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Richard Mount Edgecombe Westaway
b.29 Aug 1822 South Tawton, Devon, England
d.10 Apr 1911 Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
Family tree▼ (edit)
m. 21 Nov 1809
(edit)
m. 1847
Facts and Events
Richard, the son of William Westaway and Mary Mason of Devon, England. Richard along with his brother William came to Australia although what year is unknown. He married Barbara Huggard in 1847 in Sydney and is recoreded as living in Paddington until his death in 1911. Richard and Barabara had seven children. Three of the children died at a young age. Stephen passing at age one, Katie has passed in the same year as birth, and June at age two. Richard was the first appointed Postmaster in Australia at the Paddington Post Office. The first Post Office was established on 1 July 1851, while the first recorded postmaster, Richard Westaway, was appointed on 22 July 1857. He was also involved with the Church of England.
[edit] EmploymentPaddington Post Office [edit] HistoryIn 1804 Thomas West, an emancipated convict, received the first land grant in what was to become Paddington. West’s land was considered to be on the outskirts of the town, with only a rough track to the signal station at South Head linking the area to the town. The next grant in the area was not posted until 1817 when Governor Macquarie granted 100 acres to three partners to build a distillery. James Underwood, one of three partners, eventually bought his partners out in the 1820s and named his new holdings Paddington Estate. The start of any concentrated development in Paddington began after 1840 when the military barracks was transferred from York Street, Sydney to Old South Head Road (Oxford Street). The first subdivisions in Paddington were in direct response to the barracks development. Artisans and tradespeople moved into the area while they worked on the barracks, as did officers, soldiers and their families of the 11th North Devonshire Regiment, who were to occupy the Barracks upon its completion. Throughout the 1840s Paddington continued to develop as a village, with stores, hotels and other services establishing themselves. The first Post Office was established on 1 July 1851, while the first recorded postmaster, Richard Westaway, was appointed on 22 July 1857. In 1859 a letter carrier was appointed, with deliveries being made from the GPO on horseback each morning. During the same year, the residents of Paddington petitioned the government for incorporation as a municipality under the 1858 Incorporation Act, which was achieved on 17 April 1860. Paddington had 3,000 residents in 1860 with the population rising by 68% in the following ten years. During this period the Post and Telegraph Office were operating out of rented premises in Paddington. The Post and Telegraph Departments shared the £66 per annum rent that was being paid to Mr R. H. Adams. However, with the rapidly expanding population, it was recognised that a purpose-built Post Office was required. In 1879 a site was purchased with frontage of 38 feet to Old South Head Road from Mr H. W. Nixon for £750. This land was not suitable for the office and was sold on to Mr Thomas Garrett MP for £20 a foot in 1881. On 2 December 1881 Messrs Cass, Kirby and Company offered some allotments facing Old South Head Road to the Department, including allotments 16,17 and 18 on the corner of Old South Head Road and Begg Street (Ormond Street) at a rate of between £25 and £30 per foot. The offer was accepted on 27 February 1882. Plans were drawn up by the Colonial Architect’s Office under the direction of James Barnet and submitted in January 1884, with an estimated cost of £2,500. The tender was awarded to William Farley in May 1884 for the erection of the Post Office and residence at £2,235, and to be completed in five months. In November, a second tender for an outside clock was also approved for £40. The building was opened for business on 26 December 1885. There were repairs made to the building in 1890-91, while a telephone exchange was added in c1911-13. In 1979, with the centenary of the Paddington Office approaching, a major renovation was undertaken. The contract for the work, including additions, was given to McKenzie Building Co. Pty Ltd of Brookvale for $140,000. Work included the extension of the post office counter, new lighting in the style of c1880s gas lamps and new floor coverings. The ground-floor mail room was extended, with part of a rear courtyard being closed in for the purpose. On the first floor, modern staff amenities were added, while a bike shed was erected and a former addition to the rear of the building was demolished to allow for a new gate and driveway to provide access for mail vehicles. http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/EAS/EAS45.htm Richard Westaway http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=5d7973ec-35a7-43e4-99d3-17bc56286995&tid=32673727&pid=65 Marriage Announcement http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=a8dcf833-bd77-4510-8512-30b671adbb20&tid=32673727&pid=65 Death Notice http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=2f9149a0-d2fa-45fd-8f87-d22b53b37823&tid=32673727&pid=65 Church of England Involvment http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=6052aaf8-9b3c-4e9d-b5b1-55c15f518deb&tid=32673727&pid=65 richard barbara marriage http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=deeb492b-6f0c-4227-bc09-4ba1235fef9b&tid=32673727&pid=65 richard me westawau http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=2644c4f6-b47a-40ca-917f-3154922e7853&tid=32673727&pid=65 Image Gallery
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