Suburb History

Greystanes takes its name from a historical home on Prospect Hill, built by Nelson Lawson, third child of Lieutenant William Lawson. The house was demolished on 1946.

The name "Grey Stanes" given by Nelson Simmons Lawson comes from the outcrop of basalt on Prospect Hill. "Grey" being its colour and "Stanes" being Scottish for stones.

The land was originally granted to Lieutenant William Cummings in 1799, before being acquired by William Lawson in approximately 1810.  It was from this land that William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth set out on their successful crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813 and discovered the Bathurst Plains. The Lawson family crypt still exists at St. Bartholomew's Church, Prospect.

Source: Frances Pollon: The Book of Sydney Suburbs, 1988.

Boothtown

Part of the district of Greystanes, located between present day Hyland Road and the Aqueduct, was once known as Boothtown. This was the name of the property owned by John and Hannah Booth. John was one of the Municipality of Prospect & Sherwood’s original Aldermen, and Mayor from 1880 to 1888. John’s brother Joseph was also an Alderman and Mayor of Prospect & Sherwood and both brothers were also Aldermen of Parramatta Borough Council. Another brother Samuel, briefly Council Clerk of Prospect & Sherwood, operated a store and post office at Boothtown, and provided part of his property for the use of the Boothtown tent school in 1882, for the children of workers on the Upper Nepean Scheme project.

John and his family were affected by the depression of the 1890s and were forced to sell their property. John refused to leave the property and rented it back for £5 per week. John died in July 1900, leaving Hannah with eight children. Hannah was forced to sell many of the family’s possessions and move from the property.

Today Boothtown is remembered by the Aqueduct and by Boothtown Reserve. The reserve is located on part of the original Booth property on Gipps Road. A ceremony was held on Sunday 22 May 1983 to dedicate the reserve, with many of the Booth family in attendance.

Sources:

Booth, Elizabeth, Memories of the Booth Family of the Municipality of Prospect and Sherwood [sound recording], Holroyd Oral History Project, recorded 14 October 1990.

Ruhen, Carl, Holroyd: centenary 1872-1972, Horwitz, 1972.

Karskens, Grace, Holroyd: a special history of Western Sydney, NSW University Press, 1991.

Widemere

Widemere was once used as a suburb name in the early part of the century, located in the south-west corner of the Municipality of Holroyd, with connections to Prospect (Blacktown) and Fairfiield. Widemere is attributed to the property name of the Hyland family who lived in the area.

The Sydney & Suburban Blue Metal Quarries Ltd operated the Widemere Quarry on the south side of Prospect Hill. From October 1925, an eight kilometre tram line operated from this quarry and terminated at the railway yards near Fairfield station, to transport excavated material from the quarry for distribution on the main rail line.  The Widemere Quarry line ceased operation in 1945.

Widemere is remembered by Widemere Public School located in Nemesia Street, Widemere Reserve in Gardenia Parade, and Widemere Road, Wetherill Park (in the Fairfield LGA).

See also: Prospect