Sunday, February 7, 2021

LAHEY'S CREEK

Laheys Creek was established by a series of pastoral selections in the late nineteenth century. It is located along the original Guntawang to Mendooran road which was an important coach, wagon and bullock route.

Laheys Creek, named after former convict Michael Lahey, has an interesting connection to the selection of land for the township of Mudgee. Michael Lahey, was instrumental in suggesting the present-day location of Mudgee rather than the flood-prone land near the Cudgegong first selected by Surveyor Lewis. Lahey also advised the Rouse brothers to take up land near Guntawang.

For information about Michael Lahy and Uamby cemetery, see this external webpage.

The Falconer family of Lahey's Creek

One of the notable families in the district was the Falconer family. Two of the earliest permanent residents in the area, James Falconer and his wife Catherine, moved to Laheys Creek in 1849. James took up a lease of five square miles for sheep and cattle grazing. James and Catherine had six children who survived infancy: Robert D; James Bogel; Elizabeth Mary; William Charles; Job Levers and Macvie Napier. Their family cemetery, Laheys Creek cemetery, still survives in the area. Catherine Falconer is a notable woman who retained the ownership of 160 acres of the Falconer land in her maiden name of Milligan. She is seated on the right with other members of the Falconer family in Figure 2.4. She died in 1862. The Falconer family are related to Henry Lawson by marriage. Lawson’s mother’s sister, Gertrude Albury, married one of Catherine Falconer’s sons, Job, in the 1860s.

James Falconer was killed by a train at Newtown in 1868. Robert, his eldest son (pictured) took over the property at Laheys Creek which was in turn passed to his sons on his death in 1877. One of Robert’s sons, Mark Falconer, stayed in the area, at a place still known as ‘the Junction’. Descendants of the Falconers still live within the area.

The Falconers helped establish a mail route in the 1860s which predated the Cobb and Co service and contributed to the settlement of the area. The Gulgong Historical Society retains a copy of a contract for the mail service between Robert Falconer and Thomas Cheshire dated 20 August 1867. 

John Robert Falconer was listed as holding a publicans license for the ‘Bushman’s Home’ at Laheys Creek. Its location is shown on a Lands Department survey in 1879, which details an inn and stables erected on Portion 37 in the parish of Dapper. 
Source: Cobbora Coal Project EA - Appendix Q - Historic heritage assessment, 2012

A small private cemetery at Lahey's Creek marks the final resting place of many members of the Falconer family, situated on the Cobbora to Gulgong Road, north of the Wooloowoolanly Creek crossing. The cemetery is easily identified by an imposing granite monument. Although only four headstones remain, at least 40 persons are said to have been buried there.

Source: https://austcemindex.com/


Laheys Creek cemetery contains four marked graves surrounded by a 1.5 m high post and wire fence. The site dimensions are 14 m by 14 m. The site dimensions are smaller than the legal boundary of the site. The heritage curtilage of the cemetery extends for 30 m beyond the cemetery fence.

The earliest grave identifiable in the cemetery is that of Catherine Falconer (nee Milligan) in 1862. This grave is marked by a sandstone obelisk with a four-sided sandstone base. The base is approximately 1m tall. It contains three plaques. Two are dedicated to the memory of Catherine Falconer, while the third is titled ‘Falconer family memorial’. A sandstone column and shrouded urn rest on top of the base. Together the column and urn are approximately 3 m tall.

The second grave is that of Robert Falconer, interred in 1887, and his wife Margaret, interred in 1924. It has a marble headstone with clasped hands and carved decorations, which is approximately 85 cm high. The grave is surrounded by a decorative metal fence.

The third grave is for Elizabeth Piper who died in July 1913 and her husband James who died in February 1914. It has a sandstone headstone with a marble plaque which is approximately 80 cm high.

The fourth marked grave is for Susan Eliza Falconer, interred in 1913, and her husband Mark interred in 1965. It is a marble on sandstone headstone decorated with a carved wreath of oak leaves, which is approximately 80 cm high.

