Merriville House & Gardens is a heritage-listed residence at 1 Eire Way, Kellyville Ridge, New South Wales, or 49 Vinegar Hill Road, Kellyville Ridge NSW 2155, Australia. It was built from 1817 to 1855. It is also known as Hambledon Cottage, Hambledon and Maryville. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The house was last sold in 2008 for $268,000.
History The Darug Aboriginal tribal members and their ancestors were custodians of the land as far as the eye could see, and beyond. The landscape was a natural woodland of grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana), forest red gum (E. tereticornis) and ironbark (E. crebra/paniculata) with an understorey of shrubbery and grasses heavily populated with local wildlife. She-oaks (Casuarina cunninghamiana) marked the banks of the watercourses flowing freely to the Hawkesbury River. A silcrete mine, a valuable trade commodity for this tribe, was a short walking distance westwards in the vicinity of the present day suburb of Schofields. Aboriginal sites have been identified nearby at Bella Vista (to Merriville's southeast).Heritage Group, Department of Public Works & Services, et al, Bella Vista Farm Conservation Management Plan, 2000
General Kellyville (area) history Matthew Pearce was the first settler to receive land at Seven Hills, having been granted around 160 acres in 1794-5. Pearce's property became known as 'King's Langley.' In 1799 a joint grant of 980 acres was made to Joseph Foveaux and Charles Grimes. Within a month Grimes signed over his share to Foveaux. The property was known as "Stock Farm" and adjoined Pearce's property.
Other smaller grants were made near Foveaux's land later in October 1799 with William Goodhall receiving 270 acres while 160 acres was granted to Richard Richardson. It was on Richardson's holding that the "Bella Vista" farm complex evolved. By 1801, Richardson had sold his entire grant to a Thomas Jones who sold it just under a year later to the well known Irish emancipist Richard Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was also to acquire 170 acres of Goodhall's land.
Having been appointed Acting Lieutenant Governor at Norfolk Island, Foveaux found it necessary to sell his Toongabbie holdings and by December 1801 John and Elizabeth Macarthur had bought up Foveaux's "Stock Farm" along with all its livestock. Subsequently, Richard Fitzgerald, who acted as the Macarthur's steward, manager and record keeper during John's absence from the colony, sold his 330 acres holdings to the Macarthurs. This conglomerate of around 2270 acres was to become known as "Seven Hills Farm". It was here that Elizabeth Macarthur bred some of the first Merino sheep.Heritage Group, Department of Public Works & Services, et al, Bella Vista Farm Conservation Management Plan, 2000
In 1821 the Macarthurs "Seven Hills Farm" was returned to Crown land in lieu of land at Camden (Camden Park Estate). Fresh grants of portions of the "Seven Hills Farm" were made almost immediately. James Robertson was granted 500 acres on which the present day "Bella Vista" is situated.
Other grantees included Matthew Pearce who was allotted 170 acres in 1835. Robertson grazed sheep and cattle on his property but found orcharding much more productive. The property was advertised for subdivision in 1838 but purchased outright by his neighbour, Isabella Acres in 1838. In 1842 Acres returned home to England which led to its sale to William Pearce.
Edward Pearce inherited the property upon the demise of his father, William. From this time on, major consolidation, expansion and property improvement were to see the evolution of the "Bella Vista" farm. Edward appears to have moved into his inheritance, "Robertson Farm." Though mixed farming continued, orchards were the dominant land usage on the property. By the 1880s Edward had established himself as one of the most successful orchardists on the central Cumberland Plain. In 1887 he grossed over 8500 pounds for citrus fruit shipped to Melbourne. His farming was based on capital and allowing him to employ at least 30 full-time workers. A substantial number were Chinese who had turned to agricultural labour once the goldfields had been exhausted.
The citrus fruit grown found good markets in Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania. With the establishment of irrigation area along the Murray during the 1890s and later irrigation developments in South Australia and southern New South Wales, these markets were seriously eroded. The citrus being grown in the newer districts produced the navel orange which were much superior to the common orange variety. Thus around 1912, when Edward's son Edward ('Toby') Pearce inherited "Bella Vista", sheep were reintroduced there. By the early 1920s, Toby began removing sheep and orchards in preference for commercial dairying. Considerable expansion of the industry occurred, facilitated by the new introductions of exotic grasses and the rise of modern agricultural science in this period.
In 1884 a large subdivision of fifteen old grants created 100 acre lots. It was called the Kellyville Estate as much of it had been owned by Hugh Kelly, hence the modern suburb's name. Previously it had been known as Irishtown, a logical enough title since a large clan of the Kellys inhabited the area, and after Kelly's death disputed the apportionment of his land among them.
