Kemps Creek

Location: Where is Kemps Creek?

Kemps Creek, New South Wales, Australia is located in the south east corner of the City of Penrith as well as the City of Liverpool. In the City of Penrith, Sydney Water’s supply pipeline is Kemps Creek’s northern boundary, while the suburb of Mt Vernon and the City of Fairfield run along its eastern side. Historic Elizabeth Drive divides Kemps Creek between Penrith and Liverpool Councils while South Creek forms its western boundary. Kemps Creek is an active rural and research area in Western Sydney with the University of Sydney and Western Sydney using the area for research purposes. The major creeks of South, Ropes and Kemps run through this suburb. It is a major thoroughfare between Penrith and Liverpool. The subdivision patterns of this area reflect the early land grants and it commands spectacular views of the Blue Mountains from its undulating hills.

33 46′ S 150 47′ E

Postcode: 2178 Population: 552 (2006 Census) Distance from Sydney: 38 km SW
Area: 20.98 km or 2098 ha Density:  0.75 people per ha Kemps Creek NSW on Google Maps

Schools

Roads

  • Bakers Lane: Named after the Baker family who had a farm in the area.
  • Elizabeth Drive: dates back to the early 1800s and was originally a ‘corduroy’ road, made from round logs. It was built as an access road to the land grants in the area – Luddenham, Bringelly, Mt Vernon. It became an important boundary between the Parishes of Claremont and Cabramatta and the councils of Penrith and Liverpool. Elizabeth Drive has had at least two name changes. It was originally called Orphan School Road as it ran from the Orphan School in what is now Bonnyrigg, to Mulgoa. The name was later changed to Mulgoa Road and then in honour of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1963 to the area it was changed to Elizabeth Drive.
  • Mamre Road, formerly Liverpool Road, is the major thoroughfare from St Marys to Elizabeth Drive and on to Liverpool. Named after Rev. Samuel Marsden’s property Mamre

Historical profile

Origin of the place name – Kemps Creek

The name of this suburb is taken from Anthony Fenn Kemp (1773-1868), who was granted two adjoining properties in this district. The largest, granted in 1820 was of 500 acres (Parish of Melville) and was named Mt Vernon, presumably after George Washington’s home in Virginia in America. While the other, granted in 1810, was of 300 acres and is in both the Parish of Melville and Cabramatta, straddling Elizabeth Drive and Mamre Road). In 1816, Kemp sold his land and left New South Wales for Tasmania. Kemps Creek township, located outside of the Penrith LGA, is situated on Kemp’s former estate.

Historical Timeline

180518 DecemberRichard Fitzgerald granted 300 acres which he named Restitution Farm
180518 DecemberNicholas Bayly granted 680 acres which he named Kings Down
1809 8 JuneAnthony Fenn Kemp granted 300 acres
18101 JanuaryNicholas Bayly granted 1070 acres which he named Macquarie Place
18101 JanuaryNicholas Bayly granted 550 acres which he named Bayly Park
181510 JuneGeorge Johnson Jr granted 600 acres which he named Lochwood
181510 JuneNicholas Bayly granted 330 acres
1816George Chartres granted 200 acres
181711 SeptemberCharles Gray granted 200 acres which he named Kings Down
1820Anthony Fenn Kemp granted 500 acres which he named Mt Vernon
18219 JanuaryJames Scott granted 360 acres
18224 JulyHenry Bayly granted 360 acres which he named Redhill
182313 JuneRichard Driver granted 110 acres
1823Nicholas Bayly died at Bayly Park
1825Edward King granted 300 acres which he named Kingswood
1826Richard Jones purchased Bayly Park and renamed it Fleurs
18836 MarchFleurs, a family mansion surrounded by grounds under cultivation was sold to land speculators
1887MayFleurs again sold to land speculators
1888Fleurs was re-subdivided into 20 acre allotments
18947 SeptemberKemps Creek Public School removed from Liverpool’s jurisdiction to St Mary’s
190828 MarchNepean Times correspondent reported the district ‘could not look better – grass everywhere and crops growing amazingly’
190828 MarchA report in the Nepean Times stated that a ghost had haunted Kemps Creek Bridge for many years
190829 AprilFoundation stone laid by Mrs F. W. A. Downes for St Andrews Church at Kemps Creek
1927Post office opened
193015 OctoberFleurs auctioned. 2311 acres six miles south of St Marys.
1942 A diversionary airstrip was built at Fleurs and used by the RAAF at Richmond
1949Fleurs became a field laboratory for the CSIRO’s Division of Radiophysics
1950sThe Mills Cross, Shain Cross and Cris Cross radio telescopes were built
1963Orphan School Road changed name to Elizabeth Drive in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s visit

