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Memoriam to Thomas Smith

Born 6th March 1819 - Lancashire England.

Died 5th September 1896 Penrith NSW

Written by Laura Player

5/91896 - 5/9/1996

100 years ago you slipped away

And left your progeny here to stay

Thornton Hall stands proudly

In honour of you today

The hands of time have brought dismay

But I'll stand fast to prevent decay -

Protect your old home and have my say

I remain your servant to keep harm at bay -

Now at St Mary Magdalene you peacefully lay

Beneath the gum trees that gently sway.

Your loving g-g. granddaughter

Laura Player - Perth - Western Australia

William Augustus Smith

4th child of Thomas&Jane Smith nee Laimbeer. Born 23-6-1850 Died 8-9-1923

Mary-Ann Clark-Duff (nee Smith) 8th child of Thomas & Jane Smith nee Laimbeer

Hannah Evans nee Smith

5th child of Thomas & Jane Smith nee Laimbeer

Born14-6-1852 Died 5-31881

THORNTON HALL

PENRITH~NEW SOUTH WALES~AUSTRALIA

The Victorian villa of Thornton Hall -

Penrith - New South Wales - Australia - was built by Thomas Smith c1870's.

Originally the residence of Mr Thomas Smith & his wife Jane (nee Laimbeer) and their family. The double story rooms at rear (R & L) were attached to the main homestead. Entrepreneur Thomas Smith and his son Hon. Sydney Smith were responsible for a number of firsts in Australia. Thomas Smith was the son of William Smith from Lancashire England. Todate, Thomas Smith's mother is still "unknown" .Thomas Smith came to Sydney Australia from Lancashire, on the ship "HOPE" in 1837-1839 or 1840 which he watched being built on the River Wyre. Although born in Blackpool, he possibly worked & lived in Fleetwood & Thornton-Cleveleys Lancashire.

******** With help from the Rootsweb mailing lists, Thomas' origins may yet, come to light. ********

Hon. Sydney Smith

7th child of Thomas & Jane Smith (nee Laimbeer)

Born 11-4-1856 - Died 21-2-1934

One of the first photographs of Smiths land, then known as "Smiths Paddock-

The target in the above photo ~ was one of our relatives ~ with an apple on his head ~ hopefully the shot was accurate !!!

There was a cleared meadow directly down from Thornton Hall, which was referred to locally as Smith's Paddock but was later officially named Belmore Park. Several historical sporting events took place in Belmore Park with the encouragement and support of Mr Thomas Smith and, later, his son Hon. Sydney Smith. the site of these firsts, was later renamed Belmore Park later to be the Penrith International Speedway in 1928.

First Lord Sheffield Cricket Match played in Nepean Districts. (16th & 17th February 1892 between England and Nepean) Hot Air balloon flight in the Nepean Districts (1892) The first successful cross country aeroplane flight in Australia in September 1911 by William Hart. The visual links between Thornton Hall, the cricket oval and the remains of the former speedway track are important in maintaining the historical associations of the place. (Criterion A.4 and Criterion H.1). * See the page on link at top *Sporting History* for an account of these events.

Above: T.R. Smith (Thomas Richard) & his family at Penrith.

T.R. Smith was instrumental in the supply of Penrith's first Electricity & Water, whilst Mayor of Penrith & MLA.

Above: Thornton Hall c 1945. The last "Smith" family to have resided at the historic home.

Photos of some of the SMITH children & other descendants are missing. Do you have any to contribute ???

~ Ellen Johnstone Dempsey nee Smith b. 19-8-1846 ~ Eliza Jane Thurston Palmer nee Smith b: 11-9-1848 ~

