Paterson. NSW. The school of Arts erected in 1935.
Paterson.
This small town on the Paterson River, a tributary of the Hunter River was one of the first areas settled by white settlers in the in the region once the Newcastle penal settlement was opened to free settlers. But where did the name come from? In 1801 two ships - the Lady Nelson captained by James Grant and the Francis captained by William Paterson explored the lower reaches of the Hunter River. William Paterson surveyed a tributary of the Hunter and Governor King named the river after him. Red cedar cutters followed the footsteps of Paterson and began felling these giants and floating them downstream for the Sydney timber market. Next Governor Macquarie visited the Hunter district in 1811 and this resulted a few unofficial convict farms being established at Paterson Plains. The first settlers were convicts John Tucker, George Pell and John Swan. They produced maize and wheat for Sydney. These convict settlers were assigned convicts to work for them. The first official free land grant was made at Paterson in 1821 to Captain William Dunn. At this time the Newcastle penal settlement was regarded as not so secure as the first white overland explorers led by John Howe had reached Newcastle by land from Sydney in 1819. Then in March 1821 convicts at Newcastle were to be transferred to Port Macquarie further away and free any settlers. Most of the early land grants were to army officers or explorers who had chosen to stay in NSW. For accepting a free land grant they were expected to keep one assigned convict (feeding and clothing them) for every hundred acres granted. Captain William Dunn originally got 1,200 acres. He soon had 2,000 acres and called his property Duninald. Not long after he had 7 assigned convicts. Captain James Phillips got a grant and established Bona Vista estate, Lieutenant William Ward built Cintra and Clarendon houses on his property and John Herring established Tillimby, and Edward Gostwyck Cory established Gostwyck. All these grants were made in 1822. Other early grants were to John Powell who got 60 acres and 11 assigned convicts and George Williams who was granted 500 acres and given 7 assigned convicts. As settlement grew the government took back 90 acres from Susannah Ward of Cintra in 1832, in exchange for some town sites in Argyle Street Sydney, so that they could survey and layout the town of Paterson. The side was chosen as it was at the limit of navigability of the Paterson River. Before this occurred in 1832 the government sent a military attachment to Paterson district in the early 1820s and some policemen in 1828. This suggests relations between the white settlers and the First Nations people were not calm.
Despite the survey of 1832 not many buildings emerged before the late 1830s. The oldest houses in Paterson “Noumea” in Prince Street and “Annandale” in King Street both were built about 1839. In 1837 a Presbyterian minister was located in Paterson and the church owned some land. St Ann’s Presbyterian Church was built in 1840. It is one of the oldest churches in Australia but closed for regular services in 2009. An Anglican minister was appointed to the town in 1839 and the Anglicans consecrated their church in 1845 with 2 acres of burial grounds nearby. This old church became the rectory in 1906 and a second Anglican church then built. It closed in 1976. The Catholic St Columba’s church was built in 1884 on the corner Church and Prince Streets. The Wellington Arms Hotel in King Street was licensed from 1842 but is now an Edwardian structure and the Royal Oak was licensed from around 1840. Although the Anglicans started a small school in 1843 the government state school did not open until 1875. Postal services began in 1834 but the present Post Office was not built until 1885. Paterson remains a town of great charm with many heritage buildings so it is worth spending time to walk some streets. In the Main(Duke) Street is the 1906 Anglican Rectory on the corner with Prince, the School of Arts 1935, the Anglican church( 1906) and cemetery (1845), the former Commercial Banking Company of Sydney bank 1902, the Post Office 1885 etc. At the T junction in King Street is the Courthouse 1857 – 63 and the unusual designed St Anne’s Presbyterian Church 1838-40. In Church Street is the police residence and station 1882, the original government school 1877, and the Catholic Church 1884.
