Mount Wilson

and Mount Irvine

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Last Updated: 06 December 2016

This section provides information for the Mt Wilson Community on Association meetings and activities.

Annual General Meeting Minutes  of the Mt Wilson Progress Association can be acessed by members of the Association.

Committee Meeting minutes can be accessed by members of the Committee of the Progress Association

The  pdf MWPA Constitution 2015 (687 KB)  was updated in 2015 and can be downloaded using the link.

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Last Updated: 24 June 2016

The Blue Mountains Sights (sic - read Sites) Reserve Mt Wilson Group was a Trust appointed by the Minister of the NSW Department of Lands in the early years of the 1900s. The exact date of its formation is not clear, but it certainly existed as far back as World War I.

The Trust was responsible for Sloan Reserve, Gregson Park and the War Memorial, but was seriously underfunded for many years.

In 1989, the NSW Government dissolved this Trust - and all similar ones - and the Mt Wilson reserves came under the control of the Blue Mountains City Council.

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Last Updated: 24 June 2016

The Jefferson Bridge was named and opened on 2nd May 1993 by the Mayor of the Blue Mounatins City Council, Alderman Bob Clarke.

The transcript of the speech given by Mary Reynolds on behalf of the Mt Wilson community is shown below.

I would like to say welcome to the Mayor and distinguished guests who are here today; to my long-standing friends of Mt Wilson; and to my newer friends of Mt Wilson. I am very flattered, indeed very humble also, about being asked to talk about Charles Wilkin Jefferson, who spent so much of his life on this wonderful mountain. Imagine for yourself a striking, remarkable gentleman; broad, large head; bushy moustache; dressed in a cream linen suit and panama hat waving his walking stick and smoking a cigar - the epitome of an English/American gentleman and that was one picture of Charles Wilkin Jefferson. But across that paddock behind me, towards Chimney Cottage, another gentleman, equally a gentleman, would walk in his dressing gown, smoking that cigar - never without it. People smelt his coming, with his walking stick in full flight, along there. So you have two very different pictures of this quite remarkable man.

He was born in 1863 in Yorkshire in England, five miles from where Libby Raines' mother, Mrs Hake, was born too and brought up. So there is an association there.He went to school very briefly at Darlington Grammar School where he learnt about the American War of Independence. This inspired him with the great freedom that document expressed. Some years later, at the age of 17 or 19 (there is doubt about that) about 1880 he went to America with a man named Thomas Hughes who was the author of a very famous book known as Tom Brown's School Days. Thomas Hughes was a student of Dr Arnold of the very famous Rugby school in England. Thomas Hughes took him into the wild hills of Tennessee where he attempted to set up this extraordinary, rather Utopian, settlement for second and third sons of English gentlemen to learn the arts and skills of farming. The first sons of course inherited the name and property and were quite well off; but not so were the second and third and, maybe, fourth sons; and this was Hughes' idea but like all Utopian schemes, it foundered. Jefferson left that little settlement of Rugby in Tennessee in 1885 and went to New York city where he met a certain man called Thomas Edison and became involved in the Edison Machine Works (later known as General Electric). Edison must have been impressed with him as he sent Jefferson to a not so large town, Schenectady in New York state and there he set up the famous works known as the Mica Insulating Works and it was Jefferson who discovered and used Mica as an insulation material.

He stayed there for many years, a much respected gentleman and member of the community. In that period he met Alan MacKerras who may not be known to you but in fact is the father of Charles and Malcolm MacKerras and the many other MacKerras's. The MacKerras family played a significant part in the life of the Gregson's (Bill Smart is very frightened that I will read the whole account but I hasten to assure you that I won't do that; or I will try not to). Jefferson was associated with Alan MacKerras and many other interesting people who will appear in the story very briefly. Thus, he spent many years in that period in Schenectady a much revered and much respected person and a great community worker. He finally retired in 1929, not a very good year for retirement I should think. He was written about with warm approval in the papers and those who knew him were sorry to see him go. May I quickly explain: Edward Gregson who was Helen Warliker and Meg Fromel's father had been in Schenectady and working in the mica factory with Jefferson for about eight years and he met, of course, Margaret, Jefferson's daughter. In 1920 they came out to Sydney, married and came straight to Mt Wilson to live in Yengo for three years before they moved to Wyndham, which is just behind you. Edward Gregson owned all the land upon which you are standing - Wyndham, Chimney Cottage, the paddock behind me, Windyridge, reaching right to Yengo before its sale. The Gregson family had a very strong hold on this mountain.