~ John Henry Smith b 13-1-1861 ~ Sylvia Player nee Smith b:29-8-1863 ~

This web page is intended to be a living database for the ancestors of Laura Player.. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. If you note any aspect that is not correct, please inform me by email, so corrections can be made accordingly. I am grateful to all those who have contributed over the years and to those who may assist me in filling in the gaps, correcting or adding additional information for the future. Sadly a lot of history & memoirs are lost in the dust of time, family photos thrown out & burnt. For those who kept the photos found on my pages, in good order so they could tell the story which unfolds on this site, we salute you!! Special thanks to my dear Uncle Syd Player for his invaluable memoirs of his birthplace Penrith & to James Nisbet, Byron Gunther, Marorie Spring, for preserving the photos & passing them on to me.. A collection of words, tells a story, but the addition of photos brings that story to life. Thanks also to Penrith Local Studies Library, Lorna Parr, Sunny Silva & Beryl Whatson for my lessons on Australian History & the record keeping it entails. The Smith Family history has been a joint effort by myself & Smith cousin, Jacquie Christensen. The Symonds Clan, thanks to Ean MacDonald, Dorrie Darby & Cossie Jones for their inspiration & previous research.

Last but not least, gratitude to my sister Lynne for her invaluable lessons with web design.

** Scroll down & click on links above for more pages. **

No information may be copied or printed without the permission of author. Laura Player email: player@bigpond.net.au

T.R. (Thomas Richard) Smith

1st child of Thomas & Jane Smith (nee Laimbeer)..

Born 16-9-1844 - Died 23-7-1918

SMITH' S PADDOCK -- Above Photo courtesy: Mitchell Library.

Surname: SMITH

Given Name(s): Thomas

Occupation(s): Hotelkeeper

Birth Details

Birth Town: Blackpool

Birth County,

Region, Province: Lancashire

Birth Country: England

Birth Date: 1819

Death Details

Death Town: Penrith

Death State/Territory: NSW

Death Country: Australia

Death Date: 1896

Immigration Details

Air/Port Landed: Pt Jackson/Sydney

Ship/Plane: Hope

Year Arrived: 1838

Surname: LAIMBEER

Given Name(s): Jane

Occupation(s): Home Duties

Birth Details

Birth Town: Great Torrington

Birth County,

Region, Province: Devonshire

Birth Country: England

Birth Date: 1825

Death Details

Death Town: Penrith

Death State/Territory: NSW

Death Country: Australia

Death Date: 1899

Immigration Details

Air/Port Landed: Pt Jackson/Sydney

Ship/Plane: Earl Grey

Year Arrived: 1839

Children of Thomas SMITH and Jane LAIMBEER were -

1. Thomas Richard b 1844 at South Creek m 1867 to Kazia COLLESS. Died 1918.

2. Ellen b 1846 at Minchinbury m 1867 to James JOHNSTONE; and 1886 to George DEMPSEY. Died 1913 of gastritis.

3. Eliza Jane b 1848 at Ropes Creek m 1867 to John THURSTON and 1894 to James PALMER. Died 1897 (consumption).

4. William Augustus b 1850 at Ropes Creek m 1870 to Jane WALTERS; 1875 to Mary Molloy WICKHAM; 1886 to Mary Jane MURPHY and common law relationship c1883 to Mrs Ann Eliza LAWLER nee HEMSWORTH. Died at Colyton 1923 (asthma).

5. Hannah Elizabeth b 1852 at Ropes Creek m 1870 to George Trotter EVANS. Died at Penrith 1881 (consumption).

6. Sydney, b 1856 at Colyton m 1879 to Sarah HOCKEY; 1930 to Annie Marion SHAND. Died 1934 at Croydon.

7. Mary Ann Laimbeer b 1858 at Colyton m 1883 to William G CLARK; 1890 to Alexander DUFF. Died 1941 at Cronulla.

8. John Henry b 1861 in Colyton m 1881 to Laura Ada BARNETT. Died 1916 at Colyton.

9. Sylvia b 1863 in Penrith m 1883 to William PLAYER. Died 1929 at Willoughby.

RELIGION. The family were Anglican and attended church for many years at the now historical St Mary Magdalene's at St Marys. Two infants were buried in the churchyard in 1855 (James Henry) and 1867 (Euphemia Maud). Thomas and Jane Smith are also buried in a modest grave in the churchyard as well as two other sons, 1917 (John Henry) and 1923 (William Augustus) Smith. The church standing today is not the original one that was built by Governor King's family and named for their family church back in Launceston, Cornwall, England (and after which the district of St Marys is named), but a newer one that was built around the outside of the old church to cope with an increase in parisheners through the years.

Life Before Australia: