Benjamin Baker – George Gray – Stonemason & Builder

McNulty’s Cottage [Simpson’s]

In finalising the research regarding Charles Simpson it became important to look a little further afield at an old stone cottage known as ‘Simpson’s Cottage’ at 64 Industrial Drive, Mayfield which was previously known as Bull’s Road, Waratah before the change of the area from Waratah to Mayfield North. There are conflicting accounts around theContinue reading “McNulty’s Cottage [Simpson’s]”

Simpson’s Early Settlers at Waratah

The question posed in the chapter about Simpson’s sale of small portions of between three and five acres back in the chapter Charles Simpson – Small Portions Sale of Land at The Folly, Waratah, was why would Charles Simpson carve out these five small portions when he was selling the bulk of all his landContinue reading “Simpson’s Early Settlers at Waratah”

Benjamin Baker – Waratah, Mayfield

A significant purchaser of Charles Simpson’s land was Benjamin Baker who we saw was also at New Freugh with George Gray and Edmund Bull and was in February 1851 on a NSW Government Gazette unclaimed letter as ‘Benjamin Baker, Newcastle’ just as Charles Simpson was listed in April. Of interest to the early settlement ofContinue reading “Benjamin Baker – Waratah, Mayfield”

Charles Simpson – Small Portions Sale of Land at The Folly, Waratah

‘We arrived at a place then called The Folly now Waratah. The name given to an estate bought by a man named Charles Simpson, it was situated near the old Mill Padock which was a government grant to a man named Platt. He worked the place by government men who were convicts … We andContinue reading “Charles Simpson – Small Portions Sale of Land at The Folly, Waratah”

Benjamin Baker – New Freugh Station

When recalling an encounter with a fearsome Aboriginal man who he called ‘Better Bread’, George Abner Gray: ‘My sister, brother and I were sitting at the end of our hunt and sister was reading … Better Bread was at his camp as usual and seems to think we were teasing him; all at once heContinue reading “Benjamin Baker – New Freugh Station”