Jefferson travelled by ship to Sydney. He was not accompanied by his wife, Margaret, because sadly she suffered from tuberculosis and she was in a sanatorium almost permanently for the rest of her life which was a tragic thing. But he was accompanied by a spry, little 'Yankee' woman called Emma Ashdown who had been the nurse to his children, housekeeper/companion and in fact remained with the Jefferson family for thirty years. She accompanied him as a companion. They sailed under the uncompleted Sydeny Harbour Bridge on the ship Aorangi into Sydney and then travelled up to Mt Wilson. They came to Wyndham, and Jefferson was horrifed at the condition that his precious daughter, Margaret, who had been looked after and had had a comfortable and quite luxurious life in Schenectady, was experiencing here. Not that Margaret complained but he thought "I will try to do all that I can for her". This he set about to do.

Where does the bridge come into it? It was in 1930-1931 and I must say thank you to Helen Warliker and Meg Fromel; to Mrs Valder; and to Tom Kirk who were wonderful fountains of information and I cannot take any credit for this at all. But the land here was Gregson land and that land too, belonged to Gregson. "We need to get across the creek so we put a couple of planks across'' Tom Kirk says. They were flooded pretty often so that wasn't good enough. "We will get a couple of tree trunks across'' said Tom and put the large trunks across the creek. Emma ventured across carrying scones. Emma fell in, scones and all" says Tom. This created quite a sensation. ''This is no good to me", says Mr Jefferson. "We must have a proper bridge." Out of these little episodes so came this remarkable little bridge - the Waterfall Bridge. I am not a great expert in the construction of bridges ("You look horrified at the way I am explaining it'' - an aside to the builder of the bridge), I will try not be too technical.

Actually Sam Hall on the other side i.e. the waterfall side built a basalt wall 12' long x 4' high. I was wondering if there were any remnants of that left as at would be quite an archaeological find and relic. Tom & Cecil Kirk were involved in the timber work structure of the bridge and Peter Kirk is here looking at me and I know he had something to do with it too. The bridge was built. Tom will say, it was to get to Chimney Cottage; some tell me that it was built to get to the Post Office more quickly; and others say it was to save Emma from falling into creek with the scones! We have to be flexible about these things in history. As said to someone recently, I feel that I am walking on a tight-rope. If I move one false step either way I will hurtle off completely! The building of the bridge was quite an achievement due to the encouragement and money of Charles Jefferson.

May I tell one little story about Mr Jefferson and Tom Kirk who worked for him for about 2 years. Mr Jefferson asked Tom ''How much are you being paid?" Tom says ''A shilling an hour." Remember this is 1930. ''That is not good enough'' declares Mr Jefferson, "I will give you two shillings!" Well - that upset the whole wage structure in Mt Wilson. A certain gentleman came roaring down the hill to Mr Jefferson demanding to know what right he had to pay his workers 2/- an hour anyhow instead of the 1/- or even 9d paid elsewhere. There followed quite an altercation and I believe the walking stick was used to great effect. These are some of the wonderfully colourful stories that come out of all the information you collect on the way.

May I say this also of Daddo, as he was so lovingly called, not only by his grandchildren but many I think who knew him. He was a loveable, charming man; there was no doubt about that - a remarkable story teller of tales to his grandchildren about the gruesome events in the Tennessee backwoods with the hill-billies; of mad women being kept in cages and all sorts of lurid stories which they loved hearing.

He loved living it up. He went down to the Metropole Hotel Sydney in his panama hat and cream linen suit and loved the life down there. Always a fanatic about his food, he gave Helen a book on that subject, ''The Food We Eat Makes What We Are". Also he was a an avid reader. Mrs Valder said to me that he told her once, "You will never live long enough to do all the reading you need to do".

