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Enfield’s early land grants and development

It is not widely know that parts of Enfield are built on James Wilshire’s original 1808 land grant [later known as the Redmire Estate], which extends from Redmyre Road to the Cook’s River.  The Redmire Estate subdivision of 1867 not only commenced the residential development of Strathfield, but also parts of Enfield [later known as Strathfield South]. However, the development of Enfield and Strathfield differ as reflected in the establishment of separate Municipal governments - Strathfield Council [1885] and Enfield Council [1889].  However, since the abolishment of Enfield Council in 1949, a large part of the Enfield district [including Strathfield South and parts of Enfield, Belfield, Greenacre and Chullora] has been incorporated into Strathfield Municipality.  The discussion of early land grants is confined to the area of Enfield located within Strathfield Municipality.   

Early Land Grants and Development

The area of Enfield is made up of many land grants including the James Wilshire grant, John Alford grant, William Roberts grant, Fr Therry’s Village of St Ann’s grant and a number of smaller grants.

The Redmire Estate

The Redmire Estate, an area of 524 acres, was first granted to James Wilshire in 1808 and regranted 1810 by Governor Macquarie.  It was then called Wilshire’s Farm and bounded at the north by Redmyre Rd, east by The Boulevarde and Coronation Parade, west by Wallis Avenue and at the south by the Cook’s River.   In 1824, Wilshire sold this land to Samuel Terry, who renamed the land the ‘Redmire Estate’, named for his birthplace near Yorkshire.  After the death of Terry’s widow, Rosetta, the land was purchased by William Billyard, who subdivided and commenced selling lots in 1867. Ferdinand Reuss, an architect and surveyor of Pitt St Sydney, was responsible for surveying the Redmire Estate.

The subdivision of the Redmire Estate [Deposit Plan 35] included creation of streets, which provided access between land divisions.  Liverpool Rd was opened in 1814 and the alignments of lots in the Redmire Estate reflect the existing roadway.  The other streets created by this subdivision plan include Homebush Rd, Railway Road [now Albyn Rd], and Dean Street. Water St was presumably established at this time to provide access to the Cook’s River, hence the name.  Incidentally, the much disliked ‘dog-leg’ in the road between Homebush Rd and Water St was created by the subdivision of the Redmire Estate in 1867.  The size of the lots of land close to the Cook’s River are much larger than land in Strathfield.  Lots adjacent to the Cook’s River measured 12-16 acres compared to average size of 9 acres in Strathfield. 

The earliest reference for Water St in post office directories is the 1889 Sands Sydney Directory for Druitt Town [later renamed Strathfield South].  Druitt Town’s boundaries are described as ‘Commencing on the west side of Punchbowl Road to Cook’s River, and on the south side of the Liverpool Road to Cook’s River on the south’. The first property on Water St appears in the 1890 Sands Directory [Druitt Town] for John Jones, though Water St appears in 1889 Sands as a locational reference.  Other streets, which are established in the 1880’s containing properties include: Barton Street, Brooklyn Street, The Causeway, Dean Street, Edward Street, Hill Street, John Street, Liverpool Rd, Maria Street, Punchbowl Road, Terry Street and William Street.

Water St was eventually continued into Belfield with the construction of a timber bridge over the Cook’s River.  Incidentally, the timber bridge was washed away in 1935 and replaced by a concrete structure[1].  Water St Belfield is part of the 1810 John Alford grant, which is discussed in the next section.

The Belfield Grants and ‘Clareville Estate’

The suburb of Belfield is divided at Punchbowl Road between Strathfield and Canterbury Councils.  The Strathfield section is composed of a number of land grants including a grant of 100 acres to John Terry Hughes [1802-1851], a whaler, brewer, flour merchant was granted 100 acres.  J T Hughes was the nephew of Samuel Terry.  120 acres was granted in 1810 to James Morris [1759-1813], a private in the NSW Corps who arrived on the Second Fleet.  Smaller grants were allocated Harriott Carr [30 acres in 1810] and J Mollett.  A large part of this area was set aside as Enfield Park by the Enfield Municipal Council.  The land was resumed by the NSW Government in 1916 and redeveloped as the Enfield Marshalling Yards.   

The Alford Grant of 1810 was later subdivided as the ‘Clareville Estate’.  Water St [Belfield], Victory St, Elliott St and Clareville Close and Bark Huts and Elliott Reserve are built on this estate. Fortunately, land title searches and historical documentation have been made available thanks to the efforts of Scott and Christina Robshaw and Peter Jones and Sandra Austin, who have undertaken considerable research on their homes in Water St.  With this information available, it is possible to detail a history of the ‘Clareville Estate’.