Hugh Kelly had a hotel on the Windsor Road known as the Bird-in-Hand where coaches made a refreshment stop. Another hotel further along this road, known as the White Hart Hotel, was owned by a man named Cross. Two other inns were run by John Hillas who received two grants on the present Old Windsor Road in 1802 and 1804. He farmed the land as well as operating the inns, the Stanhope Arms and the Nowhere Here - apparently this was the standard reply to authorities looking for people who had no business to be in the area.Pollen, 1988, 133
Merriville Farm's history Between 1788 and 1818 there was the occasional disturbance of the Aboriginals' normal seasonal movements by exploring settler parties, convict runaways, a small number of settlers, road makers, shingle cutters, timber getters and others pursuing specialised timbers for the growing settlements of Sydney Town, Parramatta and the Hawkesbury. Also a reserve was established for the government herds requiring large-scale clearing and fencing of an area close by.Warren 2, 2008, 1
The Bradley family and tenants 1818–1853
Merriville House and the land surrounding it were first alienated for European purposes in 1818 as part of 250 acres granted to Jonas Bradley, a former sergeant in the New South Wales Corps.Stedinger, 2009, 7 Jonas married Catherine, née Condon, an ex-convict. He was a successful farmer and a large landholder. He had commenced farming on the Hawkesbury at Freeman's Reach with a 25-acre grant and was sufficiently well-thought-of by Macquarie to receive new larger grants for himself and his sons. His two sons Thomas and William were also granted 70 and 60 acres of land adjoining this property. The family had already been working this property prior to 1818.
Ultimately the farms were amalgamated along with some land from an adjoining grant made to John Palmer in 1818. Bradley became an influential and well-known member of the local community. His property achieved fame as the place where tobacco was first successfully grown in the colony (by 1823 he was known for this and his methods were adopted for tobacco cultivation elsewhere in the colony.
Jonas Bradley added to his farm by buying 300 acres across the (Windsor) road, grants made in 1809 by Col. Paterson, surrendered and re-issued in 1/1810 by Macquarie. These bore the names of Lucy Mileham, Edward Robinson, Michael Robinson and Michael Hickson.Hickson 2, 2008, 1 About this time the small building made of hand-made bricks was erectedWarren 1, 2008, 2 and could at that time have been a stand-alone residence for a small family or convict overseer. The Sydney Gazette of 1823 noted that Bradley had upwards of 100 cattle and 800 sheep, and as having made an effective sheep dip to treat scabies using a tobacco derivative. This achievement was so impressive that he received further grants for himself and his sons (2000 acres for Jonas and 1000 acres each for William and Thomas) in the County of Argyle, where his son William is generally thought of as the father of Goulburn.Warren 2, 2008, 1-3
Although still listed as a farmer in the 1828 census, at some stage over the next five years Jonas Bradley moved to Goulburn. He may or may not have returned to Merriville by 1828). After their initial occupation the property appears to have been leased out for some years by the family although there is no evidence of the use or occupants during this time, possibly from the later 1820s, until its sale in 1853.
In 1835 Bradley's son Thomas died, leaving his farm to his father. On the death of Jonas Bradley in 1841, his surviving son William inherited the large landholding of 320 acres. William however, lived in Goulburn, and after 10 years of leasing the property he sold the total 380 acres to Elias Pearson Laycock. The total holding on the Windsor Road was then 680 acres.Warren 2, 2008, 3
William Bradley was a very successful farmer, grazier and entrepreneur. He married Emily Elizabeth Hovell in 1831, daughter of the explorer William Hovell, and seems to have lived mainly in Goulburn after that. They had eight children (2 sons, 6 daughters). His legacy is impressive: he is credited firstly with the founding of the inland city of Goulburn. He commissioned the building of the Bradley Grange (there), consisting of a Brewery, Malting works, flour mill, tobacco kiln and mews. Francis Greenway is said to have been its designer. As Old Goulburn Brewery, this stands today as the oldest industrial complex in Australia. William purchased the 300 acres on which Bradley Grange was built - in view of his home, Lansdowne Park. He gave wide support to the Agricultural Society of New South Wales and was one of the leading investors and proponents for extending the railway to the south, especially as far as Goulburn. He was a member of the Parliament of New South Wales, a friend of many important men of the day and a founding member of the Union Club, which he used as a bolt hole in Sydney if at the time his house was leased out. He became a friend and benefactor of Caroline Chisholm and her support of women emigrants. He, the son of a convict mother, left 100,000 pounds.Warren 1, 2008, 2 His success with farming was said to be because he supervised his properties himself. In 1847 he claimed to own 40,000 sheep and 14 leaseholds. By the 1860s he owned 51,000 sheep and 23 leaseholds or stations centred on the Monaro district. He owned the property Lindesay in Darling Point from 1849 until his death in 1868. He was survived by 5 daughters, only one of whom, Alice, remained in Australia.Warren 2, 2008, 3-4
Elias Laycock: 1853–1866 The new owner was Elias Pearson Laycock, a person for whom there is little evidence to document his life and activities. Elias was grandson of Quarter Master Thomas Laycock. Thomas Laycock Jr. married twice. He married Margaret Mary, née Connell, daughter of a Sydney merchant, in 1817., Margaret was Elias' mother. Elias married Grace Lysaght, née Longfield, daughter of Dean (Rev.) John Longfield and Mary, née Cotter. John Longfield came to Australia from County Cork, Ireland with his second wife. The family estate was called "Longeville". The Longfields claim Norman blood and ducal connections.