109 Copeland Rd

Following the sale of Carmel on Beecroft Road, near the tennis courts a few years ago, another almost derelict house has recently been sold. This time the property is at 109 Copeland Road.

The original 4 lots upon which this property stands were acquired on the sale of the Field of Mars Common in 1887 by a real estate agent, George Dyson of Sydney. He presumably held it for speculative purposes. He sold the two corner lots in 1889 to William Allsopp of Picton a railway employee. The other two lots were sold in 1908 to Walter Herbert Nichols of Tilba Tilba, a butcher. The corner lots were then sold in 1896 to James Doran the Station Master at Beecroft and in 1916 James’ wife Eleanor Theresa Doran bought most of the other two lots. It is possible that James Doran was living on the site in 1912 and so presumably the house was built around this time.

From 1912 James Doran had his father living with him. The father, Patrick Doran, was a third cousin of Cardinal Moran, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. Patrick came from Leighlan Bridge in Ireland and had lived in NSW for over 50 years – during which time he had worked at Muswellbrook Railway Station until he retired in1912.[1] Being an Irishman Doran called the house Glendalough – after the sacred monastery of St Kevin in Ireland.

After the death of the father, until 1920 the house was rented to Mrs Constance Mitchell. The present parcel was then sold in 1923 to Ann Elizabeth Firth of Beecroft, a widow.

Later that same year Mrs Firth sold the property to Leslie Alfred Redgrave (1882-1956) and he called it “Bellingara.” Leslie Redgrave was the sone of Charles Alfred Hurst Redgrave and Mary Jane (nee Bellingham). He was born in Newtown and married at St Leonards to Ruby Ella Bird (b 1886). Mr Redgrave had the telephone installed by at least 1931 and it remained in his name until 1944 with number Epping 1099. He was a school master and author. His books include Gwen: a romance of Australian Station life (1913), Scatch Cock: a booklet of the bright birds of our bushland pictured in colour and rhyme for children (1933), Feathered favourites: a booklet of bird verse (1932) and Little bungalows: a practical handbook for the homemaker (1937).

The property was transferred into the name of Ruby Ella Redgrave in 1931.

Leslie moved to live at Oura via Wagga in 1943 and he died in Wagga in 1956.

In 1939 Alice Walker, widow of Bondi, took out a Supreme Court injunction to stop her under aged daughter (Shirley) from marrying Ronald Leslie Redgrave the son of this household. The matter was settled by Shirley and Ronald agreeing to defer the wedding.

In 1956 the property was sold to Frank Gallaway and his wife Valda Elaine. He was a marine engineer.

1n 1959 it was sold to the most recent owner. It remained the owner’s home (and that of his family) from then until 2012.