous businessman at Branxton, acquired Glen Elgin around 1894 from J.Hungerford. After the 1914 - 18 War he acquired 50 acre blocks abandoned at Fordwitch by soldier settlers and there planted vines. J.Y. Tulloch died in 1940. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Hector. (the entrance to Glen Elgin is approximately now the entrance to McLeish Wines)

22.5m. Entrance To Cessnock Airport:

• Avoid entrance to airport. Turn sharp left. (this is now an olive tree plantation, the entrance to Cessnock Airport is now off Wine Country Drive)

23.5m. Lake's Folly:

• Lake's Folly is the young vineyard of Max Lake, surgeon, and author of two charming books; Hunter Wine (1964); Classic Wines of Australia (1966). Max Lake is a member of the Confrerie de Chevaliers du Tastevin. Max Lake deeply appreciates the historical background ot our Pokolbin and Rothbury families and the tenacity and skill of our vignerons.

• To the left on the Broke Road beyond Tallawanta (Hunter Valley Gardens & Harrigan's Cellars) is the Ashman's property (known by the family as 'the marriage settlement' of Tyrells Vineyards Pty. Ltd. (this vineyard is just now known as Tyrrells Estate, 1838 Broke Road Pokolbin)  This company is managed by Murray Tyrrell. great-gradson of Edward Tyrrell, brother of Rt. Rev. William Tyrrell, first Bishop of Newcastle Church of England Diocese.

23.8m. Intersection With Road To Branxton (Wine Country Drive):

• Follow this road north * although it is only about 600 mtrs to Wine Country Drive from Lakes Folly, if you take the trip to Tyrrells as described in this tour it actually adds nearly another 11.5 kilomtetres to the trip!  

25.7m. RIGHT  - Turn Off Along Widerness Road To Allandale and Lochinvar:

• Follow this turn off

RIGHT - Daisy Hill (Old Vineyard & Wine Cellar):

• For details see Tour 2

LEFT - Wilderness Cemetery:

• For details see Tour 2. The Wilderness Church and cemetery (named after the home built on this road in the 1840's by Joseph Broadbent Holmes, a native of Exeter, on the east bank of Black Creek) is the resting place of members of the families of almost all of our pioneer vignerons * the cemetery is located behind Emma's Cottage  438 Wilderness Rd Rothbury.

RETURN BY BRANXTON ROAD (Wine Country Drive) TO CESSNOCK

Trying to follow that map was a difficult assignment, not just because of the changing names of the properties, but the compiler added diversions (Mt Pleasant and Tyrrell Wineries) without adjusting the milages. Also, there was no road names indicated (especially when I was trying work out where the Vineyards Lookout was situated!) and to further complicate things, the speedo that they used in the vehicle was out by over 10%, making the trip even more confusing than it needed to be.

Overall, it was a fun way to spend a day out, driving around one of Australia's best wine producing regions and living the history of Australia's pioneer vignerons ... a great day out. 

I'd like to thank the invaluable help given to me by Stephen Drayton & Robyn Drayton in identifying historical landmarks around Pokolbin. Also the Newcastle Family History & Historical Society for use of the extensive pam files & the Cessnock City Council who originally produced the Cessnock Day Tours  guide 

Muscle & Muscle

On a day when religious people observe the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and chocoholics are indulging in their annual chocolate orgy, some of us in Newcastle celebrate Easter Sunday in a display of pure grunt and muscle power.


Not just any muscle, but with the toughest of them all ... the Ford Mustang, a car that celebrates big block normally aspirated  V8 engines, wide rubber, tons of chrome, 4 speed 'top loader' manual transmissions and a car the fuelled the dreams of every boy growing up in the 60's and 70's.


Newcastle was lucky enough to host the 2012 Mustang National over the Easter, with over 300 of these iconic American muscle cars from the Mustang Owners Club Association of NSW on display, including a 1982 SSP Mustang, a Mustang Ute and every kind of Mustang in between.


Out of all the Mustangs on display my favourites were the beautiful 1969 Shelby 350 GT, the last of  iconic Carroll Shelby produced Mustangs and the awesome 'Big Red', a 1967 Shelby GT 500 with the massive 428ci (7 Litre) engine to make this beast the mother of all Mustangs!    

But there was not just motoring muscle on display in Newcastle on Easter Sunday ... playing at the nearby Ausgrid Stadium was the Round 6 clash of the National Rugby League competition, where human muscle was on display. The local team, the Newcastle Knights were playing the Parramatta Eels in a dour struggle. After 80mins of hard slog in warm autumn sunshine the Newcastle Knights were eventually victorious 14 - 6 and kept themselves in the hunt for the finals come September. 


