Both men and women had raised scars or cicatrices on their bodies from initiation ceremonies. Initiation was conducted at Bora grounds that consisted of two oval areas connected by a path.
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| Sepia wash drawing of two Indigenous Australian men who met Alphonse Pellion on his trip to Bathurst in 1819. Alphonse Pellion was a topographical painter, draughtsman and mid-shipman aboard the French vessel l'Uranie. |
The British
Lieutenant William Dawes, an officer of the British Marines, was the first European to walk in the Blue Mountains. Dawes was a Renaissance man, possessing wide-ranging talents and knowledge in areas that included astronomy, engineering, surveying, and cartography.
Dawes also made a study of the various Aboriginal languages in the Sydney region and documented what he learned with the help of the young woman named, Patyegarang, from the Cammeraygal clan of the Eora nation.
In 1789, Dawes and a small exploration party made their way to what would later become the Blue Mountains, to the west of Sydney. The group crossed the
Nepean River at Emu Ford and made their way toward Mt Riverview, Warrimoo, Valley Heights and the Bee Farm Road ridge at Springwood.
The exploration party continued down into Sassafras Gully and then, near the location of Faulconbridge Station. The group crossed Woodford Creek and came to within nine kilometres of Mount Hay but then turned back as their food was running low.
Governor King had declared of the Blue Mountains: “This formidable barrier is impassable for men.” And yet, Aboriginal people had been crossing for many years, what Gregory Blaxland described as: “A dreadful convulsion of nature.”
Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth
On May 11, 1813, Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth left Blaxland's South Creek farm, located near the modern suburb of St Marys in western Sydney and made their way over the Blue Mountains by following the ridges.
The three explorers had to hack their way through thick scrub and tramp through "damp dew-laden undergrowth"
on their way through the mountains. They spent their second night in Sun Valley, and the next night, set up their base camp at Springwood.
The group completed the crossing in 21 days, accomplishing the first successful crossing of the mountains by European settlers.
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| G. Blaxland, W.C. Wentworth and W. Lawson. Royal Australian Historical Society |
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| Convicts building road over the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, 1833, by Charles Rodius. National Library of Australia |
Australia’s Most Historic Road English surveyor and explorer, George William Evans, was sent by Governor Macquarie: “to proceed in the Attempt of Effecting a Passage over the great Range of Mountains called here ‘The Blue Mountains’, and to discover what Description of Country lay to
the Westward of them.”
William Cox was given the task of building a road over the mountains.
Along with 30 convicts, Cox set to building the road. Work commenced on 18 July 1814 at Emu Ford and was completed at Bathurst on 14 January 1815. The road was an incredible 101.5 miles long, running through mountainous and dense bushland and built in just six months.
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Convict labourers
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The Water Source
As a source of good water was essential for travellers in the early days of the colony, Governor and Mrs Macquarie,
camped at and named Springwood, on 26 to 27 April 1815, along with a party of ten others.
"We then Halted at three O’clock in a very pretty wooded Plain near a Spring of very good fresh Water and Pitched our tents near the side of the Road. This Stage is 12 Miles from Emu Ford and our first on the Mountains - The Place being very pretty I have named it "Spring - Wood." (Extract From Governor Macquarie's Journal)
A historical marker now marks this visit at 331A Macquarie Road, Springwood. John William Lewin painted the scene of the visit.
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| Governor Macquarie marker, 331A Macquarie Road, Springwood |
The Military Depot
In 1816, the Military depot which had been established near Glenbrook Lagoon in the previous year was moved to at Ferguson Road, Springwood.
This depot was concerned with guarding convict road workers and protecting
travellers on the new mountain road from attacks by Aboriginal people and bushrangers.
The French Visit
The
L'Uranie, commanded by Louis de Freycinet, sailed into Port Jackson on 18 November 1819.
Three members of the
expedition travelled over the Blue Mountains to Bathurst. One of the men, Alphonse Pellion, an artist and naval draughtsman, was interested in recording ethnographic information about the Aboriginal people that he encountered. His artworks were published in "
Atlas Historique" volume of the 1825 official account of the voyage. (Nepean and Springwood? Aboriginal men by and after Alphonse Pellion, 1819) See above and
here |
| Aurang-Jack, ‘chief of Spring-Wood’ and his two wives, by Alphonse Pellion |
In 1833, the military depot was rebuilt on a new site on what is now Ferguson Road but was then Bathurst Road.
