Lake Macquarie History

Sylvester Road:

Sylvester Road was gazetted on the 26 August 1988. Brothers Charles, James and Robert Sylvester all lived in or near Martinsville at various times, the Sylvester family owned the sawmill.

There were four brothers - Thomas, Robert, Charles and James - who came to Martinsville from Stockyard Creek Payne's crossing, in the early 1900's. A sister Louise also came to Martinsville when in 1906 she married William James Martin of Martinsville. Two other brothers remained west of the Range one at Stockyard Creek and one at Cessnock, and another sister lived at Adamstown in Newcastle with her husband.

Thomas John Sylvester was the eldest of the children born 1875. He married Eveline Burgess in 1906 and came to Martinsville about 1913. Thomas was a teamster, butcher [Cooranbong], dairyman and cattle dealer and breeder. He had substantial land holdings in the area of Martinsville, Wyee and Vales Point, under Conditional Lease and Conditional Purchase. One such block he purchased was the Old Police Paddock next to the Sandstone Post office on Martinsville Road at Cooranbong. Thomas, Charles and their sister Louise lived out their lives in Martinsville.

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