Penrith City Local History - Places - Suburb profiles - Werrington
Werrington
Werrington is located west of St Marys and north of the Great Western Highway. It straddles the Western Railway Line. Historically, the region’s settled history dates back to 1806 with land grants to Mary & Elizabeth King, daughters of Governor King, and a grant of 600 acres to Mary Putland, Governor Bligh’s daughter. The land was used for grazing and farming and by the 1880s had been subdivided for residential and small farming lots. This suburb has a feel of openness and retains many picturesque areas of open space, which are used for educational and recreational activities. Nearby Werrington Lakes, one of the largest passive recreational areas in the city, is a haven for wildlife and outdoor activities. Werrington also is well serviced with public transport and sporting facilities.
Werrington on Google Maps.
Werrington covers, not only the area of this grant, but also a grant of 600 acres (Frogmore) to Mary Putland. She married Maurice O’Connell in 1810. This grant lies south of the Western Railway Line and north of the Great Western Highway. Confusion occasionally arises between Werrington House and the house now part of the University of Western Sydney campus, Werrington Park (Frogmore). Originally the homestead on the O’Connell estate was named Frogmore. It was re-named Werrington Park in 1935 by the owners, the Williams family.
Frogmore
The Frogmore Estate was granted to Mary Putland (nee King) in 1806 and enlarged in 1810. She married her second husband Maurice O’Connell and together they retained ownership of the property until 1840. This house retains very little of the original house built around 1830 by Maurice & Mary O’Connell. The upper floor additions were added in the 1930s when the property was owned by Alan and Laura Williams. The State Government acquired it in 1954 as a school for mentally handicapped boys. The site is now the northern campus of the University of Western Sydney and the house has since become the Chancellory office and has been renamed Frogmore.
| 1806 | 1 January | Grant of 790 acres to Mary King, daughter of Governor Philip King. Named Marys Farm |
| 1806 | 1 January | Grant of 600 acres to Mary Putland, daughter of Governor William Bligh. Named Frog more |
| 1810 | 8 May | Mary Putland married Maurice O’Connell |
| 1827 | 24 January | Robert & Mary Lethbridge arrive in Sydney |
| 1832 | Werrington House completed. | |
| 1848 | Sir Maurice O’Connell died in Darlinghurst | |
| 1855 | November | Frogmore sold to land speculator, Andrew Hardie McCulloch |
| 1855 | December | Frogmore subdivided and sold |
| 1860 | Sir Henry Parkes leased Werrington House for 12 years | |
| 1864 | Mary O’Connell died in London | |
| 1865 | Robert Copland Lethbridge died | |
| 1868 | 2 May | Parkes Platform opened as a private railway platform for Sir Henry Parkes |
| 1872 | Mary Lethbridge died | |
| 1878 | Parkes Platform opened for public use | |
| 1883 | 17 March | Werrington estate was sold, including Werrington House |
| 1893 | Parkes Platform renamed Werrington | |
| 1906 | St Aidan’s Church of England was consecrated | |
| 1935 | Alan Williams purchased the homestead on Frogmore and renamed it Werrington Park | |
| 1938 | Second storey added to Werrington Park | |
| 1944 | Part of Williams’ property resumed by the Commonwealth for army use | |
| 1954 | June | NSW Child Welfare Department purchased Werrington Park to house intellectually disabled boys |
| 1959 | 3 June | Thorndale School opened |
| 1973 | 20 October | Werrington Community Hall opened |
| 1978 | Cobham Remand Centre was built | |
| 1981 | Railway overpass constructed over railway line near Werrington Station | |
| 1985 | Kingsway sporting fields completed | |
| 1999 | The diaries of John King Lethbridge, grandson of Governor King, found buried on what once was Werrington estate | |
| 2000 | University of Western Sydney began extensive restructuring involving the formation of new Colleges and Schools at Penrith & Werrington |