John Alford, an ‘animal doctor’, received a grant of 60 acres in 1810. The conditions of the grant did not permit sale of property for a period of five years.  Alford’s grant was bounded by Cooks River and two public roads which appear to be the current Coronation Parade and Punchbowl Rd, which on a 1831 Cadastral map is a continuation of the same road.  Part of the grant deemed 15 acres to be made available to the government for further public roads.  The Crown also had rights to timber on the land for naval purposes. Alford was also granted 60 acres at Holsworthy in 1831 and died in 1858[2].  Incidentally, the grant to Alford was one of the last free land grants in NSW as regulations were introduced in 1831 for all lands to be sold by public auction.

Apparently, Alford established a small farm on the grant before selling his grant to Henry Marr, a dealer from Sydney, in March 1815 for the amount of £100.  In 1818, the land was transferred to Edward Wardropper, presumably upon the death of Marr, either through purchase or inheritance [there is insufficient documentation].  By 1826, the land was seized by the Sheriff, John Mackaness, after the death of Wardropper, possibly for unpaid debts or possibly he died intestate without family. I have not been able to locate any details regarding death of Wardropper in NSW.

The land was transferred by conveyance to William Henry Moore on 5 September 1826, prior to its’ sale to John Stephen on 13 September 1926.  I am unsure whether the land transferred by feoffment[3] to Moore because of Moore’ position as Crown Solicitor or because he was also the owner of ‘Brighton Farm’ which bounded Alford’s grant on the Cook’s River and had a personal interest in the property. Moore’s land is situated where Coronation Parade is located today [on the Burwood Council side].   Moore was also known to John Stephen, through legal connections, who eventually purchased the Alford land holding and the sheriff John Mackaness is known to be a close friend of Stephen’s son Francis [detailed in the Australian Dictionary of Biography reference to John Stephen].  The documentation describes the transaction as:

‘land was lately purchased by him the said William Henry Moore of John Mackaness Sheriff of New South Wales aforesaid by virtue of an execution issued against Edward Wardropper the late proprietor……that for the consideration aforesaid by the said William Henry Moore hath granted unto the said John Stephen…..’ 

William Henry Moore [1788-1854] was a prominent Sydney solicitor.  In 1815, Moore and F Garling were appointed as the first non-convict solicitors in the colony of NSW for the salary of £300.  Moore continued his lucrative private practice but ‘his career as a public servant was chequered’ resulting in Governor Macquarie terminating his salary and privileges after Moore continually let the Crown down in criminal case[4].  However, in 1917, Earl Bathurst censured Macquarie and Moore was reinstated with all his privileges.  Moore continued as Crown Solicitor until 1834 when Governor Bourke suspended Moore for neglect of duties.  Bourke’s decision was upheld. 

In November 1826, the land was sold for £60 to Justice John Stephen of the Supreme Court of Sydney.  Stephen also acquired the former grants of John Nichols and Joseph Broadbent and built a country estate, which he named ‘Clareville’, on the 250 acres he now owned.  ‘Clareville’ was located on the north side of Punchbowl Rd, near the Cook’s River crossing.  The Cadastral Map of ‘Clareville’ is dated 1831-1839 and clearly shows the location of the property near the Cook’s River[5].  In the book Belfield: History & Memories, ‘Clareville’ is described as Alford’s farm, which was cleared, fenced, had wheat planted and had forty head of cattle on it[6].

The Stephen family are a prominent family in government, law and the arts in British and Australian history.  The Stephen family in Australia are prominently associated with law and government, the legal firm Stephen & Stephen [now Mallesons Stephen & Jacques] was founded by this family. The Stephen family are also prominent in the Arts.  Sir Leslie Stephen [1832-1904], nephew of John Stephen, established the British National Dictionary of Biography.  Writer Virginia [Stephen] Woolf and artist Vanessa [Stephen] Bell were his daughters. 

References

Clareville, Parish of Saint George Sydney [cartographic material], 1831-1839, National Library of Australia at http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-f547

‘Crown Solicitor’s Office’ at www.records.nsw.gov.au/cguide/c4g/crownsol.htm

Curry, C H ‘John Stephen’ Australian Dictionary of Biography 1788-1850

Fortier, R & Muir, L., Belfield: History and Memories, Canterbury District Historical Society, 2002.

Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, Strathfield Council, 1986

Mowle, L. Pioneer Families of Australia, pps 327-342

Society of Australian Genealogists, Rookwood Cemetery Transcriptions, 2003.

Thomas, Bryan ‘The original colonial landholders of Sydney’, 1982

Wise’s Post Office Directory

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Information on copyright and use of information from this website. This website was launched September 2003. Enquiries:  cathy@strathfieldhistory.org.au