THOMAS SAMUEL THRELKELD (1861—1950)

Stationmaster at Waterfall

Thomas Samuel Threlkeld was born 10 August 1861.¹ He was the son of Thomas Samuel Threlkeld and Elizabeth Dorothy Harris², also a grandson of Rev. Lancelot Edward Threlkeld (1788-1859) and Sarah Arndell (1796-1853).³

 The Threlkeld family’s origins in Australia can be traced back to the arrival in Sydney in 1824 of the Rev. Lancelot Edward Threlkeld³. He was born in London 22 October 1788, married Martha Goss at the age of 19 and was ordained as a missionary in 1815. Under the auspices of the London Missionary Society he sailed for Tahiti during which voyage his first child William was born, though sadly died six weeks later and was buried in Rio de Janeiro.

 After working as a missionary at Raiatea Island for nearly seven years, Rev. Lancelot Threlkeld moved to Sydney following the death of his wife Martha in 1824. His second son, also named William accompanied him but he left behind three daughters in the care of Rev. John Williams. He married again to Sarah Arndell and had another five children.

 Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Arndell (1753-1821) Surgeon, Magistrate, Justice of the Peace and landholder, who came free to the colony on the Friendship, with the First Fleet as one of seven assistant surgeons who cared for the convicts on the voyage.⁴ He held the post of Surgeon at Parramatta until 1794 and in 1804 took up a grant of 600 acres at Cattai where he remained until his death in 1821. One of the Hawkesbury’s early settlers he was the first Magistrate at Windsor and a founder of the Ebenezer Church in 1809.⁵ Thomas Arndell’s first wife Esther Foscari had died before he left England leaving him with two children – John who became medical assistant at Norfolk Island and Esther who married Captain William Hamilton Hovell. He married again to Elizabeth Dalton Burley/Burleigh (c1767-1843), who had been convicted at the Old Bailey in September 1785 and sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing fourteen linen handkerchiefs from Joseph Earle, a Linen Draper of the Strand.⁶ Elizabeth had arrived on the Lady Penrhyn with the First Fleet and after giving birth to a child on 5 April 1788 (father a seaman) became partner of and eventually married Assistant Surgeon, Thomas Arndell.⁷ They had six children of whom Sarah was their third child. Sarah Arndell married Rev. Lancelot Threlkeld 20 October 1824.

 In 1826 Rev. Lancelot Threlkeld was appointed missionary to the aborigines at Lake Macquarie where 10,000 acres were reserved, known as Bahtabah Mission. In the early days of the mission Rev. Threlkeld  came into conflict with the London Missionary Society over his alleged unauthorised overspending, and his association with the Society was terminated⁸. His debts were later paid by Rev. Samuel Marsden. However Rev. Threlkeld continued his work at another mission at Lake Macquarie with a salary of ₤150 from the Colonial Government and was assigned four convict servants with rations. For 10 years he worked with the Awabakal Aborigines during which time he acted as a protector of the Aboriginal people and together with Biraban (also known as M’Gill), Aboriginal leader of the Awabakal clan, compiled a Grammar and Lexicon of their language. The distinction of ‘M.E.S’ (Member of the Ethnological Society of London) was conferred upon him in 1851 as a result of the submission of his Key to the Aboriginal Language.⁸ His language work was a landmark in Aboriginal studies.⁹

 In 1840 Threlkeld developed coal seams on his property, opening the first coal mine in the Lake Macquarie area. In 1842, he accepted the pastorate of the Congregational church at Watson’s Bay (Old South Head Church) near the Signal Station. He was appointed Chaplain for Seamen at the Sydney Bethel Union Chapel at Darling Harbour in 1845 and the new Mariners Church which was opened in 1859.¹⁰ He was a man of benevolent nature but had an active and impulsive mind. In his later years he was involved in many of the controversies of the time.¹¹

 Thomas Samuel Threlkeld Snr (born at Ebenezer, near Toronto NSW on 29 June 1834, died 12 May 1883) was the youngest of the five children of Rev. Lancelot and Sarah Threlkeld. His son, also named Thomas Samuel Threlkeld married Mina Hopkins in Sydney in 1880.¹² Mina, the daughter of Isaac Hopkins and Charlotte Margaret May Ridge, was born 1860 in Windsor, NSW.¹³

 Thomas Samuel Threlkeld Jnr became the Station Master at Waterfall in 1897.