In 1819 Joseph Lycett visited the Paterson River to capture the landscape depicted left. Who was he? This lithograph was published in a book in London in 1824 by Joseph Lycett. He must be one of the most fascinating convicts to grace the shores of NSW. He was one of 300 convicts transported on the General Hewett in 1813 arriving in 1814.The Captain, an amateur painter, was James Wallis. Lycett was 39 years of age, convicted of forgery of pound notes and sentenced to 14 years in NSW. By profession he was a portrait painter and miniaturist. By May 1815 Sydney was flooded with forged five shilling notes, attributed to Lycett. He was convicted of forgery again and sent to the strict disciplinary penal settlement of Newcastle which was now under the command of James Wallis. (Lake Wallis at Forster which we visit tomorrow was named after James Wallis). In Newcastle Lycett was given an easy time and asked to draw plans for the first church in Newcastle convict settlement in 1818. Lycett painted the altar and is said to have produced three stained glass windows which are now in the Anglican Cathedral. Whilst in Newcastle he painted many pictures of Aboriginal life and an evening corroboree. For his work he was given a conditional pardon and was free by 1819. He painted the Australian landscape extensively and whilst in Newcastle Captain Wallis had two cedar display chests made which included 12 paintings by Lycett. One chest was given to Governor Macquarie. Lycett became favourite of Governor Macquarie who sent three of his paintings to London in 1820 before giving Lycett an absolute pardon in 1821.Lycett also travelled around N.S.W and Van Diemans Land with Governor Macquarie. Lycett returned to London with his daughter in 1822 and had his book of lithographs of his paintings of Australia published there in 1824. Little is known of his life back in England but his book was not successful when published. It is believed he was charged with forgery again whilst living in Bath. On being arrested it is beloved he cut his throat and killed himself in 1828. He was buried in Birmingham. The State Library of SA has a copy of this 1824 book and 11 of his paintings are in the collection of the Art Gallery of SA. The two Australian cedar display chests are in State Library of NSW. The second was purchased in 2004. Lycett’s Australian Album of 1824 is held in the National Library of Australia and in several state libraries.
Paterson. NSW. The school of Arts erected in 1935.
Paterson.
This small town on the Paterson River, a tributary of the Hunter River was one of the first areas settled by white settlers in the in the region once the Newcastle penal settlement was opened to free settlers. But where did the name come from? In 1801 two ships - the Lady Nelson captained by James Grant and the Francis captained by William Paterson explored the lower reaches of the Hunter River. William Paterson surveyed a tributary of the Hunter and Governor King named the river after him. Red cedar cutters followed the footsteps of Paterson and began felling these giants and floating them downstream for the Sydney timber market. Next Governor Macquarie visited the Hunter district in 1811 and this resulted a few unofficial convict farms being established at Paterson Plains. The first settlers were convicts John Tucker, George Pell and John Swan. They produced maize and wheat for Sydney. These convict settlers were assigned convicts to work for them. The first official free land grant was made at Paterson in 1821 to Captain William Dunn. At this time the Newcastle penal settlement was regarded as not so secure as the first white overland explorers led by John Howe had reached Newcastle by land from Sydney in 1819. Then in March 1821 convicts at Newcastle were to be transferred to Port Macquarie further away and free any settlers. Most of the early land grants were to army officers or explorers who had chosen to stay in NSW. For accepting a free land grant they were expected to keep one assigned convict (feeding and clothing them) for every hundred acres granted. Captain William Dunn originally got 1,200 acres. He soon had 2,000 acres and called his property Duninald. Not long after he had 7 assigned convicts. Captain James Phillips got a grant and established Bona Vista estate, Lieutenant William Ward built Cintra and Clarendon houses on his property and John Herring established Tillimby, and Edward Gostwyck Cory established Gostwyck. All these grants were made in 1822. Other early grants were to John Powell who got 60 acres and 11 assigned convicts and George Williams who was granted 500 acres and given 7 assigned convicts. As settlement grew the government took back 90 acres from Susannah Ward of Cintra in 1832, in exchange for some town sites in Argyle Street Sydney, so that they could survey and layout the town of Paterson. The side was chosen as it was at the limit of navigability of the Paterson River. Before this occurred in 1832 the government sent a military attachment to Paterson district in the early 1820s and some policemen in 1828. This suggests relations between the white settlers and the First Nations people were not calm.
