Stapleton's Hill & Bridge

DESCRIPTION

NameStapleton's Hill & BridgeTypeLandscapeDescriptionStapleton's Bridge crosses Frazer Creek on Tongarra Road near Albion Park. It is named for the Stapleton family who farmed the land.

James and Catherine Stapleton with their three young daughters, followed their son John to Australia in 1859. James bought large lots of land in Albion Park which became known as Stapleton's Hill. Stapleton's Hill was Lot 10 of the original Terry's Meadow's Estate.

Frazer's Creek (sic) was named after tenant farmer, William Fraser who occupied that part of the Terry's Meadows estate on the eastern side of the creek for at least twenty-two years.

William Fraser's farm was eventually owned by James Stapleton, after whom Stapleton's Hill and Stapleton's Bridge are named.

James Missingham established a tannery at Stapleton's Hill in 1892, employing nine people until the 1920s.

In 1859, the newly formed Shellharbour Municipal Council road committee called for an estimate of the probable cost for a new bridge across Frazer's Creek and tenders opened in September 1860. In March 1866 tenders were called for forming "the portion of the Tongarra Road between Albion Hotel and the bridge known as Frazer's". By the 1870's the bridge was known as Stapleton's.

In 1873, George Clarke, a thirteen-year-old post boy, was returning from Shellharbour with mail for Albion Park, when he was drowned at Frazer's Creek. The creek had flooded and the following day, when the water had subsided, his body was found in a paddock about 300 yards from Stapleton's Bridge.

The present Stapleton's Bridge was built in 1929. It was one of more than 1,000 bridges constructed across the State by the Main Roads Board, later the DMR, during the period 1925-1940.

The bridge was widened in 1991.

External LinkAlbion Park 1909Stapleton Death 19309 Inches of Rain at Albion Park 1950Death Mrs Stapleton 1930James Stapleton Death 1931John Stapleton Health 1914Stapleton Bros 1916

Object

Portrait - Member Of The Stapleton Family

Portrait - James Stapleton

Photograph

AIRCO DH6 Plane Stapleton's Paddock

Albion Park from 'Ravensthorpe', Stapleton's Hill 1955.

Heritage Information

Heritage NSW LinkState Heritage Inventory Sheet

CONNECTIONS

CollectionPlacesFamilyFraserLocalityAlbion ParkPlaceMissingham's TanneryRavensthorpeRelated ItemAlbion Park from 'Ravensthorpe', Stapleton's Hill 1955

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Stapleton's Hill & Bridge