 WATERFALL RAILWAY STATION

 Thomas Samuel Threlkeld was first employed by the NSW Government Railways in 1881 as a probationer with the Traffic Branch at Granville. He was 20 years old at the time and this marked the beginning of a 41 year association with the Railways continuing until his retirement in 1922. He progressed from being a Porter at Lithgow, Night Officer at Blackheath to Officer-in-charge at Blackheath from1883 to1888. From August 1888 to April 1897 he was Officer-in-charge successively at Linden, Douglas Park, Temora and Sydney (relief).¹⁴

 In May 1897 Thomas Threlkeld took up the position as the Station Master at Waterfall Station and resided in the Station Master’s house. In order to retain staff necessary for train operations in an otherwise very isolated location, residences had been built at Waterfall for the Railway workers at the turn of the century. Thomas’ salary at the time was ₤155 pa plus the house. Waterfall at this point in time was populated mainly by shunters, fettlers and a few farmers. Staffing levels fluctuated according to the amount of work on the line and the plans of the Railway Commissioners for widening the line or relocating the shunting yards. Visitors to the southern end of the National Park would alight at Waterfall Station as well as those en route to Waterfall Sanatorium (Garrawarra).

 The Sutherland to Waterfall section of the Illawarra Railway had been opened on 9 March 1886. The original Waterfall terminus was a half mile south of the present station and there were few facilities. It remained the terminus of the line until further work on the difficult section through mountainous terrain to Clifton was completed in 1888. There was only a single loop to allow the engines to change ends for the return trip to Sydney. When the Waterfall line was duplicated in 1890, the station was relocated about 20 metres north of the original terminus. The island station platform as well as a new marshalling yard and small locomotive depot were built in 1905. Traffic was heavy and on occasions two turntables were in use at Waterfall. Extensive deviations to ease the grades between Waterfall and Coalcliff were constructed. The steam locomotives took on water and coal at Waterfall and to ensure a constant water supply, a dam was constructed on Heathcote Creek.¹⁵ Waterfall continued to be an extremely busy yard until the opening of the locomotive depot and marshalling yards at Thirroul in 1917.

 The first school at Waterfall was established in 1901. This came about as a result of the school at Heathcote being closed and the school building moved to Waterfall. This ‘temporary’ iron classroom, which had been first erected at Heathcote in 1886, was in use for 40 years as the Education Department was not convinced that the settlement at Waterfall was a permanent one. No doubt some of the younger members of the Threlkeld family would have attended school there – sweltering in the summer months and freezing during winter. Waterfall continued to have minimal facilities due to the uncertainty of the permanence of the village.¹⁶

 In June 1898, Thomas’ son Arthur was appointed as a Telegraph Probationer at Waterfall Station and by 1902 was a Junior Porter at Sydney earning five shillings per day.¹⁷ From 1906 to 1916 his son Stanley was employed by the Railways firstly as a cleaner and by 1913 as an engine driver. Stanley was still living with his wife Florence Annie at Waterfall in 1916. On the electoral rolls of 1906 and 1909 respectively, Percy Harris (clerk) and Stella Ivy (music teacher) are listed as living with their parents at Waterfall.¹⁸ It is recorded in the 1907 Rate Book that Thomas’ wife Mrs. Mina Threlkeld owned Lot 501, freehold land of 2 rods 23½ perches at Waterfall and his son Arthur owned Lot 495, a freehold block of 2 rods.¹⁹

 At least one of the Threlkeld boys enjoyed a game of cricket. In 1906 it was reported that  “the newly formed Cricket Club of Waterfall and Heathcote ……players journeyed to Sutherland last Saturday to meet the local eleven and were defeated by 14 runs after a two innings game. C. Higgerson 9 wickets for 6 runs and Threlkeld 1 for 5 were the deadly trundlers’- accounting for Sutherland being all out for 17 in the first innings.^20”

 Thomas Samuel Threlkeld remained the Station Master at Waterfall until May 1912 when he was transferred to the same position at Kogarah. His salary by this time had increased to ₤240 plus ₤50 rent. Subsequent transfers saw him as Station Master at Gundagai 1913-1916, Cargelligo 1917, Gundagai 1918 and Boree Creek 1919 until he retired 11 February 1922.

Thomas and Mina Threlkeld had six sons and one daughter whose particulars were registered as follows:

 1.  Arthur Wellesley born 1881 Richmond, NSW died 1921, Barraba, NSW  married Susan Murray 1909 in Liverpool. Their children Marie V, Annie J and Peter J were all born in Liverpool, NSW.

2.  Stanley born 1883 Hartley, NSW married Florence Annie Baker in 1911 in Sydney. Their children were Leal Mina, Jean Leal, and Shirley Dawn. Both Jean and Shirley Threlkeld served in the RAAF as Aircraftwomen.

