Saleyards were first established in St Marys by James Landers who started a cattle auctioneering business at the rear of his Oddfellows Arms Hotel on the Great Western Road near South Creek in 1856 (1).
These and other small yards coped with the local sales of stock for the next thirty years, but in the 1880s and 90s new yards were opened which were to become the focus for a major local industry. The first of these was located on the northern side of St Marys Railway Station and it was this site which was later enlarged as the Railway Cattle Saleyards. By 1888 the Jubilee Cattle Yards had been established on Mamre Road by William Fleming and in about 1890 John Perry established his Newmarket Salesyard on the western side of Mamre Road, between Edgar and Mitchell Streets. The Jubilee Cattle Yards closed in about 1900, but auctions were held at the other two sites by various proprietors until the 1940s (2).
The importance of the Railway and Jubilee Yards is reflected in the claim that for many years St Marys was the second largest stock mustering town in New South Wales, outside of the metropolitan area. (Second only to Goulburn) (3).
The yards continued to operate from these sites until 1945, when the Newmarket Salesyards were closed and the Railway Cattle Saleyards tranferred to a 4-hectare site on the north eastern corner of Collins and Lonsdale Streets. This new yard closed down shortly after and the business moved to Camden.
References:
- Penrith City Library, Local Collection Vertical File, Notes prepared by Mr. Evans
- Penrith City Library, Local Collection Vertical File, Notes prepared by Mr. Evans
- Penrith City Library, Local Collection Vertical File, Notes prepared by Mr. Evans