JAMES Stevenson obtained Swatchfield in 1857. William Robinson and Jane Robinson, nee Stilwell, settled at Melville Park in 1859. Samuel Rawson (1795-1865) was born in England and died at Brisbane Valley.
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John Kessey married Patrick and Catherine’s Hogan daughter Mary Anne Kessey and settled Wattle Park. Daniel Stapleton married Mary Walsh at St Mary’s Cathedral in 1853 and settled at Isabella.
The electoral rolls of 1906 and 1961 show residents of Black Springs were Arrow at Glenhaggard; Burcher at Tilsbury; Behan at Claremount, Inverella, Badgers Mount; Curry at Ryelie, Foley at Green Mount; Foran at Rockdale, Jerula Road; Grady at Forest Home, Avoca, Abbey Villa, Averleigh; Hanrahan at Wildmere, Daisy Bank, Rockdale, Woodsland, Toree Vale, Flowerdae, Kia Ora; Hotham at Glenroy, Knight at Springvale, No More, Forest View, Mackey at McKinnon; Moran at White Springs; Robinson at Jerula, Merville Park, Rolls at Woodlands; Ryan at Rosedale; Stapleton at Atkins Valley; Wilds at Riverside and Wilson at Dartford.
In 1858, Patrick Hanrahan referred to his 50 acres as “situated at Back Springs”, hence the area became known as Black Springs. This was some four miles west of the present day Black Springs village.
The present day Black Springs was once known as Kangaroo Flat, the villages of Swatchfield and Avoca.
On October 1, 1870 Michael Hanrahan was informed by G.J. Stevenson esq. of Swatchfield that he had been recommended as post master at Black Springs.
SCHOOLS
THE first schools in the Black Springs area were Mimosa Dell, after an application was successful lodged in July 1876, by John Kessey, John Grady, Thomas Foley and Daniel McFee. The school was opened in 1881.
The second was at Swatchfield 1881, after an application from Alfred Stevenson, James Hanrahan and John Foley. The third school was Daisy Bank when an application was lodged on September 4, 1892. Families attending this school where Charles Moran, George Arrow, JM Behan, Patrick Behan, P Hanrahan and EW Hotham.
CHURCHES
THE historic Avoca Catholic Church was built in 1888, on land that was once part of Claremount, owned by Peter and Margaret Behan and donated by their son John in the 1880s.
This beautiful old stone church stands today as testimony to the early pioneers. They endured struggles and hardships to build the Black Springs district and its communities to the present day.