This site was also the first known grave of a European in the Blue Mountains. The soldier and Englishman named Francis Smith died in May 1836 and he was buried on the grounds of the depot.
When the Springwood Cemetery was established 50 years later, Smith's remains were relocated there and they are still there today. This site on Ferguson Road later became
the location of the first inn and guesthouse in the area.
John Donohoe, who was described as a "soldier from the nearby barracks who died from natural causes" died on the 25th of June 1837. His grave has moved various times and is now located west of Linden Railway Station on the northern side of Burke Road.
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ERECTED
to the
MEMORY
Of
John Donohoe
Who departed this life
June 25th AD 1837
Aged 58 years |
ONE POUND REWARD.
FREDERICK LUNNY, holding a conditional
pardon, per Lord Sidmouth (4), born at Tyrone in
1796, five feet six inches high, pale and sallow com
plexion, sandy brown hair, grey eyes, sometime a
sawyer near Springwood.
The Sydney Herald Sat 30 Oct 1841
Boland's Inn
The Military Barracks was sold in 1845, as it was no longer needed. The first owner was Robert Martin, but he sold the land to Thomas Boland, a former constable in the Irish police force, who later became Superintendent of road gangs at Springwood. Boland
came to Australia in 1838.
Boland opened the Springwood Inn, a former officers’ house, also known as Boland's Inn.
Mass was offered at the Springwood Inn owned by Thomas Boland, and later at the Boland family home. Boland remained the owner and licensee for more than twenty years. People such as Sir Henry Parkes, Sir James Martin and W.B. Dalley were welcomed here.
Greenhays, on the highway at Churchill Street, was built in 1853. The house was on council's local heritage register but was removed in 2005, and is now
under threat of being demolished.
Boland became the first stationmaster in 1867 when the western railway was extended from Penrith to Wentworth Falls.
In about 1870, Boland sold the Springwood Inn. However, in 1881, Boland built the Royal Hotel in Macquarie Road for his son, Thomas Edwin, to manage.
In 1877-8, Frank Raymond opened a new hotel, the Springwood Hotel, on the highway at the eastern end of town. The hotel, a low-browed building with a simple verandah facing the main road, also served as a store and post office.
Charles Moore, born in County Cavan, Ireland, worked at various businesses in the Australian colony. He was also a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for East Sydney and he built a mansion at Springwood in 1876 called "Moorecourt." The building was later used by the Springwood Ladies College.
Springwood Public School started in 1878 with 49 children. At this time, Springwood was mostly a railway town, with most of
its occupants working or connected to the railway. Classes at the school began on Monday, June 10, 1878, with Charles Schowe as the teacher. The location of this school is now the IGA carpark.
Frank Raymond, of the Springwood Hotel, became worried about crime in the Springwood area, so he wrote to Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of NSW, five times, hoping to have a police constable stationed in the town. Parkes owned 400 acres
of land in the area and built "Faulconbridge".
Various wealthy and influential people began to build holiday homes at Springwood, as people could easily travel to Springwood by rail from Sydney.
The Boland family had owned much of the land near the Springwood Railway Station, while others such as Sir Henry Parkes, Sir James Martin, Sir Alfred Stephen and Professor Charles Badham owned land from Linden to Faulconbridge. Most of Valley Heights was owned by Lancelot Iredale Brennan, the Deane family and Geoffrey Eagar MLA. The Hawkesbury Road area, however, was developed as farms and orchards by John Ellison and Cornelius Lees and others, who possessed smaller areas of land.
The Hon. James Norton MLC built the house "Euchora" in 1884. And in 1882, John Hoare and his wife Alice built "Homedale", which became the first building of the Blue Mountains Grammar School, but was demolished in 1975.
Another Inn was established in the Valley (Valley Heights) by Alexander Frazer. It began as the Valley Inn and later became the Woolpack, the Welcome Inn and Wyoming.
Frazer owned a home called, "Silva Plana", built in 1881. Later the estate was sold as parkland to the Blue Mountains Shire Council and in 1936, named Buckland Park, after another local philanthropist, Sir Thomas Buckland. John Frazer also opened a wholesale grocery business in 1846 and amassed a fortune of over 400,000 pounds. Frazer later donated the funds to build a Presbyterian Church in central Springwood.
A Growing Town
John Rayner, who had come to Australia from Ireland in 1839, married Elizabeth Evans in 1874, and after helping to set up the first tweed factory in Australia, began business during the 1870s as a butcher, baker and general storekeeper in Springwood.
