American Creek's Golden Valley

One of the wonderful things I love about Kembla Jottings Facebook page is the comments and questions that take us deeper into our local history to discover a story previously untold. That's what happened this week when Jimmy Penno asked about his new home, the farmhouse on 7 Bradley Avenue, Mount Kembla. This led to the discovery of a forgotten property name and the pioneering family that resided there for over 100 years. This is the story of the "Golden Valley" on American Creek.

On the 31st of March 1843 Patrick Leahaney purchased 24 acres from the government grant, Lot 130 on the banks American Creek, an area that had just been opened up on the northern slopes of Mt Kembla. He was the second land owner in the area by a couple of days. His grandson would later claim in 1950 that the Leahaneys had been in "the Golden Valley" for 127 years. If this is true, that would mean that the Leahaney family had been in Mt Kembla since 1823, perhaps squatting or leasing from the government, and if so, that would make them the very earliest known settlers of the Kembla/Cordeaux area. The Leahaneys stayed on their property Golden Valley to 1953 yet surprisingly nothing in Mt Kembla today is named after them. Perhaps this is because no one could decide how to spell their name.

Patrick Leahaney it seems could have been a convict, but with the surname spelt in a multitude of ways it's been really difficult to pin down his identity, although I'm sure we'll eventually get him. Some of the spellings we've come across in our research includes but is not limited to Leahaney, Lehaney, Leaney, Laney, Layheny, Leyheny, Lehany, Leaheney, Laheny, Lehney, Leheay!

Patrick Leahaney and Mary Hurley had at least one son together. Patrick was in his 40s and Mary in her 50s when Henry Leahaney was born in 1833. He seems to have been quite a handful as a youth often getting into trouble with his neighbours and winding up in court.

The Leahaney's property stretches from Cordeaux Road all the way down Stones Road to American Creek and takes in the whole of the area of today's Bradley Ave and Avon Parade. Their original farmhouse was most likely built on the south side of what was known then as the mountain road facing north overlooking their entire property. It is also possible that an original hut could have been erected closer to the creek for easy access to water (there is a small building in the image below at the northern end of their property). They cleared the land and the bulk of it remained clear for farming from settlement to the 1950s as this 1890s photo shows - the earliest image we have of the area.

Annotated Kerry and Co Image taken from Mt Kembla Colliery Circa 1890 from the collections of the PowerHouse Museum. Lines indicate property boundary of Lot 130 owned by Patrick Leahaney and Lot 128 owned by William James.

In 1856 - G H Hamilton leased the 24 acres of land on American Creek from Patrick Lehaney and was to build a new house worth 20 pounds which Patrick would then repay with 10 pounds at the end of the lease. Hamilton tried to sue Patrick for the 10 pounds but was found to have only repaired an old house with new bark for the roof, windows and nails, not built a new one as had been agreed, so the case was dismissed (11.2.1856 IM).

Later in 1856, young 23 year old Henry Lehaney was arrested for failing to turn up to court, charged with obscene and abusive language and fined. It didn't help that the man who charged him was his neighbour, a school teacher and a magistrate, Mr. Henry Gordon JP. Gordon also cautioned young Henry as to the treatment of his father "whom he had been informed he had lately put out of the house". Henry promised to med his ways (8.9.1856 IM).

Patrick died at his property in American Creek just nine months later on the 21 June 1857, his death was registered as Laney, a farmer of 70 years. His wife Mary had preceded him in death on the 28th of October 1854 at Fairy Meadow aged 75 years. Henry was 21 years old when his mother died and 24 when his father died, by then a husband and father himself. His parents were both buried in the Old Roman Catholic Cemetery in Wollongong - where the Five Islands Brewery is today - when you're down there have a drink to these hard working Kembla pioneers.

From 1857 Golden Valley on American Creek passed to Henry Leahaney (Snr). Henry (1833-1896) and Mary Rogers (1826-1901) had married in 1852 and seem to have had the following children, although not all are registered under the same spelling so this is a working list: Patrick (1854-1882), Bridget Laney (1856), Henry Jnr Layheny (1859-1951) our man. Mary Leaney (1862) James Leaney (1861) Catherine Leaney (1864) Honora E Leaney (1866)

Apart from working the American Creek property Henry Lehaney is also leasing 51 acres in 1862 at 35 pounds a year on the Keelogues estate (which is further down the mountain at Figtree today) as advertised in the estate sale (12.4.1862 TSMH).