Historic People & Places

Bayly Park/Fleurs: Bayly Park was built around 1810, for its owner, Nicholas Bayly, having approximately 2,500 acres. The house has been altered over time by subsequent owners with a new roof and rendered external walls. At some point in the 1830’s the property changed its name to Fleurs. Various people have owned the property over time including Richard Jones, William Woodland, Alfred Bollenhagen & Mr Watters

fleursphoto by McGrath Estate Agents

fleurs2photo by McGrath Estate Agents

Nicholas Bayly (1770-1826)

Bayly, the son of a British MP arrived in NSW as an ensign in the NSW Corps. He was first sent to Norfolk Island before returning to NSW in 1801. He caused Governor King to court-martial him and after Bligh had been ousted he helped administer the colony along with Paterson, Foveaux and Abbott. He was one of the most aggressive traders in the Rum Corp. By 1814, his home was built at Bayly Park and was described as ‘a noble mansion with gardens and cultivated grounds’. During the 1820s Bayly had at least 19 convicts working for him at Bayly Park. Macquarie considered Bayly, Marsden and John Blaxland as ‘settlers who are notorious throughout the Colony for being very severe, arbitrary masters and embroiled in constantly in quarrels…’ Macquarie eventually dismissed Bayly of his public duties whereupon Bayly spent considerable time at Bayly Park with his family of eight children. He died in 1823 and the farm was put up for sale. Bayly Park was purchased in 1826 by Richard Jones who renamed the property Fleurs.

Anthony Fenn Kemp (1773?-1868)

Soldier and merchant. He was born in London, the son of Anthony Fader Kemp and Susannah Fenn. He travelled to the United States and France before arriving in Australia as an ensign in 1795 as part of the NSW Corps. From 1795 to 1797 he served on Norfolk Island being promoted to lieutenant. In 1801 he was promoted to captain. In 1802 he married Elizabeth Riley, the sister of Alexander Riley. Kemp leased land on the corner of George and King streets where he built a shop outside the Barracks gate and charged high prices for his goods. Kemp was one of the more militant officers and was involved in attacks on Governor King’s administration and was in the vanguard of those who arrested Governor William Bligh on 26 January 1808. After a series of economic upheavals Kemp successfully applied to settle in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) and where once again he made his mark as a grazier and merchant. He died at Sandy Bay a wealthy man in 1868 at the age of 95 and was buried at St George’s Church of England cemetery.

Source: Kemp, M. C. ‘Anthony Fenn Kemp’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume Two, London, MUP, 1967.

Kemp, M. C. & Kemp, T. B. ‘Captain Anthony Fenn Kemp’, Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Vol. 51, 1965.

Bibliography

For photos and more information on Kemps Creek, search Penrith City Library’s catalogue using an All Resources search.

Environmental

  • Rust PPK, Elizabeth Drive Environmental Impact Statement Vol. 1 Upgrade of Elizabeth Drive from east of Mamre Road to Luddenham Road, October 1995.

Historical

  • Nepean District Historical Society, From Castlereagh to Claremont Meadows: Historical Places of Penrith City Council, Penrith. 1997.
  • Parr, Lorna, A History of the Nepean and District Street Names, Nepean District Historical Society, Penrith, 1990.
  • Stacker, Lorraine, Pictorial History: Penrith & St Marys, Kingsclear Books, 2002.
  • Stevenson, Colin R., Place Names and their Origins within the City of Penrith, Penrith City Council, Penrith, 1985.