Merembra Homestead

Governor Macquarie the commissioned William Cox to construct a road over the Blue Mountains in 1815. Cox's road followed the route established by the two teams of explorers. This road was completed in 1815. The constructed road followed the South or Left bank of the Macquarie River until it reached Gorman's Hill.[1]

The final stretch of the road to Gorman's Hill travelled through Queen Charlottes Vale, between Vale Creek and the Macquarie River. The Vale Road, following the Vale Creek was also an early entrance road into Bathurst and another alternative in flooding seasons. This placed Merembra or Johns Farm in a strategic location in the development of Bathurst.[1]

Private Joseph Baylis, a soldier in the NSW Corps, arrived in Australia on the "Suprize" on 26 July 1790, part of the second Fleet. He served as a guard on Norfolk Island. By 1803, he had received land grants from Governor King and became a farmer near Windsor.[1] Joseph's wife, Ann Taylor, was convict who arrived in Sydney on the "Earl Cornwallis" in 1801 In 1806 muster she is shown as pardoned and her employer as J Bayliss. They married in 1810 and reared eight children.[1] Their first child, Sarah, (1804-1844) later married Thomas Kite on 26 December 1820 in Castlereagh, Church of England. In the early 1820s, William (1805-1883), John (1808-1880) and Jane (b. 1813) came to Kelso, Bathurst to join and work for their sister and brother-in law Sarah and Thomas Kite. The father, Joseph, and the children also settled later in Bathurst, probably after his wife died in Windsor of accidental poisoning in December 1826.[1]

John Baylis, applied for and received a land grant of 108 acres, No 14 Parish of Bathurst in 1830. He married Priscilla Golsby in 1832 and became a pioneering farmer, experimenting on lighter soils. There were nine children. The property was then known as "John's Farm". The promised Crown Grant of 108 acres was formalised in 1840. 'John's Farm' is where Joseph Baylis is thought to have died in 1855 so there would have been an earlier dwelling on the property. John Baylis lived on the property for 50 years.[1]

In 1864 John mortgaged the land and house for a loan of 250 pounds from John McPhillamy, possibly to help pay for the completion of the homestead.[1]

The present homestead was constructed c. 1864 of triple brick on a stone foundation. It is purported that bush ranger John Vane, a confederate of Ben Hall carted the foundation stones.[1]

John and his son Henry (1844-1934) for a time kept a hotel, the "Barley Mow" at John's Farm They were active members of the Bathurst Amateur Turf Club and owned and trained horses at the farm, including the winner of the 1881 Bathurst Silver Bracelet Race. In 1867 the building was licensed as the Barley Mow Hotel for one year.[1]

John Bayliss died in December 1880 with the cause of death given by Dr Bassett being "advanced age", at 72.

In 1815 William McPhillamy, of County Tyrone, Ireland, married Mary Scott They were both tried and sentenced at Ayr in 1816 and each received 7 years transportation. In the 1828 census William is recorded as an overseer to Robert Smith, who was a superintendent for Marsden at Bathurst.[1] After William died, Mary married Robert Smith who prospered and bought large tracts of land. As he had no children and left his property to all but the eldest of Mary's children when he died in 1851.The youngest child was John Smith McPhillamy (1825 - 1887) who worked for his stepfather as a station manager. He married Maria Saphia Dargan.[1]

In February 1881 the farm was sold to John McPhillamy at auction and the name changed to Merembra. The McPhillamy family did not live at Merembra and at this time it is not known who leased the property.[1] John McPhillamy requested Priscilla Bayliss to convey said land to his eldest son, John McPhillamy Jr. John McPhillamy Jr (1850 - 1935) was born at Mt. Tamar. He became the owner of John's Farm in 1881 possibly around the time of his marriage. He and his wife had 5 children between 1884 & 1897. It is possible that they named Johns Farm "Blair Athol" from the 1880s, as such was referred to as the McPhillamy residence prior to the construction of the. current "Blair Athol", in Keppel Street, Bathurst in 1892.[1]

John McPhillamy was on committees of various sporting clubs including the Turf Club, on the Board of Bathurst District Hospital and deeply interested in the AH&P; Association. In 1926, when he retired from the legal practice after 40 years he settled Mt. Tamar on John Maxwell McPhillamy, his son. He carried it on for a time before selling it to Mr. Stevenson.[1]

In the 1920s, the brick paved verandah was covered with cement screed.[1]

In the 1930s John's granddaughter Faith Lurline, married Walter McPhillamy of Orton Park and bought Merembra from John McPhillamy, thus returning the homestead into the ownership of the Baylis family.[1] Faith McPhillamy took a special interest in her 3 nephews, as their father, her brother Victor Bayliss, had died young and they were close neighbours. Roger Bayliss, her nephew ran a dairy farm with the help of a family who were tenants.

From 1930 to 1987 the property was rented to various people including Horace Shilabeer, Worthingtons, George Ballam (1949–67), and Neville Hanrahan (1967–87). In 1957, a bath and indoor toilet was installed by the tenant.[1]

When Faith died childless in the 1960s Raymond Bayliss, her eldest nephew, inherited Merembra. Raymond was involved with the Bathurst District Historical Society and collated a lot of family & local historical research. In 1987 he gave the house & remaining acreage to his daughter, Diana Jamieson. Her family had no interest in using it so the river flats were subdivided off and sold to Harry Cook, a vegetable grower. The homestead and 16 acres were sold to the Prykes thus ending the 157 year old Bayliss / McPhillamy connection to Lot 14.[2][1]

In 1987 it was sold at auction to Mary and Neville Pryke and used as a workshop. Orchard and specimen trees are planted. The verandah at rear and the rear wing were re-roofed in the style of the original building.[1]

In 1999 it was purchased by Margaret and Jim Glen.[3][1]

• Sloman, C W. The History of Bathurst 1815-1915.
• Chris Bayliss - Great Great Grandson of John Bayliss (1999). (not stated).
• Hughes, Truman & Ludlow (1990). Heritage Study of Bathurst.
• Integrated Design Associates (2002). Merembra Homestead Conservation Management Plan.
• Glen, J (2000). State Heritage Inventory Form.
• Fry, K. Beyond the Barrier - Class formation in a pastoral society.
• Raymond V Bayliss (1982). Joseph Bayliss (177001855) Soldier & Pioneer Settler of NSW.

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Merembra Homestead, entry number 01397 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales and Office of Environment and Heritage 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.