In 1885 Henry finds himself in court again over his cattle continually trespassing on neighbouring properties (19.5.1885 IM). Later that year Henry Lehaney applied for a slaughtering license at American Creek, at the time it is noted that he also had a piggery. Some of his neighbours objected to the slaughter house on the grounds of possibly polluting American Creek, others supported him as long as he kept the place clean. He had dug a drain in preparation and the licence was granted (18.6.1885 IM). This string of six buildings fronting the mountain road on the Leahaney's 24 acres circa 1890s would have included the family home, stables, outbuildings and what appears to be a couple of additional dwellings.

Close up detail of Kerry and Co Image circa 1890 from the collections of the PowerHouse Museum.

Henry Leahaney Snr died in June 1893 at 60 years of age and is buried in the Roman Catholic section Wollongong General Cemetery. We now know that Mary Lehaney leased two cottages to Henry Fatzeus for his Mt Kembla Workmen's club and residence from about 1896-1898. Poor Mary died at her residence in Mt Kembla on the 14th of September 1901 after "a long and painful illness" aged 75 years (19.9.1901 IM). Their son Henry Jnr (who seems to have been living at the Five Islands in 1882) is named the sole Executor of Mary's will (21.9.1901 IM) the property then passed to him. Harry, as he was known, married Isabell Neaves (1862-1937) in 1894 in the district of Wollongong. They were both in the 30s when they married and appear to have had only the one son Bruce, born 1893 the same year Harry lost his father.

As yet, we haven't been able to determine when the current farmhouse, pictured upper right below, was built in the middle of the Leahaney property. This 1948-51 aerial photo shows the buildings then existing on Leahaney's Golden Valley, both along Cordeaux Road and the centre farmhouse and out buildings.

1948-51 aerial photo of Leahaney farm buildings. Cordeaux Road runs through lower image

and Stones Road is seen on right. Wollongong Spy Glass.

The early part of the 1900s find Harry on a winning streak at the Pony Race Meetings with his mare Topsy. She lived 30 years and won him 63 blue ribbons which he was still talking about in 1950 (16.3.1950 SCT). During this time he was also having his fair share of trouble with Council over the cutting down of Leahaney's Hill to improve the road running through his land. He sends a letter through his lawyer to council saying the works would create damages of up to 150 pounds, to which the Mayor proposed was the value of the entire property and recommend calling his bluff and proceeding with the works (25.1.1910 IM). By 1911 works had not yet commenced and a resident wrote to the local paper:

"Never before has the Cordeaux road been in such a deplorable state. Teamsters drawing cement to the water works at Fishlock's have been obliged to suspend work owing to the bad sate of the road.

At the top of Leahaney's Hill a veritable quagmire exists, extending from one side of the road to the other. At this place pedestrians are obliged to climb the fence into the adjoining paddock in order to escape becoming bogged to the ankle and in averting a possible risk of being unable to extract themselves..." (1.09.1911 IM)

The image on the left taken in 1921 by photographer John Henry Harvey (State Library of Victoria Collection) shows the westernmost corner of the Leahaney property through which Cordeaux Road passes. Here it is evident that the road works have been undertaken as the road has been cut down from the sides to facilitate traffic. This created the need for steps to reach the cottage which Harry had objected to.

The climb up Mt Kembla would have been a hot and thirsty one for the horses and bullocks carting everything needed for a growing village. Requests were made for a water trough to be placed on Lehaney's flat as it could not be placed in the vicinity of the Mt Kembla Hotel (10.12.1915 IM). Council erects a water trough in 1916 which also causes no end of trouble for poor old Harry. By 1930 he is still writing letters to council saying the water is running in large quantities effecting his property (12.9.1930 IM).

The next year his son Bruce marries local girl Sarah Ann Foye at St Michael's Church (27.7.1917 IM). The couple live in one of the cottages on the Leahaney property on Cordeaux Road and start their own family of four.

