The Joyce Brothers
The Joyce brothers, Edward and Thomas, migrated to the colony from Limerick in Ireland when they were young men.
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Edward purchased the Cudgell Creek run on the Grenfell Road which was part of James White’s Burrangong Station.
Thomas Joyce senior and his wife followed their sons to the colony and purchased Cudgell Creek from Edward.
Edward moved to the Grenfell area and selected land.
Thomas junior drove for Cobb & Co on the Forbes-Young-Wagga Road and later in 1890 took out a conditional purchase of 865 acres.
This property was situated on the banks of the Burrangong Creek.
The property was named ‘Park View’.
The road that leaves the Young to Grenfell Road at Quamby homestead appears to be the original road to Thuddungra, or Thuddungra Swamps as it was known.
Quamby homestead (then known as Musgrave House) had been built by Thomas and Sarah Musgrave after Sarah’s first husband, Denis Regan, had died.
Sarah was James White’s niece. They ran it as an Inn and Stage Coach depot.
A small village had sprung up at the place where Cudgell Creek crossed the Thuddungra to Quamby road.
John Hargrave’s had established a blacksmith shop close to the creek.
John Hargrave’s father owned the Philadelphia Foundries in Manchester, England.
John and his brother, after a disagreement with their stepmother, left home at the age of 16 or 17 for a life at sea.
John is said to have been a cabin boy on the ‘Bounty,’ but stayed in NSW before the Bligh mutiny occurred.
His brother later returned to England.
John, after mining and shipping ventures at Norfolk Island, came to Cudgell Creek.
His expertise as a wheelwright and blacksmith soon earned him a wide reputation.
It has been suggested that he was a cousin of Laurence Hargrave, the Australian aviation pioneer.
John constructed a dam on the banks of Cudgell Creek which became known as Hargrave’s dam.
In 1872 50 acres was selected in the name of F.H. Hargrave, Cudgell Creek and in 1875 150 acres was selected in the name of John Francis Hargrave, near Cudgell Creek.
A further 80 acres was selected in the name of Francis H Hargrave, near Cudgell Creek in 1875.
The Hargrave family had an orchard and ran the Post Office at Cudgell Creek.
They donated an acre of land for a Presbyterian Church to be built on in 1876.
The church was, named St Luke’s Church, Bribbera, Cudgell Creek was opened in February that year by Reverend G Grimm Presbyterian Minister from Young.
It was described as “situated on the Bland Road, at Cudgell Creek Crossing”.
The shop, house and dam were not far from the church. In later years the church was moved, the organ going to the church at Thuddungra.
A tent was being used for a temporary school at Cudgel Creek in 1881 and there are references to a “Cudgell Creek School” in 1883.
In February 1884 a Cudgell Creek School picnic was held.