John Frazer MLA owned the Valley Inn at Valley Heights and a home called "Silva Plana", which was built in 1881. Later the estate was sold as parkland to the Blue Mountains Shire Council and in 1936, named Buckland Park, after another local philanthropist, Sir Thomas Buckland. John Frazer also opened a wholesale grocery business in 1846 and amassed a fortune of over 400,000 pounds. Frazer later donated the funds to build a Presbyterian Church in central Springwood.
1890s
By 1890 the Springwood Inn had become a guesthouse called "Loorana".
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Boland's Inn, Springwood Inn, Loorana. In 1833 the military stockade built in 1816 by Governor Macquarie was rebuilt on a new site on what is now Ferguson Road but was then the Bathurst Road. The new wooden barracks lay a little north of the road on an 8-hectare (20 acre) site, but there was also a three-bedroom slab hut with a stone chimney, a sitting-room, pantry, a detached kitchen, storeroom and stabling, used for officers’ accommodation. By 1844 this complex had become redundant and in 1845 was sold to Robert Martin who promptly resold the land and buildings to Thomas Boland. Blue Mountains Library
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In 1889, Frank Raymond sold land to Scotsman, James Lawson, who built a large two-storey hotel, calling it the Oriental. The Oriental Hotel is in a prominent location at the corner of Macquarie Road and Raymond Road, Springwood.
James Lawson's property extended from Raymond Road to the vicinity of the present De Chair Avenue and included the Springwood Hotel, built by Frank Raymond in 1877.
The Springwood Literary and Debating Club was operating at Springwood in the 1880s.
Lawson's home known as "Braemar" was completed in 1892. However, his family moved to another house, next door called, "Glen Lawson", a few years later.
In 1892 the Catholic Church was given a building of its own thanks to donations of land and money by the Boland family. This was the first church of St Thomas Aquinas (Springwood) and was located at what is now Rest Park, on Macquarie Rd.
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Sir Henry Parkes in the Blue Mountains, 1880s-90s. Sir Henry Parks built four houses at what is now the village of Faulconbridge. The first, called Stonehurst, is believed to be named after his birthplace, Stoneleigh, in England. Faulconbridge House was named for his mother, Martha Faulconbridge, while Moseley Cottage was built for his sister Maria. Fern Dell was possibly built for an employee. Sir Henry Parkes was buried in the cemetery at Faulconbridge, on the 27th April 1896.
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Dr J. Boyce Mugliston a member of the Royal College of Surgeons became the local doctor in Springwood in 1895.
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| Members of the Lawson family outside "Glen Lawson" (1895) with "Braemar" (1892) and "The Oriental Hotel" (1891) in the background. BML |
In 1897 "Braemar" in Springwood
was occupied by Nurse Lonie Treble, a friend of the Lawson family, who operated a convalescent hospital at the premises for a short time.
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| In 1897 “Braemar” was being occupied by Nurse Lonie Treble, a friend of the Lawson family, who operated a convalescent hospital for a short period of time. Blue Mountains City Library |
1900s
Occupations listed around Springwood were timber getters, beekeepers, stone-mason, dairy and poultry farming.
Various boarding houses cropped up, such as "Chatsworth", built by John Daniel Ewens in1898/99. The building once occupied a spot next to the Great Western Highway, now Buttenshaw Park. A Mrs Wheeler was running the property as a boarding house, complete with Tennis courts, a large playground, a croquet lawn and orchards in 1906. By 1908 the building was lost in a fire.