So even if you can't play Rugby League, or don't own a Mustang, you can still come to Newcastle and pursue some other leisurely such as whale watching, wine tasting or just soaking up the sun on some of  Australia's best beaches .... beats sitting at home sucking eggs!  
  

Walking Into The Past

In 1973 the Daily Mirror newspaper described Ingleburn as a "wasteland" dominated by "ugliness, lack of amenities and boredom". As a teenager growing up in the suburb at the time I was absolutely gobsmacked that anyone would describe my town in such vitriolic manner and also as a result of that article, I don't even think my mother has bought a Murdoch published newspaper for nearly 40 years! 

When I was a young kid growing up in Ingleburn in Sydney's south western suburbs, history was something that happened in more exotic locales. In the NSW school history syllabus during the 60's & 70's, we were taught about the great monarchs of the United Kingdom, the journey of Australia's discovery by Captain James Cook, Australia's convict transportation era, the explorations of the Australian continent, the deeds by our brave fighting men at Gallipoli (World War 1) and the defeat of the Japanese by the sons of Gallipoli at Kokoda (World War 2). All great historical events in their own right and it was probably deemed sufficient in the public school curriculum at the time, given the limited resources available to educators at the time.


However, history existed right under our noses if we cared to suspend our prejudices, remove our blinkers and just look at our own town.


The development of Ingleburn can be traced back to colonial botanist, George Caley, who in 1805 traveled from Prospect across to the upper reaches of the Georges River mapping its course near Ingleburn. Not long after the travels of Caley, settlers pushed out of the Sydney confines and into the area that is now known as Ingleburn. In 1809 four soldiers, William Hall, William Neale, Joshua Alliot and Timothy Loughin from the NSW Corps took up farm selections in the area that became known as Soldiers Flat, on the eastern side of Bunburry Curran Creek (according to Parish Maps of the late 1830's show that Bunburry is spelt with 2 r's and not with one 'r' as it is today). Although the southern railway came through in 1858, it wasn't until 1869 that a rail platform was built on the Neale property to service the growing rural industries and so a name had to be found for the new locality. The name chosen was Macquarie Fields, named after the large property located on William Redfern's land holdings to the north of the platform. The properties near the platform changed hands a few times up until 1881 when the area was purchased by Elias Laycock and the home he built on his new holdings  was called Ingleburn House. Also in 1881 William Redfern's former Macquarie Fields property was subdiivided and became the new village of Macquarie Fields. To save confusion over the names in August 1883 the railway authorities decided to adopt the name of the nearby Elias Laycocks house, so the name was changed to Ingleburn. When the area around the station was eventually subdivided, the area simply became known as Ingleburn as well.


As Ingleburn was basically a rural village, most of the early buildings were constructed using easily accessible building materials such as timber and iron. Even the local public school, which was relocated from Brooks Point near Appin and opened in 1887 was originally built as a timber and iron structure. The current brick building, including the teachers residence, that stands on the site today were constructed in 1892 at a cost of  £1097/9/0 ($1.6 million) which reflects the standing Ingleburn had achieved in it's very short history.


Ingleburn even managed their own civic affairs when they elected their own council and which first sat in1896. The first meetings were conducted in Alderman Smiths lounge room (as there was no council chambers at the time) with Mr Barff serving as Ingleburn's first Lord Mayor. Also serving were some old Ingleburian names such as Mr Percival and Mr Collins (the areas first Postmaster) who were elected as Alderman in the first local administration. Eventually the council was incorporated into the Campbelltown Council in 1948. One of the legacies of the Ingleburn Council was the development of Kings Park (now called the Georges River Reserve) in the late 30's as a recreation area and was popular spot for swimming on those hot summer days. It was also where a lot of local kids, myself included, learnt to swim, mainly thanks to the now heritage listed weir that made the conditions less treacherous by artificially slowing down the fast flowing water. The area was also used extensively by the Scouting movement for orienteering and bush related activities, a real asset to the early community before the age of swimming pools.   

In 1901, the original railway station burnt to the ground and so the government decided that it would be one of the first built in the contemporary style of the day, that is in what is known as the 'Initial Island' style. Ingleburn railway is one of the few remaining examples of the first attempts to implement this style of rail architecture into the Sydney metro area and is considered to be the prototype for many other railway station buildings that were erected in the 1910 -20  period using this style.

The Ingleburn School of Arts (Community Hall) is another example of pride in local community, built in the 1920's it is an example of the Art Deco style that was becoming in vogue around that time. The hall has survived during this time, however a recent redevelopment of the Ingleburn Arts Precinct, saw the old hall demolished and now only the facade remains.
   
