Vol. 1 No.1........................................................................June 1998
ST. MARYS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
On 15th March 1978 a Public Meeting was held at the Old Post Office, Great Western Highway, St. Marys to form an Historical Society. The Mayor, Alderman Brian King, chaired the meeting. Mr. Len Stapleton was elected President of the Society and held that position until the Society closed on 19th December 1987. During this time many books were written by Mrs. Eugenie Stapleton and published by the Society. These books are still keenly sought.
The members took part in several Spring Festival Parades, mounted displays and held slide nights, which were very popular. The Society was also responsible for Penrith City Council naming the area formally owned by James Bennett, "Bennett Park".
ST. MARYS & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
On 28th September 1996 a Public Meeting was held at the Community Arts Centre, St. Marys to reform the Society. Councillor Robin Wiles chaired the meeting with Councillors Kevin Dwyer and Jackie Greenow also in attendance. It was decided by the meeting to "expand the boundaries" and name the new Society - St. Marys & District Historical Society. This new group has so far conducted a Heritage Walk, Slide Night and several talks and guided tours. The current committee is: President, Mrs. Norma Thorburn, Vice-Presidents, Ms Sue Adams and Mrs. Jackie Greenow, Secretary, Mrs. Marion McLeod and Treasurer, Mrs. Joan O'Brien.
The St. Marys & District Historical Society meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the St. Marys Community Arts Centre from 2.00pm - 4.00pm.
Enquiries are welcome on 9623-2307.
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SOME DATES IN ST. MARYS' HISTORY
| 1804 | Land grants made in South Creek area by Governor Philip Gidley King - the 3rd Governor of N S W. |
| 1806 | King Family land grants ratified by Governor Bligh. Governor King grants land to Mary Putland (daughter of Governor Bligh). |
| 1807 | Rev. Samuel Marsden of "Mamre" takes first Australian wool to England. He meets King George 111, who gives him rams to improve his flock. |
| 1810 | The widowed Mary Putland marries Lt. Maurice O'Connell. She is given a further grant (Coalee) as a wedding present. |
| 1813 | Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson leave Gregory Blaxland's South Creek farm "Leehome" on Blue Mountains Crossing expedition. |
| 1817 | Phillip Parker King (son of Gov. King) marries Harriet Lethbridge in the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Launceston, Cornwall, near Dunheved Castle. Soon after he is sent to Australia to complete survey of coastline commenced by Matthew Flinders. Phillip and Harriet return to England in 1823. |
| 1820's | Mamre Homestead is built. |
| 1821 | John Oxley receives grant in the area. |
| 1827 | Harriet King returns to Sydney with her brother Robert Copland Lethbridge and his wife Mary (King). Harriet settled at Dunheved and Robert and Mary built Werrington House. Phillip Parker King was charting the coastline of South America at this time. |
| 1828 | John Oxley dies at "Kirkham" Camden. |
| 1832 | Phillip Parker King returns to Sydney with his mother Anna Josepha King. Phillip bought John Oxley's land. Anna chooses site for the church on the hill. |
| 1834 | Sir Maurice and Lady O'Connell return to South Creek after service in India. First Public House, "Traveller's Rest" inn opens. |
| 1836 | First brick dwellings, the O'Connell Terraces, built. |
| 1837 | Foundation stone of St. Mary Magdalene Church laid. |
| 1839 | Second Public House, "South Creek Inn" opens. |
| 1840 | First Post Office opens in O'Connell Terrace. O'Connells subdivide their properties and advertise them in the Sydney Gazette as being at St. Marys, South Creek. They set aside portion of their land for a park. (Later Victoria Park). St. Mary Magdalene church is consecrated. |
| 1844 | Anna Josepha King dies at Parramatta and is interred in St.Mary Magdalene graveyard. William Dowling opens first shop. |
| 1845 | Day school opens beside the creek. |
| 1850 | John Page establishes a large tannery. |
| 1855 | C of E Day school opens in Princess Mary Street. |
| 1861 | A National school opens on Hopes Farm Werrington. |
| 1862 | Railway comes - Station initially named "South Creek". |
| 1875 | Roman Catholic Church is built. Presbyterian Church is built on Western Road. |
| 1877 | Public School opens in Princess Mary Street. |
| 1880 | Martin Brell establishes his tannery on western Road. |
| 1881 | Andrew Thompson opens "St. Marys Tannery" on South Creek. |
| 1883 | Protestant Hall built on Western road. |
| 1884 | First officially built Post Office opens. |
| 1885 | The name St. Marys becomes official for township. |
| 1889 | First Mechanics Institute is built. James Bennett's home "Bronte" is built on the corner Gidley and King Streets By Joseph Sainsbury. |
| 1890 | St. Marys Municipal Council formed. Newmarket Cattle Saleyards built. |
| 1894 | Methodist Church built in Queen Street. Andrew Thompson's home "Mimosa" is built. |
| 1900 | Penny Postage came in for St. Marys. |
| 1901 | Second Mechanics Institute built. The "Railway Cattleyards" built. |
| 1905 | Telephone service comes to St. Marys. |
| 1907 | First Resident Medical Doctor commences practice. |
| 1912 | Dr. Edward Day commences practice in St. Marys. |
| 1914 | First World War- 112 enlist from St. Marys. 22 do not return. |
| 1922 | Band Rotunda is built in Victoria Park as a memorial to the fallen. |
| 1931 | Electricity is turned on in St. Marys. |
| 1934 | Town Water service becomes available. |
| 1939 | Second World War - Munitions factory built. "Duration" cottages built to house workers. |
| 1948 | St. Marys Municipal Council amalgamates with Penrith Council. |
| 1951 | Queen Street becomes the shopping and commercial centre. |
| 1965 | Post Office opens in Queen Street. Fire Station is built in Sainsbury Street. |
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The First Block of Land
The first clearly measured and defined block of land in St. Marys was the St. Mary Magdalene Church land on Church Hill, on the corner of the Great Western Highway and Magdalene Street.
The records regarding the measurement of this land are precisely stated in the Land titles Office documents, which led to the purchase of this particular piece of land.
In 1806 Mary Putland, the eldest daughter of Captain William Bligh was granted a 600ac block, which she called "Frogmore". It was along the north side of the Western Road and was marked from a track leading to Windsor, which is now Queen Street.
In 1821 another 600ac block was granted to John Oxley, the Surveyor General. This land was also along the northern side of the Western Road and was adjacent to the eastern side of Mary Putland's land.
John Oxley later sold this land to Phillip Parker King, the son of Philip Gidley King, the third Governor of the colony. Phillip Parker King then sold a two-acre portion of this land to Henry Tingcombe for the sum of 10 Pounds. He immediately sold it to the three Trustees of the Church (one of them being Phillip Parker King).
The land was measured as being 13 Chains from a peg in the ground, which marked the division between Mary Putland's grant, and that of John Oxley. From this point 5 Chains easterly, then northerly 4 Chains, then westerly 5 Chains and thence southerly 4 Chains to the point of commencement.
The peg in the ground referred to was on the north easterly corner of the Great Western Highway and Queen Street, and the 13 Chains referred to was the south western corner of the Church land and Magdalene Street. The northern boundary referred to as 5 Chains westerly is now the southern boundary of King Street.
Contributed by Charles Connelly.