C.W. Jefferson was a cultured fine person with a vision and a great humanity about him throughout its life. He lived till 1956 and died in Sydney at the age of 93 and I say that this bridge being named after him is just one small gesture of the recognition of this outstanding person by this community and by the people who knew him and spoke with him. He lived in Wyndham, in Campanella and he ended his days for the last ten years or so after the death of Emma in 1943 in a little cabin behind the main part of Chimney Cottage which was built at his behest for his daughter, where she served teas with great flourishes and gentility. She was a magnificent musician Mrs Gregson, possessing this talent amongst many others.

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Last Updated: 30 June 2016

A Community and Recreation Site

Latin derivation: Silva meaning forest or wood & Plana a plain or flat area.

This site in Mt Wilson did not receive the name officially until it was generously given by Mrs Esme Burfitt to the community after the First World War. In 1893 Edward C. Merewether died and in the following year, James Elliott Mann purchased the Merewether Estate and this included the Merewether Paddock and Dennarque now at the top of Church Lane. A small house which was named by the Mann Family, Silva Plana, after a house they had owned in Springwood stood in the Merewether Paddock of which Silva Plana today is also a part. The area of Mrs Burfitt's gift was 4 acres, 2 roods & 2 perches.

The sub divisions surveyed by E.S. Wyndham in 1868 in Mt Wilson were not bought in 1870 when put up for auction at Windsor. However later in 1875 and 1876 these same blocks were sold with comparative ease. This portion of land was no exception. Crosbie Blake Brownrigg was granted 10 acres in this area in June 1875. Interestingly he became an assistant to E.S. Wyndham after the survey of Mt Wilson was completed.¹ He was also the son of Captain Brownrigg who was Superintendant of the Australian Agricultural Co. from November 1852 to July 1856. This company has more than one link with Mt Wilson. Like many of the first landholders in Mt Wilson, C.B. Brownrigg did not undertake any building activities following his purchase. No one has really provided a full answer to that particular question i.e. why so many first landholders failed to stay.

However in 1876 Edward Merewether visited Mt Wilson and reported that he had viewed land belonging to C.B. Brownrigg  - 10 acres priced at 100 pounds but it will cost 15 pounds to 20 pounds per acre to clear it of big timber and undergrowth, leaving all the tree ferns. Thus we know it was covered with forest and Silva is therefore entirely appropriate. Edward Merewether was also a Superintendant of the Australian Agricultural Co. He purchased this land and soon it was being called Merewether's Paddock or, when it was flooded (and this occurred after heavy consistent rain), as Merewether's Lake. The last time this writer remembers Silva Plana being flooded was in the late 1980s. In April 1988 we had over 500 mm of rain!

On this land Merewether built a small house for his immediate needs while his major home was being constructed on Dennarque Hill. He had purchased the land for Dennarque (18 acres) from Sir Alexander Dean.

Another story is interwoven with Silva Plana but cannot be told here in detail. Between 1876 and 1888 there was continued pressure to improve the postal service to Mt Wilson. Silva Plana played a role in that.

In 1886 Henry John Wynne, the only surviving son of Richard & Mary Ann Wynne of Yarrawa (Wynstay) and Herbert Merewether, a son of Edward Merewether cleared land here for a cricket ground, the pitch being near the small house built by Merewether.

ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, 1887 A GRAND CRICKET MATCH WAS HELD

Miss Helen Gregson described it in the following way:  It became the social event of the year. A local team played against one got together by the Postmaster at Mt Victoria. The visitors drove out 17 miles in a 4 horse drag and lunch was served.² From the Lithgow Mercury of January, 1898 there is a description of the match held that year, exactly 100 years ago. Sadly on that occasion Mt Wilson only managed one innings. We were soundly defeated by Mt Victorians and Blackheathens, as they were so charmingly named.

