Schofields, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Schofields is a suburb
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Schofields is located 45 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown
. Schofields is part of the Greater Western Sydney
.
In 1828, John was granted a Ticket of Leave, which allowed him to live freely within the district of Parramatta. In 1829, he married Bridget Harley, the daughter of his former employer Thomas Harley. John then found a farm to rent, as he could not afford to buy one of his own. The farm he rented was called Gillingham Farm and was at Eastern Creek.
During their marriage, John and Bridget had 8 children, 5 boys and 3 girls. In 1841, John bought 3 0.25 acres (1,011.7 m²) blocks of land along the Windsor Road. Unfortunately, due to falling wool prices and a general state of depression in the colony, John became bankrupt in 1843. New government concessions introduced a few years later allowed John to buy 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land around the area now known as Schofields in 1845.
In 1849, John and two of his sons, William and Samuel, sailed to California on the West Coast of America in the hope of finding gold. He returned in 1850 with some gold, but their ship, the Rosetta Joseph struck land and became ship wrecked. Aboard life-boats and in very rough seas, the passengers were rescued at Port Macquarie after 10 days. John and his sons returned to their farm with enough gold to pay off most of his debts. Just before Christmas in 1851, Bridget Schofield died.
The discovery of gold in New South Wales and a rise in the economy provided John with enough money to pay off his mortgage and develop his keen interest in horseracing.
A train line from Blacktown to Windsor opened in 1864 and passed through Schofield's land. In 1872, a stopping place was recognised on Schofield's land and a small platform made from railway sleepers was built after that to make boarding the train safer. This platform was known as Schofield's Siding. The name changed over the years to Schofields.
In his later life, John set up a sawmill beside the railway line and used the trees from his paddocks in Schofields to supply timber for housing. John Schofield died in 1884.
of the Cityrail
network. The suburb is also home to the now unused Schofields Aerodrome and HMAS Nirimba
.
Schofield, C. (1985). Schofields at Eastern Creek. Schofield, Tamworth.
Blacktown City Council Library Service - Local History Section - Vertical File: Biography - Schofield family.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Schofields is located 45 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown
City of Blacktown
The City of Blacktown is a Local Government Area in the heart of Western Sydney, situated on the Cumberland Plain, approximately 35 km from Sydney CBD. It is bounded by the Local Government Areas of Penrith, Parramatta, Fairfield, Holroyd, Hawkesbury and The Hills Shire. It occupies an area...
. Schofields is part of the Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
.
History
John Schofield (1803–1884) was transported from England to New South Wales for stealing when he was just 17 years old. At the time he was a silk weaver from Cheshire, England. He was transported to Australia aboard the Minerva in 1821 and was assigned to work for a free-settler named Thomas Harley, on his farm at Baulkham Hills.In 1828, John was granted a Ticket of Leave, which allowed him to live freely within the district of Parramatta. In 1829, he married Bridget Harley, the daughter of his former employer Thomas Harley. John then found a farm to rent, as he could not afford to buy one of his own. The farm he rented was called Gillingham Farm and was at Eastern Creek.
During their marriage, John and Bridget had 8 children, 5 boys and 3 girls. In 1841, John bought 3 0.25 acres (1,011.7 m²) blocks of land along the Windsor Road. Unfortunately, due to falling wool prices and a general state of depression in the colony, John became bankrupt in 1843. New government concessions introduced a few years later allowed John to buy 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land around the area now known as Schofields in 1845.
In 1849, John and two of his sons, William and Samuel, sailed to California on the West Coast of America in the hope of finding gold. He returned in 1850 with some gold, but their ship, the Rosetta Joseph struck land and became ship wrecked. Aboard life-boats and in very rough seas, the passengers were rescued at Port Macquarie after 10 days. John and his sons returned to their farm with enough gold to pay off most of his debts. Just before Christmas in 1851, Bridget Schofield died.
The discovery of gold in New South Wales and a rise in the economy provided John with enough money to pay off his mortgage and develop his keen interest in horseracing.
A train line from Blacktown to Windsor opened in 1864 and passed through Schofield's land. In 1872, a stopping place was recognised on Schofield's land and a small platform made from railway sleepers was built after that to make boarding the train safer. This platform was known as Schofield's Siding. The name changed over the years to Schofields.
In his later life, John set up a sawmill beside the railway line and used the trees from his paddocks in Schofields to supply timber for housing. John Schofield died in 1884.
Transport
Schofields railway station is on the Richmond branch of the Western railway lineWestern railway line, Sydney
The Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney, and is the suburban section of the Main West line which connects Sydney with the west of New South Wales. It connects the Sydney CBD to the employment centre of Parramatta and the outer western suburbs, terminating at Emu...
of the Cityrail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
network. The suburb is also home to the now unused Schofields Aerodrome and HMAS Nirimba
HMAS Nirimba
HMAS Nirimba was a Royal Australian Navy training base located at the former RAAF Station Schofields at Schofields, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Parks and recreation
Schofields Park, on Station Street, is the home of the Riverstone Schofields Junior Soccer Football Club.Sources
Schofield, C. (1985). Schofields at Eastern Creek. Schofield, Tamworth.
Blacktown City Council Library Service - Local History Section - Vertical File: Biography - Schofield family.