A Brief History of Darvall Park
A map depicting a recently explored section “A PATCH OF GOOD LAND” wrote Lieutenant William Dawes on a area of land north/west of Port Jackson. The year was 1791 and the whole success of the fledgling colony in NSW depended on finding arable, fertile land that would sustain people and feed them without being forever dependent on supplies from England.
The surveying party had found a patch of good land, with good moist clay soils, which for centuries had supported huge Blackbutts, Sydney Blue Gums, Grey Ironbarks, and a whole spectacular pallet of different species of fauna and flora. By 1792 eight Marines were the first to be granted parcels of virgin forest to turn into production garden. The land was on northern bank of Parramatta River we know as West Meadowbank.
This action opened the first small stream, then a full flood of new people whether they were Marines, free settlers or reformed convicts, pushing the boundaries of European colonisation towards areas we know today as Ryde, Eastwood and Epping.
In 1855 Major Darvall and his second wife Jane bought land of William and Susan Bennett who held 4 of the original land grants in Ryde area. The land Major E. Darvall acquired was in the Eastwood/West Ryde area. The present Rowe St. Shaftsbury Rd. Victoria Rd. and Ryedale Rd. are approximately the boundaries of his 150 ha. farm.
The surveying party had found a patch of good land, with good moist clay soils, which for centuries had supported huge Blackbutts, Sydney Blue Gums, Grey Ironbarks, and a whole spectacular pallet of different species of fauna and flora. By 1792 eight Marines were the first to be granted parcels of virgin forest to turn into production garden. The land was on northern bank of Parramatta River we know as West Meadowbank.
This action opened the first small stream, then a full flood of new people whether they were Marines, free settlers or reformed convicts, pushing the boundaries of European colonisation towards areas we know today as Ryde, Eastwood and Epping.
In 1855 Major Darvall and his second wife Jane bought land of William and Susan Bennett who held 4 of the original land grants in Ryde area. The land Major E. Darvall acquired was in the Eastwood/West Ryde area. The present Rowe St. Shaftsbury Rd. Victoria Rd. and Ryedale Rd. are approximately the boundaries of his 150 ha. farm.
In the late 1850s Edward Darvall built Ryedale house and surrounded it with 20 ha. of orange orchards. The rest of the land was used for growing vegetables, some cereals, corn, potatoes and steeper sections were used as pastures.
Major Darvall died in 1869.He had had nine children, four boys and three girls from his first wife Emily and a boy and a girl from his second wife Jane. The Ryedale estate was left to Jane who remained at the house till her death in 1899.Before that time she sold of parcels of land to the Commissioner of railways in 1885, Eastwood public school in 1889 and the West Ryde Masonic Temple in 1898. Just before her death she made a gift of Ryedale house and the remaining land to her son Anthony William Darvall.
Although Darvall Park was known as a park since 1923, not until 1936 the council could be persuaded to buy the 18 acres, which at first it thought of calling “Kings Park.” The property cost 2000 pounds. It was partly bush partly open space. The lower flatter section was and still is used for sport and recreation. At the time of inception it was considered to be sports ground for girls.
Today the lower section provides playground equipment for children, a BBQ area and toilet facilities. The rest of the area is covered by a covenant requiring that 14 acres are reserved for the park. Darvall Park despite considerable weed infestation is one of only two remaining rainforest gullies on Wianamatta Shale in the northern suburbs of Sydney. Darvall Park does not occupy a large area of land, but the amount of retained indigenous flora and fauna is definitely worth of preserving for us and for the wonder and enjoyment of future generations.
Major Darvall died in 1869.He had had nine children, four boys and three girls from his first wife Emily and a boy and a girl from his second wife Jane. The Ryedale estate was left to Jane who remained at the house till her death in 1899.Before that time she sold of parcels of land to the Commissioner of railways in 1885, Eastwood public school in 1889 and the West Ryde Masonic Temple in 1898. Just before her death she made a gift of Ryedale house and the remaining land to her son Anthony William Darvall.
Although Darvall Park was known as a park since 1923, not until 1936 the council could be persuaded to buy the 18 acres, which at first it thought of calling “Kings Park.” The property cost 2000 pounds. It was partly bush partly open space. The lower flatter section was and still is used for sport and recreation. At the time of inception it was considered to be sports ground for girls.
Today the lower section provides playground equipment for children, a BBQ area and toilet facilities. The rest of the area is covered by a covenant requiring that 14 acres are reserved for the park. Darvall Park despite considerable weed infestation is one of only two remaining rainforest gullies on Wianamatta Shale in the northern suburbs of Sydney. Darvall Park does not occupy a large area of land, but the amount of retained indigenous flora and fauna is definitely worth of preserving for us and for the wonder and enjoyment of future generations.