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L to R : Springwood Jacky, unknown boy, Bill Lockley (Mrs Smiley's brother), Mrs Smiley with baby, Tom Smiley, with a python, circa 1900. See more information here. Blue Mountains City Library
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| Thomas Dilworth's Butcher shop, Main Western Road, Springwood. c 1903 - 1907. Blue Mountains City Library |
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| A group of students and teachers from Miss Griffin's School for Girls at "Normanhurst", Springwood, Miss Griffin and Miss Rowe seated at front. Rhoda Edith Griffin and her sister-in-law Mary Griffin conducted the Springwood Ladies College in 'Willandra' (later 'Normanhurst') and 'Mt Roma' (later 'Cranford'). The homes had been built in 1893 for Mr Justin McSweeney, a railway contractor, and stood side by side on the Western Highway, Springwood, approximately where Lewin Lodge is now located. Springwood, NSW, 1904 |
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| Looking west from the Springwood platform. On the right is 'Loorana' c.1870, built on the site of Boland's Inn c.1847; itself built on the site of the 1833 military stockade. A NSW Govt Railway tricycle sits beyond the end of the platform with a small flower garden and a penalty warning sign. The large white building in the centre distance is "Homedale", built for J.B. Hoare in 1881, later to become in 1918 the Blue Mountains Grammar School, under its first headmaster E.K. Deane. 1905, Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
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| Springwood Cycling Club: Photo Notes: 23 club members with three unidentified bicycles and a BSA Path Racer, somewhere in Springwood. None of the bicycles appear to have any gears or brake calipers. The boys in front are sitting on some banners. Date Range: 1907, Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
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| The Oriental Hotel, Springwood, N.S.W. - very early 1900s, Kaye |
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| Royal Hotel, Springwood, NSW, Blue Mountain Echo (NSW : 1909 - 1928), Saturday 25 December 1909 |
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Blue Mountain Echo (NSW : 1909 - 1928), Friday 27 October 1911
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| Recruitment march at Springwood, 1915, which began in Gilgandra and ended in Sydney, Australia. |
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| Postcard from Springwood soldiers, oval inset shows the Coo-ee recruiting march passing through Springwood 1915 with the School of Arts in the background. Soldiers pictured on the postcard are: Esbert Lees, Willie Hall, Sam Honeysett, Dave Wagner, Clarrie Wright, Jack Hugo, Alf Davis, Stan Paviour, Harry Hall, Bert Ward, Harry Holder and Gordon Hartigan. 1916. Springwood, NSW, Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
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| Mirror (Sydney, NSW : 1917 - 1919), Friday 17 May 1918, |
1920s
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| Royal Hotel, Springwood, NSW, 1920: Notes: Thomas Boland came to Springwood as superintendent of road gangs after a period as licensee of the Weatherboard Inn at Wentworth Falls. Boland became the most significant of the early developers of Springwood, opening the Springwood Inn in 1845 and acquiring a good deal of land. About 1870 Boland sold the Springwood Inn but continued to live locally and in 1881 built the Royal Hotel in Macquarie Road for his son, Thomas Edwin, to manage. In the 1891 census the occupant of the Royal is shown as Adam Mutch, along with four males and five females on the night of the census.The hotel was situated on a large estate, with a cottage on the west side, built by Thomas Boland in 1876, a kitchen garden on the southern side and tennis courts on the east side. Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
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| William Honeysett, and his wife Annie, came to the Springwood district in 1889. After building a residence and store, he commenced trading in 1892. William called the business the "Commercial Stores" and advertised as General Storekeepers, Produce Merchants, News and Estate Agents. The store and residence were on the site of the present Honeysett's Newsagency shop. Taken on September 6, 1922. Blue Mountains City Library |
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| Red Cross children's homes, Springwood, in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 24 June 1925 |
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| Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 12 May 1926 |
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| Christ Church Springwood Maypole Dance, circa 1927. BML |
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Homedale, Springwood: Notes: a two storey residence built in 1882 for JB Hoare. Later owners included RM Pitt of Pitt, Son & Badgery, Halse Rogers Arnott of biscuit fame and Foster Harley Sargeant of meat pie fame. In 1916 a Miss Goodfellow announced she was taking over Homedale, with a view of opening a young ladies college. This did not eventuate and it was purchased by EK Deane in 1918 to establish a boy's school named Blue Mountains Grammar School. Deane built class rooms, dormitories, a tennis court and cricket pitch, for a peak enrollment of 80 pupils during the War years. The school was taken over by the Anglican Schools Council in 1951 and relocated to Wentworth Falls.
The main building then became flats, and the class rooms and dormitories were removed. The house was demolished in 1975 to be replaced by the Wingara Hamlets retirement complex and the Baptist Church. 1920s. Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
NORMAN LINDSAY
Norman Lindsay, the most famous
of an artistic family, lives in seclusion
at his country home at Springwood.
He claims not to have seen a newspaper
for five years and criticisms of his works,
which he exhibits periodically, obviously
fall on barren ground. Springwood
Store keepers frequently receive cheques
signed by Norman Lindsay, and on
Saturdays and Sundays proudly display
them to visitors, as a sign of the great
artists patronage.
Blue Mountain Echo (NSW : 1909 - 1928), Friday 29 April 1927
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The Springwood Hall and Cinema, Notes: inscribed on back - "Springwood Hall - Presentation to Cora Ireland, School Teacher leaving on her trip to America."
