This leaflet is compiled from extensive material developed in 2000 by Mary Reynolds, Research Officer and Public Officer for the Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine  Historical Society Inc.

It is intended to be a guide when one starts from The Lodge, at the T-intersection of The Avenue and Mt Irvine Road, and walks west down The Avenue to the War Memorial. The walk, of course, can also be undertaken in the reverse direction.

 

The original leaflet was published by the Mount Wilson & Mount Irvine Historical Society Inc. in 2008.

 

The Lodge, Wynstay gates and crenellated stone walls.

All part of the fine heritage property Wynstay established by Richard Wynne from 1875, and known then as Yarrawa.

The Lodge, or Gatehouse as it was sometimes called, is hexagonal in design, built around 1890 of basalt and sandstone with a central chimney serving fireplaces in three of  the four downstairs rooms.

Wynstay gates were very likely built at the same time as The Lodge. The pillars of dressed local sandstone and the wrought iron gates and fences are thought to have all been fabricated on the estate.

Stone walls of local random basalt with dressed sandstone crenellations are a distinguishing feature of Wynstay.

Founders Corner

This corner was set aside from land given by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Owen Wynne, grandson of Richard Wynne, in 1932. Today it contains a basalt seat with a plaque carrying the names of the original settlers. The plaque was unveiled in 1968 as part of  Mt Wilson’s Centenary celebrations.

The Avenue

The Avenue from Founders Corner to St George’s Church is seen as the central part of Mt Wilson. It is here that visitors frequently park to enjoy the beauty of the trees, to catch a glimpse of spectacular gardens and to picnic or just enjoy the peace and tranquility. Picnic tables have been placed here by the local community for the benefit of visitors.

The Post House

This building goes back to the early 1920’s. From 1890 until 1921 the Post Office had operated in a small rustic building in the grounds of Withycombe. It was decided by local residents  to donate the capital required to form a private company. Colonel Wynne donated the land, about 1 acre in area and the building was designed by a well known architect of  that time John Moore. From 1922 until 1986 it was used for the purpose for which it was built. In its early days it  included a small  tearoom, even acting as a small general store. All this time it was also the telephone exchange and it became an important centre for the village community. In 1986 all that changed when the phones became automatic and the Post Office closed. The property was sold and converted sympathetically into a café. A café operated here until 2003 when it became a private residence.

St George’s Church

Henry Marcus Clark came to Mt Wilson in the first decade of the 20th Century. Following his unexpected death in 1913 the Clark family funded the building of the Church to be a Memorial to Henry Marcus Clark. Again Colonel Wynne provided the land on which the Church stands.

The massive trees and undergrowth on the block were cleared  with a bullock team, while the tree ferns were preserved. The  building material was transported from Bell Railway Station. Fibro was the choice; Henry Marcus Clark had been most interested in this new building material. He admired its lightness, its ease of construction and its resistance to fire was another vital quality.

The walls are fibro with battens to cover the joins. The roof too is fibro cut into tiles, painted and then nailed carefully. The inside of the roof is lined with Baltic pine from Northern Europe and the structural timbers are Oregon from North America. It is believed that the windows were made in Sydney and there is a fine stained glass window dedicated to Henry Marcus Clark. The pressed tin surrounds at the base of the building were popular at the time as a cheap imitation of sandstone.

The Church was consecrated in 1916 and is now included in Blackheath Parish. It is open on the second Sunday of each month for a 3.00pm service. Residents from Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine support and maintain it.

The Cemetery

Here are many familiar names: Wynne, Gregson, Clark, Kirk and many others. Many residents who have left Mt Wilson choose to have a plaque placed beneath a tree in their memory when they pass on.

Bebeah and Withycombe

Both these houses represent the first European settlers in Mt Wilson. Both were built for descendents of William Cox, the builder of the road across the Blue Mountains in 1815.

Edward King Cox served in the NSW Legislative Council from 1874 until his death in 1883. In 1878 he bought 30 acres of land in Mt Wilson and built Bebeah to a design by Ambrose Thornley Junior. This was a fine country house with a massive central fireplace of brick and an 8 foot wide verandah all around. The garden had sweeping driveways, English shade trees and masses of flowers. In 1902 the Sloan family bought Bebeah from the Cox estate and this family remained the owners until the death of their youngest daughter, Marjorie in 1984. Marjorie Sloan was a great benefactor in the community and her name is perpetuated in the Sloan Reserve which she gave to the community in  c.1960.

Withycombe (originally Beowang c.1919)

George Henry Cox, Edward King’s cousin, after 1875 purchased land at the corner of The Avenue and Church Lane. Here he had built between 1878 and 1880 a substantial house Beowang (possibly an Aboriginal name for one of the tree ferns in Mt Wilson). The original building had a main gabled roof contained within symmetrical chimneys and a verandah overlooking spacious gardens with a tennis court where local people gathered.

Wynne Reserve at the corner of Church Lane and the Avenue

This small reserve was given by Jane (nee Wynne) and Bill Smart in the early 1970’s, following the tradition established by Colonel Wynne, Jane’s father. It was also given to maintain open space beside the Church.

C.W.A Memorial Seat

This was built to recognise the contribution made by the Mt Wilson / Mt Irvine C.W.A. from 1929 - 1993. Over those years the C.W.A. played a very important role in the community being responsible for The New Years Sports Day on Silva Plana, and many other social and practical activities in the district. Among its Life Members were Marjorie Sloan, Mariamne Wynne, her daughter Jane Smart, Hanny Huber and Isa Valder.