BLACKWOOD HISTORY
The History of Blackwood – ‘Street Names in Blackwood.’
Compiled by Margot Hitchcock, Historian for the Blackwood & District Historical Society. January 2024.
BYRES ROAD AND BYRES BACK TRACK, and BYRES MINERS TUNNEL, BLACKWOOD.
Byres Road run past the front of the Blackwood Cemetery. The name Byres has been connected with Blackwood since the early gold-rush days of the 1850’s, as research shows-
‘The Byres family were one of the early families on the Blackwood goldfields. William Byres (Snr.) was born in Aberdeen in Scotland in 1809. He married Julia Howard in London in 1847. William came to Australia on the “Prince Regent” in November 1852. Julia followed later to Australia with her two children, William aged 7 (born 1850) and Alexander age 5 yrs (born 1852) on the sailing ship, ‘Kent’. The ship left from ‘Graves End’ London on the 1st August 1857. William (Snr.) and Julie had nine children altogether, five being born in Blackwood. –
1858 – John Byres at Mt. Blackwood to William Byres and Julia Selina Howard (cert no. 16635).
1860 – Julia Byres (cert no. 07505) born to William and Julia at Mt. Blackwood.
1862 – Frances Isabel Byres (cert no. 883) born to William and Julie at Blackwood.
1863 – George (cert no. 6425) born at Blackwood, name spelt Byers. Died 1863 at 5 months. (Cert no. 05943)
1864 – also called George Byres, (cert no. 13498) born at Blackwood.
‘Not all children survived and William (snr.) died in Blackwood in 1867 – just ten years after the family had arrived in Victoria. Born Aberdeen age 57 yrs. Cert no. 09879)
‘Julia Byres operated a lolly shop and soft drink factory in Golden Point, using round-ended bottles that had to be stood up in special crates. The shop was adjoined to the Blackwood Post Office in Golden Point next to the Royal Mail Hotel. Julia Byres remarried Jean Marie Loiseleur in 1871. Julia was affectionately known as “Lolly Grandma”. She died on 6-5-1910 age 85 yrs. The Post Office, operated by Ethel (Byres) and Albert Turner, continued until around 1927.
Grandma Annie Byres and family outside the Mount Blackwood Post Office, Golden Point, Blackwood. Back – Paul Taylor, Auntie Eck, Auntie Ina, Rene Budge, child – Heather Matheson. Boys – Clem and Gordon Turner. Post Card dated April 20th 1922. (Courtesy the late Rene Budge.)
Mount Blackwood Post Office and Receiving House with Rene Budge, one of the Byres family. (Courtesy the late Rene Budge.)
William Byres (2nd) (born 1850 in London) married Annie Pryn on the 1st February 1877 at Blackwood. Annie Pryn was born in Blackwood on 29-5-1860. The Pryn family lived up behind Walls house on the Old Golden Point Road, on what became known as “Pitch Fork Hill”. Getting its name from when Annie’s father chased one of the girls boyfriend’s down the hill with a pitch fork!
Annie Byres nee Pryn born in Blackwood on 29th May1860.
William Byres and Annie (Pryn) had ten children – eight girls and two boys: Elizabeth Byres, Annie Maud Byres, Ethel Byres, Frances Byres, Irene Byres, Ina Byres, Florence Byres, Minnie Byres, William Howard Byres, and John Byres. The last born, John died in his first year (1898). William Howard Byres (3rd) born 1896 at Blackwood, the youngest in the family, died age 22years on the 29th December 1918 from meningitis. William Howard Byres had enlisted in the army and had just received his posting for active service when he became ill and died. He had the nick name of “Butsy”. The pine tree that is on the right hand side looking at the bridge in the Mineral Springs – one of the two remaining trees from the “Avenue of Honour” for WW1 Veterans – was named after William Howard Byres (3rd).
The Byres family owned and operated the Royal Mail Hotel, which was also a stage coach office in the early days. William Byres (2nd) bought the Royal Mail Hotel in 1898’.