The swinging 1920s bring a new threat to Harry, the community are eyeing off his best corn growing paddock for a sporting ground. Harry understands the community's need as there is precious little flat land in Mt Kembla and hopes to be able to facilitate their wants sometime in the future, but can't yet part with his land. In February of 1926 Mr H Leahaney is approached for land for a village sports ground "Unfortunately Mr Leahaney only has a small farm and can ill afford to spare the land" (6.2.1926 IM). Pressure continues to mount for Harry's paddock with Council recommending resumption of 3 &1/2 acres of Leahaney's land in 1936 (7.8.1936 IM). Harry appeals to council to at least during his lifetime not resume or purchase his property (30.10.1936 IM). Sadly the love of his life Isabel Leahaney (nee Neaves) dies 7th of December 1937 aged 74 years. It is her death notice from which we first learn that the Mt Kembla property is known as the "Golden Valley" (10.12.1937 SCT ). A couple of months before her death Isabel had put a notice in the newspaper thanking Dr H. H. Lee and the nursing staff for the care she received while she was an inmate of Wollongong District Hospital (1.10.1937 SCT). She was buried at the Church of England section of Wollongong General Cemetery. Harry marked her death anniversary in local papers for years later with touching In Memoriums like these "Memories are treasures no one can steal, Death leaves a heartache, no one can heal." (SCT 6.12.1940). "Deep in my heart a memory is kept, Of one I loved and will never forget" (SCT 11.12.1942).

Six months later Harry receives another blow, a resumption notice appears in the Government Gazette for 3 acres 21 &1/2 perches being resumed for recreation purposes (8.7.1938 IM).

Harry is able to lease his land back for a time as it takes council close to a decade or so before the recreational grounds appear to be in use.

From the 1940s to 1953, Monica tells us that her grandparents Roy and Margery Griffiths lived in the farmhouse with their six children. Mrs Griffiths worked as housekeeper for Harry Leahaney. Before he left the area he offered the farm to the Griffiths but they couldn't afford to buy it.

Harry's only son Bruce passed away on the 27th of November 1941 at Wollongong District Hospital (28.11.1941 SCT) at just 48 years of age. Bruce was buried nearby at the Mt Kembla Cemetery where his 12 year old son Bruce Jnr, who died at his parent's residence on the 1st of June 1930 (2.6.1930 The Labour Daily), was also buried. Both Sarah Ann and Harry mourned the loss of Bruce placing In Memorium notices in the local paper.

Annotated 1948-51 aerial view of Leahaney property with 1961 map overlay and the recreation ground marked upper right, Wollongong Spy Glass.

A deputation of the local School, Vigoro, Basket Ball, Football and Cricket clubs petition council for the recently acquired Leahaney land to be used as a playing area (4.6.1943 SCT), but by 1949 the Coal Board is having to put pressure on Council to get on with preparing designs for the recreation ground not yet undertaken ( 3.1.1949 IM).

1949 photo taken from the recreation grounds with Harry Leahaney's farmhouse in the background.

From the collections of Mt Kembla Mining Heritage Inc.

Sometime during 1950, Harry finally leaves Golden Valley in Mt Kembla for Fairy Meadow, then Brighton le Sands where on the 5th of April 1951 he passed away (6.4.1951 IM). Isabell Leahaney (his grand daughter, daughter of Bruce) is named his sole Executrix (21.5.1951 & 12.8.1952 TSMH).

The Griffith family left the farmhouse in 1953 and it is around this time that Lloyd Rees from the Cordeaux River purchased the property. It seems he starts to sell the land off by the 1960s and later in the 1970s Golden Valley is subdivided to form Bradley Ave and Avon Parade. This is a rare photo of the farmhouse taken by Neil Bott in 1959 when the farmhouse still belonged to Rees.

The Leahaney/Rees farmhouse in 1959 taken from Stone's Road looking west, Mt Kembla on left.

Image supplied by Neil Bott to Kembla Jottings Facebook page.

Tony Mook commented that his parents bought the farmhouse with a big back yard and planted pine trees at the front and to the sides. They owned it from late 1959 to the 1970s.

Annotated aerial view of Leahaney property in 1977 showing the subdivision underway - from Wollongong Spy Glass

Well known Mt Kembla resident George Theopenau also owned the farmhouse for a time in the 1970s.

Photo from the 1970s when George Theophaneau owned it, shared on Kembla Jottings by Bart.

That's as far as we've been able to take this story. We'd love to hear from you if you have any more information to add or photos of the family and farmhouse. I am so pleased we've been able to collate the story of a Mt Kembla pioneering family together for posterity's sake.

Researched and written by Georgina - November 2018