The following people are buried in Laheys Creek Cemetery as shown on the headstones:
  • Catherine Milligan Falconer 1862; 
  • Robert Falconer 1887; 
  • Elizabeth Piper 1913;
  • Susan Eliza Falconer 1913; 
  • James Piper 1914;
  • Margaret Falconer 1924;and
  • Mark Falconer 1965.
Source: Cobbora Coal Project EA - Appendix Q - Historic heritage assessment, 2012
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Lahey's Creek is on the original Guntawang to Mendooran Road and was an important coach and wagon route. It was on the Wooloowoolanly Run that the first of the Falconers made their home.

James Boyle Falconer, born 1818 in Edinburgh, and his brother, Robert, sailed on the "Dauntless" in February 1840. James was apprenticed to the ship's doctor during the journey and kept a log in life on board the sailing ship.

The ship was a migrant bark carrying 150 passengers. There were two classes on the ship: "Cabin" (paying passengers) and "Steerage" (assisted immigrants). James and Robert were Cabin passengers. The Captain was a tough man and at one time the steerage passengers were left without food for 3 days.

There were storms, sickness, deaths, baptisms, a search for a young man that fell overboard and was lost, fights between the crew and other complaints about lack of food.

Upon seeing land after almost 6 months at sea James wrote: "It is the most beautiful sight that we have seen since leaving Scotland". After stopping at Adelaide the ship anchored at Port Phillip on 18-8-1840 and James wrote: "Our time begins this day".

On 31-8-1840 James married Catherine Milligan at Scot's Church in Melbourne. Catherine and her widowed mother had also been passengers on the "Dauntless".

James and Catherine made their way to Sydney where James worked until 1849 when he brought his family to Lahey's Creek. He took up a selection of 160 acres and they grazed sheep and cattle.
Eleven children were born to James and Catherine but only six survived infancy:
  • Robert D (married Margaret Markey
  • James B (married Sarah A Daley)
  • Elizabeth M (married James W Piper)
  • William C (married Margaret L Daley)
  • Job L (married Susannah G Albury) and 
  • MacVie N (married Hannah Dowling).
On 6-1-1868, while on a business trip to Sydney, James, aged 49, was killed by a train at Newtown where his brother McVey Falconer was the Station Master.
Two years later, Catherine died and was buried at Lahey's Creek

The eldest son, Robert, carried on at Lahey's Creek. He married Margaret Markey in 1864 and had 8 children. Robert died in 1887 aged 46 and Margaret died in 1924 aged 77. They are both buried at Lahey's Creek.
Source: Signage in Gulgong Pioneer's Museum (on display in 2014)

Falconer Family, ca 1850
Source: Cobbora Coal Project EA - Appendix Q - Historic heritage assessment, 2012

Arthur Falconer, son of William Charles Falconer, fought in WWI.



NEWS ITEMS

1870 - [GOLD]

The Cobbora correspondent of the Dubbo Dispatch reports : — "A new diggings has been discovered on Tullawang road, nineteen miles from Mr. Robert Falconer's, Lahey's Creek, payable gold is being got. The people on the ground number 300, who are accommodated with two shanties and two butcher's shops. The ground is said to be very rich, which reports is causing a daily augmentation to the number on the new Eldorado."

1871 - [PUBLICAN]

Publicans’ Licenses, issued from the 1st February to 31st March, 1871 in the DUBBO DISTRICT:

Name                              Situation              Sign of House
Falconer Jno. Robert      Lahey's Creek      Bushman's Home

1873 - [INQUEST]