Despite the survey of 1832 not many buildings emerged before the late 1830s. The oldest houses in Paterson “Noumea” in Prince Street and “Annandale” in King Street both were built about 1839. In 1837 a Presbyterian minister was located in Paterson and the church owned some land. St Ann’s Presbyterian Church was built in 1840. It is one of the oldest churches in Australia but closed for regular services in 2009. An Anglican minister was appointed to the town in 1839 and the Anglicans consecrated their church in 1845 with 2 acres of burial grounds nearby. This old church became the rectory in 1906 and a second Anglican church then built. It closed in 1976. The Catholic St Columba’s church was built in 1884 on the corner Church and Prince Streets. The Wellington Arms Hotel in King Street was licensed from 1842 but is now an Edwardian structure and the Royal Oak was licensed from around 1840. Although the Anglicans started a small school in 1843 the government state school did not open until 1875. Postal services began in 1834 but the present Post Office was not built until 1885. Paterson remains a town of great charm with many heritage buildings so it is worth spending time to walk some streets. In the Main(Duke) Street is the 1906 Anglican Rectory on the corner with Prince, the School of Arts 1935, the Anglican church( 1906) and cemetery (1845), the former Commercial Banking Company of Sydney bank 1902, the Post Office 1885 etc. At the T junction in King Street is the Courthouse 1857 – 63 and the unusual designed St Anne’s Presbyterian Church 1838-40. In Church Street is the police residence and station 1882, the original government school 1877, and the Catholic Church 1884.
In 1819 Joseph Lycett visited the Paterson River to capture the landscape depicted left. Who was he? This lithograph was published in a book in London in 1824 by Joseph Lycett. He must be one of the most fascinating convicts to grace the shores of NSW. He was one of 300 convicts transported on the General Hewett in 1813 arriving in 1814.The Captain, an amateur painter, was James Wallis. Lycett was 39 years of age, convicted of forgery of pound notes and sentenced to 14 years in NSW. By profession he was a portrait painter and miniaturist. By May 1815 Sydney was flooded with forged five shilling notes, attributed to Lycett. He was convicted of forgery again and sent to the strict disciplinary penal settlement of Newcastle which was now under the command of James Wallis. (Lake Wallis at Forster which we visit tomorrow was named after James Wallis). In Newcastle Lycett was given an easy time and asked to draw plans for the first church in Newcastle convict settlement in 1818. Lycett painted the altar and is said to have produced three stained glass windows which are now in the Anglican Cathedral. Whilst in Newcastle he painted many pictures of Aboriginal life and an evening corroboree. For his work he was given a conditional pardon and was free by 1819. He painted the Australian landscape extensively and whilst in Newcastle Captain Wallis had two cedar display chests made which included 12 paintings by Lycett. One chest was given to Governor Macquarie. Lycett became favourite of Governor Macquarie who sent three of his paintings to London in 1820 before giving Lycett an absolute pardon in 1821.Lycett also travelled around N.S.W and Van Diemans Land with Governor Macquarie. Lycett returned to London with his daughter in 1822 and had his book of lithographs of his paintings of Australia published there in 1824. Little is known of his life back in England but his book was not successful when published. It is believed he was charged with forgery again whilst living in Bath. On being arrested it is beloved he cut his throat and killed himself in 1828. He was buried in Birmingham. The State Library of SA has a copy of this 1824 book and 11 of his paintings are in the collection of the Art Gallery of SA. The two Australian cedar display chests are in State Library of NSW. The second was purchased in 2004. Lycett’s Australian Album of 1824 is held in the National Library of Australia and in several state libraries.