Built late 1830's, Greystanes Road, Greystanes, originally sited on the
top of Prospect Hill.
In 1810 William Lawson (of Veteran Hall, Prospect) aquired the 75 acre
land grant originally belonging to Lt William Cummings. In 1836 Lawson
gave the farm to his son, Nelson Simmons Lawson. At the time Nelson was
living with Edward Hallen, who is thought to have designed "Grey Stanes", which was built in
the late 1830's. Nelson died 1849, but his widow
remarried and continued to live at Greystanes
until 1859. The house was sold to Nelson's brother, William
Lawson Jr, who sold it in 1865. The house then passed through a number
of hands until it was aquired by Philip Charley. In 1884 then then
owner, Arthur Smart, expanded the farm to 454 acres and built the gate
lodge and gates at Greystanes Rd. The gates remain today, the only
trace of Greystanes left.
Charley was only interested in the areas potential as a quarry and Greystanes was allowed to moulder
away. In the 1920's it was briefly occupied by Dr Stewart McKay and
during WW2 it was used by the army. By the end of the war vandalism and
lack of maintenance had left the house in an extremely poor state and
it was demolished by its then owners, Blue Metal Industries, when they
resumed control after the war.
The gateway consist of two pairs of gates with two fixed side panels
& painted spear-topped iron pallisades, along with sandstone
pillars.
Drawing from "A History of
Prospect" -
(c) unknown
Sources:
Prospect Trust, "Back to Prospect" tour, 21/7/1996
Prospect Trust, "Back to Prospect" tour, 16/7/2000
"A Day of History & Heritage",
Prospect Trust, 1991. Pamphlet celebrating 200 years of settlement at
Prospect
"A History of Prospect", Frank
Bloxham, 2002, Blacktown & District Historical Society
Holroyd Council, http://www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au/html/eps/planning/heritage/923.htm
