Glenorie Probus Club had a bus tour to Morpeth in July. This historic area was originally known as Illalaung, meaning ‘green hills’ by the Wannarua Aboriginal people.
The town of Morpeth, established in the 1830s, takes its name from Morpeth in Northumberland, near Newcastle-upon- Tyne in England. It was established by Edward Charles Close, a former British Army Officer, developing the river port and laying out the town plan on the southern banks of the Hunter River.
It became a vital trade and agricultural hub following European settlement and was the second largest port in Australia, after Sydney, during its peak, facilitating trade and transport for the region. Arnott Biscuits and Soul Pattinson Pharmaceuticals originated there. (There is a magnificent display of Arnott biscuit tins and memorabilia in the Morpeth Museum.)
The Morpeth Bridge over the Hunter River is a timber truss structure 250 metres long. It is heritage listed and assessed as being Nationally Significant. It was built from 1896 to 1898 by Samual McGill, to the design of engineer Percy Allan. The arrival of the railway and the rise of Newcastle as a regional port led to Morpeth’s commercial decline in the late 1800s and early 1900s. it is popular today as a tourist destination with its well preserved buildings, a mixture of sandstone grandeur and weatherboard and slab houses.
Our speaker, Nathan Tilbury, local historian and Hornsby Shire Councillor, presented a very interesting topic about ‘The History of Fagan Park’ located at Galston NSW.
Fagan Park has a rich history of 55 hectares as a citrus and dairy farming property first settled by the Fagan Family in the 1850s after emigrating from Ireland. In 1980 the last surviving of the family, Bruce Fagan and sister Ida in their later years, generously donated their property to the State government, Department of Lands for the use and recreation by the general public.
The park was then developed and financed by Hornsby Shire Council as their Bicentennial Project, officially opening in that year, 1988. This delightful park includes many attractions, such as picnic facilities, bushwalking trails, children’s playgrounds, eco and gardens of the world.
Also, a Rural Museum is located at Netherby Homestead the original Fagan Family home now run by volunteers, ‘The Friends of Fagan Park.’ We proudly read that the 55 hectares Fagan Park is now considered as a hidden gem of open public park spaces in Sydney.
The Clubs monthly coffee group met again this month at the Galston High School Café for a relaxing and enjoyable meeting continuing the monthly practice.
The Club meets on the at 11.00am on the 4th Wednesday of the month at Glenorie RSL and new members are welcome.
Contact Wendy Black on 9653 1022 or email [email protected]
