Local and family history resources

Please acknowledge Paterson Historical Society if you upload or post these resources online or use them in a publication. Your support is appreciated.

• self-guided Paterson walk: brochure and map
• our collection of historic photos: view online

Electoral rolls, directories, registers and leases

• Paterson electoral rolls: 1859-60; 1870-71; 1878-79; 1903; Paterson River 1913 (incl. upper Paterson Valley)
• Local directories: Paterson Valley 1841; Bailliere 1866; Samson 1867-68; Greville 1867; Greville 1872; Greville 1875-77; Landholders 1900; Wise 1909; Sands 1910; Wise 1915; Sands 1920; Wise 1925; Wise 1929; Sands 1931; Wise 1935; Wise 1940; Wise 1945-46. See also the full set of Wise NSW Directories (National Library).
• Crown land sales/leases 1850s to 1870s (incomplete): names index; records (5.5mb)
• Church of England registers of baptisms, marriages and burials for Paterson, Allyn River and Gresford.

Family history

• names in our books: combined index/table of contents (12mb, word searchable)
• family history: in our library
• "Recollections – John & Emma Horn" by Barbara Horn and others, uploaded with permision. Thank you also to Colin, Barry and Wendy Horn.
• "Knodler Family History and Register 1612-1995" by Gregory Knodler.
• "Doin Well, Thank God for his Goodness". Hancock family history by G.L.Parkinson.
• "The Children of Franz & Christina – the origins of the Kiem and Kime families in the Hunter Valley". By Paul Kiem and Robyn Whipp.
• "The Browns of Denmark". By Graeme Kerridge. The family history of John and Charlotte Brown prior to their arrival at "Colstoun" on the Upper Paterson in the early 1840s.
• "The Brouns of Colstoun". By Gwen Chapman. First-hand recollections of life at Colstoun during the time of Gwen's grandfather, Herbert Harrington Brown, and her father, Herbert Lindeman Brown.
• "Michael and Margaret McNamara, Mount Rivers". By Brian Walsh. Some family history notes.
• Letter from James Laurie/Lawrie 1850. Transcript of a letter written by James Lawrie at Gresford, NSW, Australia, to his brother John in Massachusetts, USA in 1850. The "cover", which is a philatelic term for an envelop or letter, is owned by Carol Bommarito, a philatelist specializing in postal history, specifically transatlantic mail to and from the U.S. from 1840 to 1875. Carol generously made available a transcript of the letter. See also Carol's article about the "cover", published in the American Philatelic Society's journal.

Petitions

• 1884 Gresford Post Office petitions. Signatories to the 1884 petitions and counter-petitions about the location of the new Gresford Post Office. Those on the upper Paterson wanted it to remain at (west) Gresford while those on the Allyn River wanted it built at The Junction (today's East Gresford). Source: National Archives of Australia, sp32/1, Gresford Post Office, parts 1 and 2.

School and church histories

• Allynbrook Public School: Centenary Booklet 1969
• Eccleston Public School: Centenary Booklet 1967
• Fisher's Hill Public School: Centenary Booklet 1971
• Gresford Public School: Centenary Booklet 1968
• Hinton Public School: 150 Year Booklet 1999
• Iona Public School: 150 Year Booklet 2000
• Largs Public School: 150 Years of Education at Largs
• Lostock Public School: Centenary Booklet 1978
• Martins Creek Public School: 75 Year Booklet 1967
• Mount Rivers Public School: Centenary Booklet 1975
• Paterson Public School: Centenary Booklet 1978; and History to 1978
• Vacy Public School: Centenary Booklet 1959; and 125 Year Booklet 1984
• Eccleston Congregational Church: History notes
• St Ann's Gresford: Centenary Booklet 1998
• St Columbas Paterson: Centenary Booklet 1984
• St John's Vacy: Centenary Booklet 1987
• St John's Vacy: Women's Guild history 1983
• St Mary on Allyn: Booklet by Rev MJ Clarke (scan courtesy of Faith Lanson)
• St Paul's, Paterson: 84th anniversary booklet 1929 (3mb); Centenary booklet 1939 (4mb)

Convicts, colonels and others

• Convicts assigned to John Eales
• Convicts assigned to Tocal
• Tocal directory 1822 to 1964
• Elizabeth Paterson – a short biography
• William Paterson – a short biography

