The lovingly restored homestead off the O’Connell Road is the former home of William Lawson, built on land granted to him by Governor Lachlan Macquarie to recognise his role in crossing the Blue Mountains with Gregory Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth in 1813.

The homestead and surrounding buildings – including the historic two-storey convict barracks – was built with convict labour from materials sourced on-site.

More than 150 convicts were sent to live in the barracks over two decades and many remained in the region following their emancipation.

The roll call of convicts, listed below, reads like a Bathurst and Oberon phone book with many instantly recognisable surnames.

Descendants of the convicts will be among the special guests at Saturday’s open day.

Former governor Dame Marie Bashir is due to perform the official proceedings while other guests will include representatives from the Macquarie Bank, National Trust members from Bathurst, Sydney and the Blue Mountains, and members of many heritage associations.

The day will start at 10.30am at 3397 O’Connell Road and admission is $10. Proceeds will be donated to local charities.

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Convict barracks being restored on historic Macquarie property

Ainsworth, Joseph (English), 1837; Arthur, David (Irish), 1817; Ballard, William (English), 1837; Ballinger, Charles (English), 1828; Bates, John (English), 1828; Bayley, William (Irish), 1828; Bayliss, William (English), 1824; Best, Thomas (English), 1823; Bird, Joseph (English), 1828; Bowman, John (Irish), 1828; Brennans, Charles John (Irish), 1823; Briggs or Batley, Joseph (English), 1837; Brinkley, Charles (English), 1837; Brooks, James (English), 1837; Brown, Thomas (English), 1837; Callaghan, Martin (Irish), 1822; Calligan, Patrick (Irish), 1820; Chapple (Chappell) Thomas (English), 1837; Coates, John (English), 1828; Coleman, William (English), 1837; Colgan, Lawrence (Irish), 1823; Cordwell or Cadwall, Thomas (English), 1828; Cosgrove, Connor (Irish), 1822; Crook, Richard (Irish), 1828; Cunningham, Thomas (Irish), 1828; Daniels, Thomas (English), 1818; Davis, George (English), 1825; Derry, John (Irish), 1828; Dolan or Doolan, John (English), 1825; Downing,  George (English), 1837; Dunn, Thomas (Irish), 1825; Eastgate, Henry Miles (English), 1823; Ellsworth (Elsworth), Charles (English), 1824; Fawcett, Joseph (English), 1837; Foran, Patrick (Irish), 1827; Giddings, James (English), 1823; Grady, John (Irish), 1828; Hall, Eleanor (English), 1837; Handam, Francis (English), 1837; Heenan or Heffernan, Roger (Irish), 1822; Holden, William (English), 1828; Holmfield, Joseph (English), 1837; Hope, Redmond (Irish), 1828; Horne, Clark (English), 1828; Hutt, Charles (English), 1820; Jenkins, James (English), 1824; Jennings, John (English), 1820; Johnson or Johnstone, William (alias Hawkes) (English), 1821; Jones, John (English), 1837; Jones, William (English), 1836; Joy, Leonard (English), 1823; Jukes, Jane (English), 1837; Keenan or Kenan, James (Irish), 1828; Keenan, Hugh (Irish), 1828; Kirwan (Firvan) Pat (Irish), 1828; Laycock, Daniel (English), 1828; Long, Joseph (English), 1828; Lucas, Robert (English), 1828; McCabe, John (Irish), 1823; McCarthy, James (Irish), 1823; McCoy, George (Irish), 1828; McSwine (McSwaine), John (Irish), 1828; Madden or Maddon, Patrick (Irish), 1822; Maguire, Denis (Irish), 1828; Mahoney, Patrick (Irish), 1828; Mayboard or Maybrow, William (English), 1822; Moran, Michael (Irish), 1831; Mullane or Mullain, Owen Connell (Irish), 1828; Murphy, Arthur (Irish), 1828; Murphy, Patrick (Irish), 1828; Nay, Robert William (English), 1830; Neil or Nield, John (English), 1824; Neill (Neal/Neale), Michael (Irish), 1824; Nolgrove or Norgrove, Richard (English), 1823; Regan or Ragan, Jeremiah (Irish), 1825; Read or Reed, Thomas (English), 1823; Robeson or Robinson, John (English), 1828; Rogan, John (Irish), 1837; Ross, John (Scottish), 1837; Rouke, Nicholas (Irish), 1828; Rush, James (Irish), 1824; Savage, Joseph (Irish), 1837; Sawyer, Thomas (English), 1822; Scott, Thomas (English), 1828; Shanley, Andrew (Irish), 1828; Slack, James or John (English), 1819; Smith, Edward (Irish), 1828; Smith, Thomas (English), 1828; Southall, Peter (English), 1828; Spellman or Spelman, John (Irish), 1837; Stewart, Bridget (Irish), 1825; Sullivan, Cornelius (Irish), 1837; Sullivan, John (Irish), 1828; Sweeney, John (Irish), 1837; Swift, William (English), 1825; Tarlington, John (English), 1837; Thurlow, William (English), 1825; Tobin, James (Irish), 1825; Trainor, Joseph (English), 1827; Tree, John (English), 1837; Turner, John (English), 1837; Tweddall, John (Scottish), 1837; Urquhart, John (Scottish), 1837; Veay, Thomas (English), 1823; Ward, Martin (Irish), 1828; Webb, William (English), 1828; Weldon, Peter (Irish), 1828; Westward, John (English), 1837; Whittam, John (English), 1837; Williams, William (English), 1837; Wilson, George (English), 1828; Woodcock, Joseph (English), 1824; Wright, John (English), 1837.

Blackburn, John (Irish), 1837; Brady, William (Irish), 1837; Dooly (Dooling), Luke (Irish), 1837; Fitzgerald, John (Irish), 1837; Harney (Hanny), Thomas (Irish), 1837; Hehir (Hare), Dennis (Irish), 1837; Hays, John (English), 1837; Hennessey, Patrick (Irish), 1837; Lube, James or Thomas (Irish), 1837; McGinnis, Arthur (Irish), 1837; McGurk, Edward (Irish), 1837; McNamara, Michael (Irish), 1828; Maddigan, Michael (Irish), 1828; Mahony, Barney (Irish), 1830; Mullins, Michael (Irish), 1837; Mulsrey, Patrick (Irish), 1828; Nolan, Michael (Irish), 1828; Nowland, Michael (Irish), 1831; Nowland, Michael (Irish), 1828; Roach, James (Irish), 1828; Smith, William (Irish), 1837; Wright, Matthew (English), 1837.

Extracted from Ironbark and His Branches, by Hazel Magann