3.  Percy Harris born 1884 Lithgow, NSW, died 1945, Parramatta, NSW married Flora Menzies Cumming in Casino 1912. They had 2 sons, Colin Cumming born 1914 in Uralla, died 14 June 1987 at Kincumber aged 72 and Thomas Lancelot born 1918 in Mudgee. Flying Officer Thomas Lancelot Threlkeld of 3 Squadron was shot down while flying a Kittyhawk during the Second World War and is buried at Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya. He was married to Norma at the time.²¹

4.  Stella Ivy born 1887 Lithgow NSW, married John C. Mylchreest in Sydney 1910. Stella was living at Woolooware Road Cronulla at the time of her father’s death in 1950.

5.  Charlie born 1888 Springwood NSW, died 1890, aged 16 months, registered at Newtown, NSW and is buried at Waverley Cemetery.

6.  Douglas Thomas Lyle born 1892 Picton, NSW, died 11 September 1942 aged 49 at his residence 12 Waratah Street, Bexley and is buried at Woronora.²² He married Dora Victoria Burns in 1929 at Muswellbrook. Dora died 7 December 1977.

7.  Lancelot Kenneth born 1896 Temora, died 26 November 1953 at 45 Myall Street, Oatley was cremated at Woronora Cemetery.²³ Lieutenant Lancelot Threlkeld 2975 served in WW1 enlisting in 4th Battalion, 9th Reinforcement and later in 56th Battalion.²⁴ He was living at Oatley at the time of his death, the father of Gwenyth and father in law of Kenneth.²⁵

 Thomas Samuel Threlkeld died 23 September 1950, aged 89 years²⁶ at his daughter’s home in Woolooware Road, Cronulla.²⁷ He was cremated at Woronora crematorium. He was predeceased by his wife Mina who died on 26 January 1933 at Hurstville.²⁸ She was buried 27 January 1933 in St. Mathew’s Church of England, Windsor.

MARILYN HANDLEY

First published in  Sutherland Shire, Some Early Residents, 2006, by Botany Bay Family History Society. Compiled by Maree McKinley and Sue Hewitt.     

Click on the name THOMAS SAMUEL THRELKELD (1860—1950) at the heading of this story. You will be taken to the database entry for Thomas Threlkeld and his family.

Endnotes:

 1.  SRNSW Railways –Personal History Cards – Employees born before 1900, CGS 12922 (Kingswood 11/16552)

2.  Information from Marje Raven, descendant of Rev. L.E. Threlkeld

3.  Threlkeld Family Tree from the book Australian Reminiscences & Papers of L.E.Threlkeld, Missionary to the Aborigines, 1824-1859, L.E.Threlkeld, edited by Niels Gunson.

4.  Australian Dictionary of Biography, edited by Douglas Pike, Vol 1 1788-1850, A-H

5.  http://www.arndell.nsw.edu.au/arndell.htm

6.  Proceedings of The Old Bailey http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

7.  http://fmpro.uow.edu.au/FirstFleet

8.  Royal Australian Historical Society Journal Vol XXV Part V, 1939

9.  Marie RAVEN, entry in The Sleeping City, Ed. David Weston

10.  Royal Australian Historical Society Journal Vol XXV Part V, 1939

11.  Dictionary of Australian Biography http:// gutenberg.net.au/dictbog/0-dict-bogT-V.html

12.  NSW marriage index 1470/1880 Sydney

13.  NSW birth index 13548/1860 Windsor

14.  SRNSW -Railways –Personal History Cards –Employees born before 1900, CGS 12922  (Kingswood 11/16552)

15.  Joan Lawrence, A Pictorial History of Sutherland Shire, 1997

16.  Kevin Hilferty, Sutherland Shire –Birthplace of Modern Australia, pub by Sutherland Shire Council 1995

17.  NSW Government Railways - Chief Traffic Manager’s Branch Staff, 1902 http://members.aol.com/forestgate/traffic-st.html; NSW Government   Railways Staff Appointments, Transfers and Resignations.  http://home.iprimus.com.au/bexleyboy/ARHS/staff-t-htm

18.  Commonwealth of Australia Electoral Roll, NSW Div. Illawarra, Subdivision Heathcote State Electoral Roll, District Camden, Waterfall Polling Place

19.  1906 Rate Book - C Riding, Waterfall Parish, Heathcote Area

20.  St George Call 22 Dec 1906

21.  http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/roll.htm

22.  Sydney Morning Herald death notice 12 September 1942

23.  Sydney Morning Herald death notice December 1954

24.  AIF database

25.  Sydney Morning Herald death notice 26 November 1953

26.  Woronora Cemetery Database ‘Thomas Samuel Threlkeld, 23.9.1950,ashes collected’

27.  Hurstville Propeller 28 September 1950

28.  AGCI ‘Cemetery Transcripts from Church of England Cemetery, Windsor’