Part Two of a four-part series
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IN early days, from Picton the Southern Railway and Southern Road approached the Wingecarribee district on the west and east sides respectively of the thickly wooded Bargo Brush.
Once through the Brush, the Southern Road proceeded through Cannabaygal's Plains (today's Yerrinbool) and entered the Little Forest area where, from the 1830s, it wound up Forest Hill, past two inns, and made its way to Nattai (today's Mittagong). Travel was slow and dangerous, particularly through the Bargo Brush, where carts often became stuck in mud and bushrangers lurked.
The southern railway opened from Picton to Mittagong in March 1867. It passed through the Thirlmere Lakes district (where water was obtained) and at Big Hill lower siding - now Balmoral - climbed through the 78-feet deep cutting to Big Hill upper siding - Hill Top of today - 2030 feet above sea level.
From there the line took a direct, undulating route, on a long, high embankment and then through a cutting, to reach present-day Colo Vale at 2086 feet above sea level. The line then gradually descended to Braemar and proceeded on to Mittagong Station, 2027 feet above sea level.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that "it may be safely said that the rocks, hills, mountains, gullies and precipitous watercourses which border the line between Picton and the Gibraltar Rock are for the most part appalling".
The growth of Balmoral and Hill Top villages has been provided in previous articles. A history of the Little Forest area, including the present-day villages of Colo Vale, Alpine and Yerrinbool, continues here.
The first recorded purchaser of land at Colo Vale was Samuel Moore, a retired regiment captain of Moorebank. In 1841 he bought 640 acres in two lots. This land stretched southward from present-day Colo vale to Braemar and across to the Southern Road. A number of other lots were subsequently settled by farmers, whose numbers increased once the railway came through and provided transport for farm produce.
THE landowner who most significantly shaped Colo Vale village was Patrick Lindsay Crawford (PLC) Shepherd. He was a gentleman of high standing. Born in 1831, he was the youngest son of Scottish free settler, Thomas Shepherd and his wife Jane Henderson. On a land grant by Governor Darling in 1827, Thomas established Darling Nursery situated where Sydney University now stands.
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PLC was aged four when his father died. By the time he was old enough to join the family business it was well established, so he involved himself in many other interests. These included the Horticultural Society of NSW, Volunteer Artillery where he rose to the rank of Major, the Presbyterian Church, and later the Church of England and as a Member of Parliament.
PLC also gained pastoral experience overlanding stock. In 1854 he joined other family members in the nursery business and remained active in it for another 25 years. Shepherd and Co was the largest horticultural nursery in the Colony, catering to both local and export markets. During the 1850s the Shepherd's sub-divided and sold their original nursery land, which is now the inner city suburbs of Chippendale and Darlington.
PLC married Isabella Deane in 1857, with whom he would have 10 children.
In the 1860s he began steadily acquiring land in the Southern Highlands. In 1863 he purchased seven lots of an Oxley sub-division, enclosed by Merrigang, Bendooley and Bundaroo Streets. In 1872 he acquired 51 acres contained by Bong Bong St, Merrigang St and Mittagong Rivulet which he sub-divided and sold off. During 1874 he bought another two large sections on the opposite side of Merrigang St.
After his wife's death in 1875, PLC married Sarah Jane Una Barnier. He moved her and his children to Bowral where he built Una Lodge, a semi-detached cottage in Merrigang St. He named many of the streets in Bowral after trees, shrubs and family members including his wife.
PLC was the NSW Member for Nepean District between 1874 and 1877. By around 1880, with another two children born in Bowral, he decided to acquire property at Colo Vale to establish a country estate. In 1884 he purchased 40 acres on the corner of present-day Church Ave and Wilson Drive and an adjacent 640 acres in 1888.
The railway line passed through a portion of this land. A station which opened in 1883 as Coleman's Siding was renamed Colo Vale in 1885. Colo is an Aboriginal word for koala or native bear. This name had already been adopted for the surrounding Parish.
On his land near the station, PLC built a fine, two-storied house.
To be continued
This article compiled by PHILIP MORTON is sourced from the archives of Berrima District Historical & Family History Society, Bowral Rd, Mittagong.
Phone 4872 2169.
Email bdhsarchives@gmail.com
Web: berrimadistricthistoricalsociety.org.au
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