Watercolour of James Erskine courtesy of State Library Dictionary of Sydney.  By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. JAMES Erskine was born in September 1817 at Maryborough, Queen’s County in Ireland. He joined the army and served in the West Indies from 1791-1797 with the 22nd Regiment taking […]

Photo shows 1905 workers at the Railway Goods shed courtesy of Penrith Library By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN January 1900 a magisterial enquiry was held at Penrith Court House before Arthur Judges J.P., on the death of William John Vine, an engine driver on the […]

By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. NOW that we are seeing the effects of climate change, so did Thomas Ralph Woodland back 140 years ago in 1882.  Thomas was born in the colony, the third son of William & Ann Woodland of Park Hill, South Creek. He […]

Photo of the grave of Charles and his little brother Arthur Charles who died aged 4 in August 1878, courtesy of Find a Grave website. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. CHARLES William Cunningham was born at Emu Plains in March 1876 to parents Thomas Alexander & […]

Photo of St Marys Presbyterian Church courtesy of Penrith Library By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. ON a Saturday in September 1901 near Cott’s “First & Last” Hotel on Victoria Road at St Marys, five women were more or less seriously injured and a valuable buggy terribly […]

By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN November 1945 questions came up on how the Blue Mountain’s train called “The Fish” came by the name. Jim Hartigan of Penrith who was a relief stationmaster in the Penrith district felt that with the train’s contemporary named “The Chips” […]

By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN March 1883 an occasion of enjoyment for guests at a picnic given by the employees of the Nepean Times for their employer Alfred Colless to celebrate the first anniversary of the paper. The place selected was the picturesque head of […]

Photo courtesy of Faithfull Family collection  By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. WILLIAM Faithfull was born in Hampshire, England in 1774.  He arrived in NSW on the “Pitt” as a Private in the New South Wales Corps, Captain Joseph Foveaux’s company in February 1792. In 1795 after […]

The 1930’s photo of Mulgoa Creek courtesy of Fairfax archives glass negatives online. IN January 1894 a magisterial enquiry was held at the Penrith Court House by Coroner John King Lethbridge on the body of a man found in Mulgoa Creek. Sergeant Thorndike gave evidence that he went out to the Creek and found on […]

Photo of the 1930’s Penrith Coal Loader courtesy of Australian Railway Historical Society By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN the early years of the railway, accidents among their employees were much higher than today. In January 1896 an accident happened to Railway Guard Frederick William Hainsworth. […]