Ranclaud cleared part of his land, and built a homestead at some distance from the lakeshore, in the vicinity of present-day Barnsley Township, but on the southern side of Sandy or Burke's Creek, which marked the northern boundary of the estate. The homestead was named 'Trialba', which may or may not have been derived from 'Teralba.' According to a living descendent of Captain Ranclaud, the name 'Trialba' signified, by its Latin derivation, 'three white things'. It is said that the pinnacles of three nearby mountains presented to the early settler the appearance of 'three white things'. 8 When the Ranclaud's built their homestead out in the bushland, the nearest settlement of any description was a township at Wallsend, and it is most likely that the family travelled to and from their estate through that town. By the beginning of 1831 a dray track linked Ranclaud's farm with Newcastle in the north-east and Simpson's farm at 'Kourumbung' to the south-west. This track is mentioned in comments made by Surveyor Felton Matthew, who travelled through the area during January, 1831 :- 9 "The lowlands are almost invariably swampy and abounding in small waterholes, so numerous as to render travelling for a dray at least, both difficult and dangerous. The country, on the whole, and particularly that part of it northward from Kourumbung, is highly favourable for the construction of roads and even in its present state, a loaded dray might travel either northwards by Simpson's Road towards the Sugarloaf Range, or north-eastward by Ranclaud's from whence there is a regular dray road (although a very bad and circuitous one) to Newcastle.' Captain Ranclaud lived on his grant for no more than two and a half years, for on 30th May, 1832, he died, leaving his widow, Susannah, to care for the estate. The heir to the property was the Captain's eldest son, James St. John, junior, who was but sixteen years of age at his father's death. 10 The family moved to Sydney and probably never lived again in 'Trialba House'. On 14th November, 1837, young James Ranclaud, having attained the age of twenty-one years, mortgaged the 2560 acre property to James Walker for the sum of £700, and a year later the estate was purchased by David Scott, who agreed to pay the mortgage debt. It was to David Scott that the title deeds of the property were issued on 12th July, 1839, following a case heard before the Commissioners of Claims for Lands in which Scott was contested in his claim to the land by John Richardson of Sydney. 11 The Commissioners decided unanimously in favour of David Scott. Some years afterwards, at least a part of the original estate passed into the hands of a family named Black, who lived in a large and well-built house on the western bank of Cockle Creek near its confluence with the lake. The Blacks kept a farm there during the time that the northern railway line was being constructed through the property. Their old homestead still stands, and is now the property of the Stockton Borehole Colliery, which operates nearby. We do not know what happened to the Ranclauds' old home in the Barnsley district, but the following paragraph appeared in the Journal of the Newcastle and Hunter District Historical Society, in an article entitled 'The Great North Road' :- 12 'During 1847, another road to shorten the distance between Sydney and Newcastle - Maitland was under construction ... from Hawkesbury River the road skirted the township of Gosford and continued by a track marked by the surveyors to the crossing at Dora Creek. From here it passes the old station at Cooranbong through Apple Tree Flat and crosses some small creeks and steep ridges till it reaches Drega Flat. Then past Trialba House (Ranclauds) to Sandy Creek, where the road forks, one leading to Newcastle and the other to Maitland It is interesting to note that a scattered farming settlement developed during the 1860's along the freshwater creeks which flow by the present day townships of Barnsley, West Wallsend and Edgeworth. This scattered settlement took the name of Teralba, and a school of that name was opened there in 1865. 13 The district continued to be known as Teralba until about 1890, for it was not until 1891 that the name of Barnsley was adopted for the school. 14 MargaretB Lake Macquarie NSW Australia

To: Margaret Bergies , mbergies@kooee.com.au Hi Margaret, I am interested to rework/accent mining information in your material. I'm also interested in fossils, and fossil trees/forests especially. One a hundred feet long was found in Stockton Borehole Colliery I believe but I haven't tracked it down yet. My compilations are like these examples: 1) Area compilations - Geological and mining history of Swansea/Wallarah peninsula (Swansea-CHB.htm) = http://www.lachlanhunter.deadsetfreestuff.com/JB/Swansea-CHB.htm 2) Special themes - Worldwide survey of big trees, petrified forests (big-trees.htm) = http://www.lachlanhunter.deadsetfreestuff.com/JB/Big-Trees/big-trees.htm Also I am interested in anything at all about coal mining - local museums or records, persons who worked in the industry, current contacts, local news ,,, anything at all. Best Regards, John Byrnes (Strathfield) At 01:15 AM 3/20/2007 +1100, you wrote: >Ranclaud cleared part of his land, and built a homestead at some distance >from the lakeshore, in the vicinity of present-day Barnsley Township, but on >the southern side of Sandy or Burke's Creek, which marked the northern >boundary of the estate. The homestead was named 'Trialba', which may or may >not have been derived from 'Teralba.' According to a living descendent of >Captain Ranclaud, the name 'Trialba' signified, by its Latin derivation, >'three white things'. It is said that the pinnacles of three nearby >mountains presented to the early settler the appearance of 'three white >things'. 