In 1888 in December a major, indeed, dramatic change took place in the postal arrangements for Mt Wilson. A lady, Mrs Ada Elizabeth Mahoney was appointed to a Receiving Office in Mt Wilson and that office was in that small house in Merewether's Paddock. However Mr Richard Wynne had asked that this office be called Irvine as this was the name originally given to the parish of Mount Wilson by Sir James Martin's Government. This proposal aroused the Hon. G.H. Cox to protest against the change of name in the strongest terms. He stated that it was altogether against the wishes of the residents! Note what he wrote:   With the exception of Mr Wynne all the other residents without exception Justice Stephen, Mr Merewether, Mr Gregson and the members of my own family strongly deprecate the change of name, and which we trust will not be sanctioned.³ This statement raises some interesting questions. Were the above the only residents at that time? Sydney Kirk and his wife, Mary (nee Marceau) were certainly living here; their eldest son, Sydney was born on 27^th January 1889. Mr Charles Sharp was the caretaker at Beowang at the same time. Were you only a resident if you owned property or was there some other more subtle criterion?

The Hon.G.H. Cox's protestations over the change of name were successful. Irvine was changed to Mt Wilson on 9^th January, 1889 and the old office at the Mt Wilson Railway Platform became Bell; this was also a suggestion of the Hon. G.H. Cox.. A mail service between Bell and Mt Wilson was established with John Hall winning the contract and carrying the mail on horseback six times a week between October and April, and once a week for the rest of the year.

Mrs Mahoney was the R.O.K. (Receiving Office Keeper) until January 12^th 1890 when she wrote "I don't wish to have anything to do with the letters----". She went off to Sydney and to the consternation of the residents, particularly Mr Richard Wynne, did not tell her husband, James, but worse still did not tell the residents! This in effect ended the link between the postal service and Merewether's Paddock. Our friend, the Hon. G.H. Cox stepped into the breach and the postal service commenced at Beowang in the charge of his daughter, Miss Lucy Cox.

We know that after the death of Edward Merewether in 1893 this land was bought by James Elliot Mann and the small house on it was then named Silva Plana. There is little doubt that the cricket matches continued on New Year's Day and then James Mann's daughter, Esme, realising the great community benefit this land provided gave 4 acres, 2 roods & 2 perches of it for community recreation after the First World War just as her mother gave the land in 1919 for the War Memorial.

The idea of a Sports Day evolved after the establishment of the C.W.A. in Mt Wilson/ Mt Irvine in 1929. In October, 1932 it was recorded in the minutes of the C.W.A meeting of that month the following:  'that the C.W.A. hold a Sports Day on January 1^st 1933.' This motion was proposed by Miss Helen (Nellie) Gregson, seconded by Mrs Draper. It was then implemented by appointing Mr Valder, Mr Gregson & Mr Wilson as the Sports Committee to organise the programme of races!  Miss Gregson, Miss Sloan & Mrs Draper became the Catering Committee. Miss Joshua was to conduct the Soft Drink & Sweet Stall. The Younger Set was to clean the grounds & make it ready for the races! Oh for those days when everyone knew his or her role without ambiguity! This recreation area was used through out the thirties and forties and possibly the early 1950's not only for cricket matches, but wood chopping contests, gymkhanas and of course the lively and versatile C.W.A. Sports Day.

In the 1990s the Mt Wilson Progress Association re-established Sports Day on New Year's Day, organised very ably by Michael Pembroke and Libby Raines and others. It continued for some years.

While we enjoyed the spirit created in our return to the past and it adds another dimension of our own to the experience, think of all those who played, laughed and established that sense of continuity and community in the 100 or more years before us and enriched this very special place.

^[1] 'Mt Wilson New South Wales' Dr C.H. Currey 1968 A&R

^[2] C.H. Currey  Mt Wilson NSW

^[3] Australian Archives Postal history Mt Wilson and Bell

Mary B Reynolds Research Officer Mt Wilson & Mt Irvine Historical Society Gratefully acknowledges the assistance for this information from the following sources: 'Mt Wilson N.S.W.' C.H. Currey; The Australian Archives - Post Office History of Bell & Mt Wilson; Material from Mr Michael Mann; Records of the Mt Wilson/ Mt Irvine C.W.A. ( H. Naylor ); Archival material collected by the Society from members of the Kirk family.