Photo courtesy of Penrith City Library. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. FINE tributes were paid to the service of Mr E W Orth organist over many years and Sunday School Superintendent Mr C H Fulton at a social function held in Penrith’s St Stephen’s the Martyr […]

Unknown Australian Soldiers in WW1 courtesy of Australian War Memorial. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. WAR Celebrations. The usually quiet tone of Mulgoa was enlivened by the enthusiasm displayed by its residents, joined by the Wallacia contingent upon the receipt of the inspiring news that “The […]

Add from the Nepean Times Newspaper. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN August 1916 a fire resulted in the complete destruction of premises occupied by Mr E Summons in the middle of High Street in Penrith who had a boot and shoe retailer and repair establishment. […]

Photo of grave courtesy of Find a Grave Website.  By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN 1882 Alfred Colless’s “Nepean Times” newspaper originally had eight pages that later increased to ten selling at 3d (pence) a copy.  Early in the 1890’s he bought out the “Penrith Argus” […]

By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. Phillip was a naval officer, hydrographer and company manager born in December 1791 at Norfolk Island. The son of Philip Gidley and Anna Josepha King (née Coombe). Phillip sailed for England in the “Britannia” with his parents in October 1796. When […]

 Group of migrants on MV Toscana at Trieste, 1954 courtesy of the Australian National Maritime Museum. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. After World War Two, many Europeans chose to migrate to more appealing, safe and accessible locations and one location was Australia. Migrants fleeing from persecution […]

Photo of William’s grave courtesy of Find a Grave website. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. William Minchin was born in Tipperary Ireland in 1774.  He was the son of George Minchin. He was commissioned an Ensign and Adjutant of the NSW Corps in March 1797.  He […]

The Nepean Times photo of the opening in 1933. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. SINCE the incorporation of the municipality in 1893, the St Marys council had been a tenant and never possessed a home of its own until December 1933 when it officially entered into […]

Photo of the St Marys Duration Cottages on Kalang Avenue courtesy of Penrith City Library. By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN August 1945 an opportunity for servicemen presented itself when the Federal Government’s decision to speed-up demobilisation and increase the home building rate that made the […]

Photo of the Woodland grave courtesy of Ancestry.  By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc. IN January 1887 in the Nepean Times “Japonica” was reminiscing about the old once great homesteads going to “rack & ruin”.  He wrote that the old homestead called “Dunheved” once the birthplace of […]