It was during the 1970's that population of the former rural village exploded, when the Housing Commission and developers opened up vast tracts of farmland to housing and changed the face of my town forever, dragging the locals from a sleepy insular backwater, to a thriving Sydney suburb. However, what puts Ingleburn apart for other suburbs in south west Sydney is that Ingleburn has a very rich civic and architectural history  ... all you have to do is look.

N.B. - I'd like to thank the Campbelltown City Library, the online resources of the National Library of Australia, the late Ingleburn historian Mrs Genevieve Tregear & my 4th Form history teacher Miss Burrows, who gave me my inspiration ... better late than never!. 

The Lost Post Offices of Australia - Stockton (2295)

In 1800 a gang of 15 convicts, escaping from Broken Bay in NSW, stole the colonial sloop 'Norfolk' and ran aground at the present day Stockton, thus giving the area it's first and more romantic name, Pirate Point. 

Situated less than 1 kilometre across the harbour from Newcastle, Stockton has its own unique history, which dates back to early Aboriginal occupation and was known as  "Burrinbingon" by the local Worrimi tribe. Stockton was known by the aboriginal as a gathering place of plenty as it was well stocked with oysters, pippies and plenty of fish species in the river. When Lt Shortland 'discovered' Newcastle in 1797 word got back to Sydney about the natural riches that could be found, especially the coal and cedar and it didn't take long before 18th century entrepreneurs came to take advantage to the abundant riches. One of the first  businessmen was Hugh Meehan, who in 1799 began operating a saw pit on Stockton's northern shore      

Following the establishment of the convict settlement at Coal River (Newcastle) in 1804, Stockton then became a horrendous place of punishment as convicts were sent over the river to work the lime kilns that were situated close to the former aboriginal middens that were scattered around the area.   


By 1823 the convict era had finished and so private settlements along the length of the Hunter River flourished, including Stockton. Large grants of land were issued in the 1830's and early industries quickly flourished, salt works and foundry in 1838, vitriol (sulphuric acid) works in 1853, tin smelter in 1872 and the colony's biggest textile factory (which burnt down in 1851). however the mainstay was shipbuilding, with at least six shipbuilders operating in the area by the 1860's.


With a population of over 150 permanent residents the first calls were made for the establishment of a Post Office on the peninsular in 1859, however the NSW government declined, mainly due to the high cost submitted by the contractors to convey the mail across the harbour, one tender was quoted as £60 ($10,000), which was considered to high of a cost at the time.


Not to be deterred, in November 1861 representations were once again put to the government, this time by local politician Mr James Hannell and in this instance they were successful. On the 1st February 1862, Mr Samuel Sterling became the first Postmaster of the new Stockton Post Office. A contract was also let to Mr Henry Plenglaze for £36.13.5 ($6,000) to provide a 6 day mail service from Newcastle to Stockton. According to the Parish Maps the first Post Offices seemed to be located off Fullerton Road, near what is now known as Punt St (formerly known as Factory St.). Several Postmasters followed Mr Sterling ... William Adams (1868), Edward Miner (1870) and then in 1873 the former contractor, Henry Penglaze, who held the position until his death in 1882,  then passing the running of the Post Office licence to his wife, Elizabeth.


As Stockton continued to grow, especially when the Stockton Coal Company commenced operation in 1882, so did the demands for better postal services, including the connection to the telegraph. Following an assessment by Postal Inspector Davies in 1886, it was decided to erect an 18 mile  telegraph line from Raymond Terrace to Stockton and amalgamate the Post Office and the Telegraph Office.



In 1887, Stockton at last had an official Post & Telegraph Office with Mr John Beckett appointed to the position with a salary of £124 p.a. ($130,000). On the day he opened Stockton's the new Post & Telegraph, the 27th June 1887, his first message as the official Post & Telegraph master was "I have opened the office here this morning, may I take on a Probationer to carry messages, no other person employed here but myself ", Postmaster Beckett was quick to realise the short comings of being the only employee at the Post Office! Not only was his plea for additional staff agreed to but he also gained a part time Postman as well, John Griffiths, who commenced his rounds on 1st September 1887, thus earning the distinction of being the first postman in Stockton .


In 1890 the Post Office also gained a lamp for the front of the Post Office and as this had to be lit and maintained by Postmaster Beckett, so he asked for and was granted an additional allowance of £4 p.a. ($670) to perform this task. Just another perk of the job that we have seemed to have lost over the years!  


By 1891 however calls were made by the Stockton Municipal Council for a public building be erected for a Post Office, instead of operating out of Mr Bruce's rented premises, so after much negotiating a site on Hunter Street was selected and on the 18th February 1901 at a cost of £1,219 ($815,000) , Stockton finally had a new purpose built Post Office to be proud of.


