A brief profile of 3 generations of Pittendrigh’s in Wattle Flat/Bathurst
Gen 1: Alexander Pittendrigh (1806-1888)
Gen 2: William Pittendrigh (1847-1925)
Gen 3: William Alexander (1887-1980)
Key themes evolve through: Agriculture>Gold Prospecting>Coach Building>Civic stewardship of Wattle Flat
(Beyond the scope of this profile – several members of Alex’s family became Methodist ministers and several served in WWI and made the supreme sacrifice.)
Alexander starts as a farm labourer in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He marries & has 2 children when he is talent scouted by another Scotsman – George Ranken – a well-financed farm owner with over 5000 acres of prime agricultural land near present day Eglington, Bathurst. In 1841 Alex’s family endure a 3 month sailing voyage to Sydney and a 3 week trek over the Blue Mountains to Bathurst with a Bullock team. Alex & his wife work on Ranken’s farms Saltram & Kellosheil for several years & have 5 more children.
When Hargraves “discovers” payable gold nearby in 1851, local agricultural workers are among the first of thousands to rush to the diggings. Alex & his family are no exception. First to Ophir, and then to the Turon Goldfields. Alex settles in what was then known as Green Wattle Flat and in particular to the area around McCudden’s Greenman Inn. By 1862 he owns land at Greenman and names it “The Brae” (Scottish for brow of a hill).
Over the years tides of prospectors come & go from the Wattle Flat goldfields, but Alex & his family seem to be among the stayers. In 1872 the 2nd major Gold rush erupted, and Wattle Flat was once again a hive of prospecting activity. Alex now aged 66 with his son Samuel have several gold leases in the Green Man area together with T Halliday, Hamilton, Gannon & Johnson. Alex also has a gold lease on Swedes Hill, Bullock Flat with George Morehouse.
Part of 1860’s map showing Alex Pittendrigh block & the site of the Greenman Inn (dark rectangle). The faint line marks the alignment of the road to Green Swamp-Walang (now largely replaced by Limekilns road). (Extract from CP342-1496)
Photo of one of William Pittendrigh’s fine creations. (photo courtesy of Di Toohey)
William (Alex’s 3rd son) spends his formative years at “The Brae” and becomes familiar with horses & horse drawn vehicles travelling along the busy Wattle Flat roads. In 1862 he begins a 6 year apprenticeship in Bathurst with an established coach builder, Halliday. In 1870 he buys Halliday’s coach building business & relocates it to Bentinck Street. His factory here is productive & highly respected for 26 years (1871-1897). He feels stiff competition from American imports in the 1890’s & sells out as he turns 50. During these productive years he marries Emily Blackman from Peel & raises 7 children. With the closure of the factory in 1897, the family return to the “The Brae” at Wattle Flat.
During the next few years, as Australia becomes a federation, William & Emily engage in civic works & stewardship of the Wattle Flat community. William chairs many meetings in Thompsons Hall with visiting politicians. Topics of debate include Free Trade vs Protectionism; resistance to liquor licencing laws; and votes for women.
William, Emily & family are involved in the preparation & production of frequent Wattle Flat concerts with the village school children. The family also establish a Wattle Flat blacksmith & coachbuilding shop in the main street opposite the newly built Courthouse.
William Pittendrigh’s coachbuilding factory in Bentinck Street, Bathurst. ( photo courtesy of Di Toohey)
The Pittendrigh family’s blacksmithing shop in Wattle Flat. ( photo courtesy of Di Toohey)
A few years later as WWI takes centre stage in many people’s minds, and numerous local men enlist for military service, Williams 4th son, William Alexander, takes the reigns in civic works & stewardship in Wattle Flat, along with other forthright locals including Foster & Healey.
William Alexander Pittendrigh is instrumental in the maintenance & initiation of several local community organisations, usually in the office of secretary. These include:
- Trustee of the Wattle Flat Common
- Overseeing improvements to the Recreation grounds
- Initiation of the Wattle Flat Picnic Race Club in the 1930’s
- Initiation of the Wattle Flat Bush Fire brigade in the 1940’s