Cora Ireland is in the fur collar holding the bouquet, Nancy Ireland is wearing the striped jumper, centre is Kenneth O'Mara, the former headmaster of Springwood Public School (August 1927-March 1928), to the left of Cora is Cyril Allmon then headmaster (March 1928-November 1932). Cora was one of four teaching staff at Springwood Public School at the time, the others were Miss Collett, Miss Chapman and Miss Clothier, over 200 pupils were enrolled in 1932.
Nancy Ireland with her husband David, lived in 'Braemar' in Macquarie Road and ran it as a guest house (1931-38) and family home. Blue Mountains Library |
Stonehaven, run by the Sydney City Mission, located at Springwood, opened in 1929. Initially it was a girls' home, it later became a boys' home.
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| Blue Mountain Star (Katoomba, NSW : 1929 - 1931), Saturday 27 July 1929 |
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| Springwood Oriental Hotel advert. Year: Unknown. Source: State Library of NSW |
1930sSir Thomas Buckland, renowned philanthropist and Governor of the Bank of New South Wales, acquired land for a Convalescent Hospital at Springwood in 1934.
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| In 1925 William Hurley, accompanied by his wife and young family, opened a butcher shop in Bathurst Road, Springwood, NSW. Taken circa 1935. Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
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| Marguerite (Meg) Turner and her father Royden Turner, postmaster at Springwood, circa 1936 Blue Mountains Library |
Thomas Boland's Springwood Inn (Loorana) was demolished in 1939.
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| Sunshine Camp at Springwood, NSW, Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), Monday 27 November 1939 |
1940s
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Men of the A.I.F. marching up Mitchell Pass to-day on their way to Bathurst. They will be in Springwood by to-night. This section from Penrith is one of the toughest of the march being uphill practically all the way. Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), Wednesday 14 August 1940 |
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"My home at Springwood was burned in bushfires in November, 1945, while I was away in the Forces. "After my discharge from the Army I went to live in the cave. "The cave is furnished with a bed, table, and chairs.Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), Wednesday 26 January 1949 |
1950s
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| Picture of bushfires roaring through Springwood, N.S.W., last week, leaving a trail of devastation. In one day — Thursday — 52 homes were destroyed within 50 miles of Sydney. Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), Thursday 13 December 1951 |
1960s
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| Stonewall Jackson; Coffee Lounge; Estate Agent; Bank of NSW; School of Arts; Anderson's Chemist Shop. Circa 1965. Blue Mountains City Library |
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| Macquarie Road, Springwood, NSW, 1965, Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
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| Springwood Pool, NSW, 1968, Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
1970s
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| Springwood Civic Centre, NSW, 1970, Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
Springwood Hospital opened in 1976 as a community-based hospital.
1980s |
| Springwood Tyre Service, NSW: NotesThe NRMA Road Service vehicle appears to be a modified Holden Kingswood panel van. Holden panel vans were first issued to patrol staff in 1963. Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies, c1983 |
1990s |
| Springwood, NSW, 175th AnniversaryNotes: Governor Macquarie named Springwood on 26th April, 1815 when he camped overnight in the area on the first day of his journey to inspect the Western Road, completed by William Cox three months earlier. Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies |
Around Springwood
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| Springwood Railway Station, NSW, circa 1867 |
Braemar.jpg) |
| Braemar, Springwood, Blue Mountains, Australia, circa 1892-1892 |
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| Presbyterian Church, Springwood, NSW. Circa 1895-1896 More info |
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| Sir Henry Parkes was buried in the cemetery near Springwood, at Faulconbridge, NSW |
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| St Columba's Catholic College, Springwood, NSW. Established in 1979 |
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| Eringarth was built in 1881-3 by a Sydney businessman called Lawler. 1-10 Railway Parade, Springwood, NSW. More info |
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| Springwood Post Office NSW - Built 1901 |
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| Glen Lawson, 100 Macquarie Road, Springwood, NSW, is a a federation bungalow. More info |
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| The Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum, NSW, circa 1898–1913 |
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| Historic Greenhays at Springwood, NSW, built in 1853 has been approved for demolition by a private certifier |
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| 3801 powering out of Springwood heading up to Mt Victoria; NSW Blue Mountains, 2009, Jack Heywood |
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| Presbyterian Churches at Macquarie Road, Springwood, NSW, built in 1895 |
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| Built in 1867 as a railway gatekeeper's cottage, Brady's Crossing, Springwood, NSW |
Things To Do and Places To Go