An inquest was held at the Bushman's Home, Lahey's Creek, Gulgong, on Saturday. The inquest was held on the body of a young man named John Renton, who had been violently, dashed against a tree while galloping along the road in a state of intoxication on the previous Sunday evening, when he received such injuries as resulted in his death on the following Thursday. The evidence of several witnesses disclosed the fact that drink had been the principal cause of the accident, as it appears that he left his home at Cobbora on the afternoon in question, and rode a distance of some ten miles to the inn at which the inquest upon his body was held, where he met some friends, and drank seven or eight glasses of brandy, after which he became intoxicated, and mounted his horse to proceed home with two companions whom he had met at the public house.
They rode on for about a mile, but the deceased seemed to be very drunk, and almost unable to sit his horse: however, just as he came to the foot of a hill he galloped away and, mounting the hill, disappeared from the sight of those who were with him. When they came up to where he was lying after, being brought into contact with the tree and thrown from his horse on to the road they found him insensible, and his mare running loose, across the bush. The soberest of the two caught the mare, tied her up, and then they both left the deceased lying in the road. One of his companions confesses that he was so drank that he could net remember how he got home; the other says, "I left him because I did not think he was hurt ; and, I thought he might have got off". The deceased's brother was informed of the state of affairs next morning by: the mail-man and he, in company with a young man named Nagle started for the scene of the accident at once. They borrowed a cart from the public house; and removed the unfortunate man thence, where he was attended by a doctor, but he never recovered consciousness, before he died on Thursday. There was a bruise on deceased's neck extending to the ear and near to where he, lay on the road there was a mark on a large sapling.


1878 - [INSOLVENCY]

In the Supreme Court of New South Wales IN INSOLVENCY.
In the Insolvent Estate of James Falconer, of Lahey's Creek, publican. THIRD MEETING.
WHEREAS the estate of the abovenamed insolvent was, on the 29th day of November, 1878, placed under sequestration by order under my hand, and the First and Second Meetings of creditors have duly been held: I hereby appoint a Third Public Meeting of the creditors of the said James Falconer, to be holden before me or before the Registrar in Insolvency, at the Court Room, King-street, Sydney, on Friday, the 25th day of April next, to commence at 11 a.m., or as soon after wards as the course of business will permit, for the proof of debts against the said estate, and to receive the report of the Official Assignee as to the then condition of the same; also, for giving him directions as to its future management, and as to whether the creditors will permit the said insolvent to retain for his own use his household furniture, wearing apparel, beds, bedding, and tools of trade, or any part thereof respectively.—
Dated at Sydney, the 20th day of March, A.D. 1879.
GEORGE HIBBERT DEFFELL, Chief Commissioner of Insolvent Estates.
ARTHUR HENRY, Registrar in Insolvency.
Official Assignee—Robert Hamilton Sempill.
2056                 8s. 6d.

1881 - [PUBLICAN]

Publicans’ Licenses, issued from the 1st February to 31st March, 1881 in the DUBBO DISTRICT:

Name                       District and Situation         Sign of House
Moor Frederick        Lahey's Creek                    Maypole Inn

1881 - [MAIL ROUTE}

CONVEYANCE being required for the Post Office Mails, either by COACH or on HORSEBACK, to and from the undermentioned places, for one year, from the 1st January, 1882, to the 31st December, 1882:
To and from Gulgong, Lahey's Creek, and Cobbora, via Goodaman's, twice a week, by vehicle or on horseback.

Source: New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900) Fri 9 Sep 1881 [Issue No.359] Page 4639

WEDDING - FALCONER—GRICE.
A quiet wedding took place on September 27, at Killara, the groom being Mr. Dave E. Falconer, of "Avymore," Lahey's Creek, and the bride Miss Lily Grice, youngest daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Grice, formerly of "The Rest," Bundanoon. The ceremony took place at the residence of Mrs. Hubert Wilson, sister of the bride, and the Rev. A. D. Marchant officiated. Mr. Falconer was supported by Mr. Charles Niven, of "Spring Ridge," Gulgong, and the bride, attended by Miss Ouilga Curtayne as maid of honor, was given away by her brother-in-law, Mr. Robert Wilson. Lilies, palms and poppies formed the tasteful decorations of the lounge room where the ceremony was performed, and made a pleasing background for the bride, who was gowned in pale pink georgette with long uneven lines and cape effect. The maid of honor wore pale blue and white georgette. Breakfast was served after the reception, and the bride and groom left by car for Bundanoon, visiting Canberra and the Caves, en route for Goulburn. Amongst the guests were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wilson and Master Donald Wilson, Mrs. Percy Tooth, of Chatswood (sister of the bride), Mr. and Mrs T Paton, of Gordon, the Misses M. and J. Wilson and Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Niven, of Spring Ridge, Gulgong.

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