8 > > > >When the Ranclaud's built their homestead out in the bushland, the nearest >settlement of any description was a township at Wallsend, and it is most >likely that the family travelled to and from their estate through that town. >By the beginning of 1831 a dray track linked Ranclaud's farm with Newcastle >in the north-east and Simpson's farm at 'Kourumbung' to the south-west. This >track is mentioned in comments made by Surveyor Felton Matthew, who >travelled through the area during January, 1831 :- 9 > > > >"The lowlands are almost invariably swampy and abounding in small >waterholes, so numerous as to render travelling for a dray at least, both >difficult and dangerous. The country, on the whole, and particularly that >part of it northward from Kourumbung, is highly favourable for the >construction of roads and even in its present state, a loaded dray might >travel either northwards by Simpson's Road towards the Sugarloaf Range, or >north-eastward by Ranclaud's from whence there is a regular dray road >(although a very bad and circuitous one) to Newcastle.' > > > >Captain Ranclaud lived on his grant for no more than two and a half years, >for on 30th May, 1832, he died, leaving his widow, Susannah, to care for the >estate. The heir to the property was the Captain's eldest son, James St. >John, junior, who was but sixteen years of age at his father's death. 10 The >family moved to Sydney and probably never lived again in 'Trialba House'. > > > >On 14th November, 1837, young James Ranclaud, having attained the age of >twenty-one years, mortgaged the 2560 acre property to James Walker for the >sum of £700, and a year later the estate was purchased by David Scott, who >agreed to pay the mortgage debt. It was to David Scott that the title deeds >of the property were issued on 12th July, 1839, following a case heard >before the Commissioners of Claims for Lands in which Scott was contested in >his claim to the land by John Richardson of Sydney. 11 The Commissioners >decided unanimously in favour of David Scott. > > > >Some years afterwards, at least a part of the original estate passed into >the hands of a family named Black, who lived in a large and well-built house >on the western bank of Cockle Creek near its confluence with the lake. The >Blacks kept a farm there during the time that the northern railway line was >being constructed through the property. Their old homestead still stands, >and is now the property of the Stockton Borehole Colliery, which operates >nearby. > >We do not know what happened to the Ranclauds' old home in the Barnsley >district, but the following paragraph appeared in the Journal of the >Newcastle and Hunter District Historical Society, in an article entitled >'The Great North Road' :- 12 > > > >'During 1847, another road to shorten the distance between Sydney and >Newcastle - Maitland was under construction ... from Hawkesbury River the >road skirted the township of Gosford and continued by a track marked by the >surveyors to the crossing at Dora Creek. From here it passes the old station >at Cooranbong through Apple Tree Flat and crosses some small creeks and >steep ridges till it reaches Drega Flat. Then past Trialba House (Ranclauds) >to Sandy Creek, where the road forks, one leading to Newcastle and the other >to Maitland > >It is interesting to note that a scattered farming settlement developed >during the 1860's along the freshwater creeks which flow by the present day >townships of Barnsley, West Wallsend and Edgeworth. This scattered >settlement took the name of Teralba, and a school of that name was opened >there in 1865. 13 The district continued to be known as Teralba until about >1890, for it was not until 1891 that the name of Barnsley was adopted for >the school. 14 > > > >MargaretB >Lake Macquarie >NSW Australia

John You might be interested in the Leases of Auriferous Lands NSW. There are a number of them in the Hunter area. The details are below on my website. Kaye www.bananatv.com/familytreechecklist.htm -----Original Message----- From: aus-nsw-hunter-valley-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:aus-nsw-hunter-valley-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of John Sent: Tuesday, 20 March 2007 2:24 AM To: aus-nsw-hunter-valley@rootsweb.com Subject: [HV] Coal mining between Sydney and Newcastle, and Hunter. To: Margaret Bergies , mbergies@kooee.com.au dy of the message