Free ebooks

• A History of St Ann's Presbyterian Church Paterson. By Cameron Archer AM and Jack Sullivan (2004).
• A Tribute to Member and Friend, Mabel (Mabs) Keppie, 1924-2012. Edited by Shirley Threlfo.
• Barrington Tops, a Vision Splendid. By Dulcie Hartley, 1993. Out of print, scanned for archival and research purposes.
• Big Creek the Allyn to Hilldale. By Kay Ingle, 1988. Out of print, scanned for archival and research purposes.
• Dun's Creek. By Kay Ingle, 1990. Out of print, scanned for archival and research purposes.
• George Boyle White 1802-1876. By Harry Boyle OAM (1995).
• Gresford history: Centenary Booklet 1929; 150 Year Booklet 1979
• "John Eales of Duckenfield - the Men and the Mansion" by David Brouwer (2016).
• "Kalimna, Paterson" by Shirley Threlfo (2012).
• "Lindeman, Australia's Classic Winemaker" by Dr Philip Norrie (1993). Scanned and uploaded with permission of the author.
• NSW Aboriginal Place Names and Euphonious Words, with their Meanings. By Frederick D McCarthy (1952).
• "Synopsis of the History of the Paterson River Valley" by Harry F Boyle OAM, Lesley Gent and Val Anderson (Illustrator), 2011.
• "Toil and Trouble from Maitland to Moreton Bay - John Eales' Convicts" by Brian Walsh. Second edition (2020).
• "Where, oh where, is Wooger Vitnell?" by Barbara Brown (1999).
• WWII Largs Military Training Camp by J Crethary (1992).

Research papers and theses

• A Valley in a Valley – Colonial Struggles over land and resources in the Hunter Valley, NSW 1820-1850: PhD thesis by Mark Dunn.
• George Augustus Middleton – a Progidal Priest?: masters thesis by Brian Roach.
• German Immigration to the Hunter Valley in the mid 19th Century: by W.S. Parkes, published in Journal of Hunter Valley History, vol. 2 no. 1, 1986.
• Historical Investigation into the Colonial Surveys at Old Banks, Paterson River: extract from major project by Luke Doran for Bachelor of Surveying at Newcastle University, 2007.
• History of water quality: The Effects of Releases from Lostock Dam on Salinity in the Lower Paterson River 1980; also Water Quality in the Hunter and Mid Coast Region NSW 1960-1975
• Social and Environmental Change and Ecosytem Health in the Paterson Valley: PhD thesis by Cameron Archer.
• The Agriculture of the Hunter Valley 1830-1850: Masters thesis by AS Madew, Sydney University, 1933.
• The Dairy Industry of the Paterson Valley 1915-1980: Honours thesis by Ivan Skaines.
• Tocal's Convicts 1822-1840: PhD thesis by Brian Walsh.

Manuscripts and notes

• Commissary, Colonist, Jack of all Trades—a Phillips Family History, Paterson to Bundaberg by Cathie Sherwood. Unpublished manuscript July 2020, modified April 2024.
• A History of Policing at Paterson. Unpublished manuscript, c1980
• History of Paterson Post Office. Unpublished manuscript, by Vann Cremer, Australia Post 1988.
• Old Homes on Paterson and Allyn Rivers. By Ruby Doyle, 1932 (copy from State Library NSW).
• Commercial Road (1). Unpublished, DRAFT research notes prepared by Shirley Threlfo.
• Commercial Road (2). Research by Brian Walsh.
• Edward King 1815-1908 – a pioneer farmer, shipbuilder and preacher. By his grandson, Rev. Wesley Stocks. Unpublished manuscript.
• Finding old Tillimby. Research by Brian Walsh.
• The Oak and the Dairy Industry. By PD Scarr. Scan of copy held in Tocal College archives.
• Paterson Museum News archives: from 1994 to 2011
• 18-20 Marquis Street, Paterson. Research notes by Brian Walsh.
• Rev. John Jennings Smith: research notes by Brian Walsh and Mike Payne.

Church of England registers of baptisms, marriages, burials and confirmation

Note: these are images of the original hand-written registers and are not text-searchable. Use them in conjunction with the free government index.

Marriages: Allyn River, Gresford and Paterson

• Allyn River marriage register 1856-1879
• Allyn River marriage register 1879-1914
• Gresford register of Banns 1935-1951
• Gresford marriage register 1858-1913
• Gresford marriage register 1914-1924
• Gresford marriage register 1924-1936
• Gresford marriage register 1936-1943
• Gresford marriage register 1943-1948
• Gresford marriage register 1949-1955
• Gresford marriage register 1955-1963
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1839-1856
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1854-1856
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1856-1888
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1889-1899
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1899-1910
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1911-1919
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1920-1930
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1931-1942
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1942-1953
• Paterson (Houghton) marriage register 1954-1963

Baptisms: Allyn River, Gresford and Paterson

• Allyn River baptism register 1845-1873
• Gresford (Caergwrle) baptism register 1845-1927
• Gresford baptism register 1870-1928
• Paterson (Houghton) baptism register 1839-1869
• Paterson (Houghton) baptism register 1870-1929
• Paterson baptism register 1905-1929

Burials: Allyn River, Gresford and Paterson

• Allyn River burial register 1854-1867
• Gresford (Caergwrle) burial register 1873-1984
• Gresford burial register 1870-1967
• Paterson (Houghton) burial register 1839-1871
• Paterson (Houghton) burial register 1862-1934
• Paterson burial register 1935-1988
• Paterson burial locations, general cemetery
• St Paul's, Paterson: Gravestones (54mb, word searchable); Burial locations 1906-1959

Confirmation: Paterson

• Paterson confirmation register 1931-1960

Other registers

• The above registers are part of the collection of baptism, marriage and burial registers from the archives of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, digitised and put online by Hunter Living Histories, University of Newcastle, Australia.