Over time technology moves on and the Post Office building in Hunter Street had outlived it's useful life which required extensive renovations just to make it habitable. So in the late 1930's it was decided to build a newer office in Clyde St (cnr Douglass St) and update the delivery and retail service. It was with little fanfare on the 6th December 1941 that the new £2,500 ($490,000) modernised Stockton Post Office opened for business. The old Hunter Street Post Office was then sold off and converted into residential flats, eventually the building was demolished and became part of the revamped Stockton foreshore. 


By the late 1990's, the Post Office structure was once again under review and as a result the retail business became an LPO (Licensed Post Office) and is now located in the newsagency at 29 Mitchell St. The old 1941 Post Office building was retained for a few more years before it  too was also sold off and in June 2001, the remaining postal staff and contractors were moved out to Heatherbrae, near Raymond Terrace. 


Next year marks the sesquicentennial (1862 - 2012) of Post Office operations in Stockton, a Post Office that has had quite the history of being moved, updated, downsized, revamped and hopefully, will continue to serve this local community well into the future.


As for the 15 pirates from the Norfolk? Eleven of them stole another boat, but eventually all were recaptured and two of the ringleaders executed ... perhaps they just should have opened a Post Office! 

N.B. I'd like to thank the staff at the Newcastle Library, the National Archives of Australia, The National Library of Australia & the residents of Stockton for their help in compiling this blog.

Wonderful Weekend Wanders In Wickham

In my last blog entry 'The Ghosts of Post Offices Past' I covered the Post Offices that were situated in and around the former Wickam Municipality. As I was doing my research I performed a walk around the area armed with my compact S1275 Sanyo to track down and photograph the former Post Office sites. As I decided to walk the route, instead of drive, it enable to to get a different perspective of the area and the more I walked, the more I liked what I saw.


Now to be honest the former Wickham Municipality, comprising the towns of Wickham, Islington, Tighes Hill and Maryville are presented as run down urban grunge by the media, reinforcing an unfair stereotype by those Novocastrians who live outside this wonderful urban gem. Once you move past the sterotypes, you'll be astounded by some wonderful late 19th century archtecture,  such as  the wonderfully restored Tighes Hill School of Arts, magnificent civic parks, historic bridges and some wonderful street architecture that reflect Newcastles evolving social history.


The area also boosted some of the richest Aboriginal sites in the Newcastle area, with a well documented  Corroboree site located on the cnr of Church & Hannell Streets (formerly the St James Anglican Church, now Blackwoods), with the last Corroboree performed in 1830 (Wickham PS Centenary 1878 -1978). In addition to the Corroboree site there were many other sites that evidenced Aboriginal life in the area, with reports that fish traps were set in the tidal mangroves & extensive middens along the sandy shores and clear waters of Throsby Creek. Evidence of the middens can be found if you look closely at the concrete pourings on the Grahame Bridge at Lewis Street, you can still see the shell grit that were taken from the ancient middens during the construction!     

With Newcastle expanding with free settlers after the end of the convict era in 1823, more land was sought as the fledgling settlement of Newcastle spread west. When the railway arrived at Honeysuckle Point (Wickham) in 1857, land situated to the north of the railway was an obvious choice as it was flat fertile land, plentiful food from the numerous creeks and freshwater springs (Islington & Smedmore), the area must've seemed like paradise to the early settlers However, with the settlers came the industry and without todays environmental controls, the original beauty of the area was raped in the push for development .


The were slaughterhouses set up (near the present day Marina), a Soap & Candle factory on the site of Wickham PS), coal mines (Caltex & Tighes Hill PS), a tannery (Tighes Hill TAFE), copper smelting (Port Waratah) and unbridled housing development all contributed to the degradation of the once pristine, sandy banks of Throsby and Styx Creeks.


As more people were attracted to this working class area they bought their stories, leaving  their imprint on the suburbs where they lived and then, as their children grew up, they added more stories to the new tapestry that was being woven. One of the fascinating stories is that  in 1885 a young Henry Lawson (18 at the time), came to work at Hudson Bros at Wickham as an apprentice coach painter and spent a lot of evenings and weekends at the the new Wickham School of Arts to continue his studies for matriculation. His time in Newcastle wasn't a happy one due to workplace bullying and perhaps homesickness, so he returned to Sydney after a few months, becoming one of Australia favourite poets . 


But time moves on and the former Wickham Municipality is slowly recovering from almost a century of unbridled industrial carnage, leaving a landscape that has been changed forever from those heady days in the 1820's when area was known as Whytes Paddock. But with that urbanisation came some beautiful 19th century architecture, expansive parks framed by magnificent fig trees, fascinating streetscapes and stories from people who have generations invested in the area.


Yes the area has it blemishes, that you can't deny, but I'd rather choose to live in an area with a past, than in a suburb without a soul.

.