Royal Mail Hotel c. 1898, Golden Point, Blackwood.
There were two Annie Byres – Annie Byres (nee Pryn) who married William Byres and Annie Maud Byres who married George Matheson. Annie Maud Byres was born on the 14th February 1881 at Golden Point. She was born in a house next to the old Golden Point school yard. She was the second eldest in the family. On the 3rd October, 1900 Annie Maud Byres married George Kenneth Matheson in the parlour of the Royal Mail Hotel in Golden Point.
George Matheson and Annie Maud Byres wedding 1900.
Florrie (Florence) Terrill nee Byres. (Courtesy of the late Linda Owen)
This united two of the original pioneering families of the district. At the wedding, rice was used as this was before confetti. The family has always delighted in telling this. Annie Maud’s sister, Florence Eleanor Byres married Ernest Richard Terrill (born 1877 in Blackwood) on the 7th July 1917 at Blackwood. This wedding also united another pioneer family with the Byres. They bought a house that later Ern’s grandson, Ernie Terrill lived in until his death in 2017. They named the house ‘Byres House’ and the name is still displayed proudly on the gate on the Road to Simmons Reef. Ernie Terrill’s parents moved to the house at Simmons Reef on the left before the Sports Ground with an orchard which once belonged to Charles Gribble. Ernie Terrill’s mother, Elma lived in that house until transferred to an aged care home in 2017. Ernie’s father was Ernest (Roy) Terrill. Ernest and Florence Terrill had three sons – Ernest (Roy) Terrill born 1918, James (Jimmy) and Bill (William). Roy Terrill married Elma Broad. Florence Terrill died 1962 aged 69 yrs. Minnie Byres was a teacher at Blackwood State School for some time around 1912, when many of the family were attending school. Byres Road that comes down from Old Golden Point Road past the cemetery gates to the Blackwood Hotel corner was named by Bill and Don Matheson after the Byres family. With the unusual spelling of the name, the family likes to ensure it is always spelt correctly. The Byres family had a great interest in gold mining in those early days. Byres water race that was used in the sluicing for gold ran from behind the University in Simmons Reef for some fourteen miles down to ‘Cane Saddle’ which is between ‘Break Neck’ and ‘O’Briens Crossing’. Water flowed very quickly through the race. It was a good supply of fresh clean drinking water.
Information on the Byres family is with grateful thanks to Frances Dillion (nee Matheson) for the permission to copy her information from the ‘Blackwood Newsletter’ Feb. – March Issue No. 69.
Researched by Margot Hitchcock from her forthcoming book ‘Blackwood History and Pioneers’, hopefully to be published soon. Other books published by Margot Hitchcock – “Aspects of Early Blackwood”, Some History of Simmons Reef, Blackwood” and “The Billy Pincombe Tragedy”. See – www.blackwoodpublishing.com For help with information on Blackwood ancestors contact Margot Hitchcock – email – margothitchcock@bigpond.com
Alexander (Alex Byres), born 1850 in London, died 4.7.1917.
Son of William Byres and Julia Howard.
Seven of the eight Byres sisters with Elizabeth Byres missing.
Ina Taylor, Ethel Turner, Annie Maud Matheson, Frances Gairn, Minnie McIntyre, Irene Gilchrist, and Florrie Terrill. (names courtesy author’s mother, Dorothy Roberts.)
The Byres sisters at Blackwood, in 1954 for 1854 centenary.
The older Byres sisters outside the Royal Mail Hotel, 1954 at a Blackwood Centenary celebrations. Annie Maud in wheel chair, and either- Ethel, Frances, Irene, Ina, Florence, or Minnie, (with one person missing from top photo.) Photo courtesy on the late Ernie Terrill.
Grave of William Byres and Julia Selina Howard and their son Alexander (Alex) Byres. Blackwood cemetery.
Not sure if this is another William Byres as I have him died as William Byres, father – William Byres, father or wife of Julia Selina Howard died 1913 age 63 yrs .
(Photos Courtesy Margot Hitchcock.)
