Brownhill Creek Chronology

1837-1838The creek line taken up the SA Company for No 1 Sheep Station to hold sheep brought overland for feeding the colony.

1839Catherine Greig, wife of James gave birth to the first recorded child in Brownhill Creek and named him James. He was the first of nine children.

1846 -1853John Grainger, a member of the Legislative Council, took up sections of land either side of the Brownhill Creek eastwards to the Council Boundary.

1847Consideration given for supplying water from the Creek to Mitcham and Adelaide.

Brothers UC & CC Whittle took up Section 1099 and transferred half to Absolom Bennetts a couple of years later.

Sled laden with fruit. Brownhill Creek - 1910s

Brownhill Creek 1890s

1854Henry Foster took up Section 943 and took out a mortgage in 1857 which indicates when he may have built a house. He eventually held further land west along the north side of Sheoak Road.

1855Feb 19 – John Grainger, formerly of Gable Ends now in 'parts beyond the sea'.

1864June 18 Edmund Barton, market gardener of Brownhill Creek died

at LeFevre’s Peninsular near Port Adelaide

1866John Williams took up the southern part of Section 945 which remained in the family for over a century.

1868Charles Anderson took up part of Section 1094 and Sections 890 & 1095 for quarrying.

1869William Curtis began to lease Pt Section 1120.

1872Dec 5 – Death of John Grainger late of 5 Sewerby Terrace Bridlington Quay, Hull, England

1874Brownhill Creek Chapel built by Joseph Grigg as a branch of the Mitcham Baptist Church, foundation stone laid by Mrs Joseph Grigg .

1878Waterworks Office laid cast-iron pipes, built tanks, constructed a reservoir and filter beds in Brownhill Creek and sank a well in Ellison’s Gully to supply water to Adelaide and Mitcham.

1880Most of Grainger’s estate taken up by CB Hardy, solicitor of Springfield near Mitcham and progressively subdivided along the main roads.

1881James Copeland a carter of Belair bought Pt Sections 1095 & 890 which remained in the family until 1963.

1888Samuel Williams 63 years and George Beavis aged 30 both of Brownhill Creek, were buried on 25 Feb 1888 at Mitcham General Cemetery. Were their deaths related?

1848Wheal Grainger Mine established on Sections 1287 & 1004. It contained Bismuth, silver & lead and a little copper.

April 26 – Jane McCullock Davie (later Barton) was present at the birth of Grainger Barton which event happened on the 26 April 1848 at the house of Edmund Barton at Brownhill Creek.

August 5 - Twelve year old Robert Forest was killed when bringing a load of timber down the wet tracks with a bullock team from the hills.

1851Bunce & Co opened a mine on Section 1122.

1853Four Sections leased by John Grainger to Samuel Ellison and the area became known as Ellison’s Gully.

Joanne and Richard Kerslake in England before coming to Australia in 1856. Joanne

later married Joseph Grigg.

Boy in cart on Brown Hill Creek Road. Grigg's house is in the background

Eagle's Nest – Brownhill Creek c1890c

1954Camping ground developed with two toilet and ablution blocks, and laundry completed from Horsnell Gully freestone at Brownhill Creek as part of the National Pleasure resort of 120 acres. (South Australian Parliamentary Papers 49/1954)

1955Brownhill Creek Chapel burnt down completely.

1992Brown Hill Trail opened from Carrick Hill to the top of Brown Hill by the Rotary Club.

1998Mitcham Council bought the top of Brown Hill.

1893Henry Halstead took up Section 1097.

1894Bathing hole approved in Brownhill Creek.

1897Grainger estate on the north side of Brownhill Creek sold to Annie Rymill, wife of Frank Rymill of “Springfield”.

February 14th 'The Great Flood'. Mr John Sanders Moyse, 22 of Mitcham and Mrs Annie Maria Hooper, 23 also of Mitcham were drowned in Brownhill Creek.

1908Former Grainger Estate leased to Robert Symore with other land around “Springfield”

1915Proclamation of Brownhill Creek as a Public Pleasure Resort under “The National Pleasure Resorts Act, 1914.” (SAGG 15 July 1915 Pg 330 & C.Lds 1268/1914).

1924Brownhill Creek School Closed.

1927Land north of Brownhill Creek transferred to Springfield Ltd, the company which subdivided Springfield the suburb.

1931Land east of Brown Hill transferred from Springfield Ltd, to Marion Clutterbuck and then in 1938 to WH Wylie

1942Brownhill Creek Chapel burnt.

1950Commonwealth Govt bought the top of Brown Hill for a communications tower.

1891Manure pits built by Alf Terry on behalf of Council after being lobbied by Messrs Williams and Curtis.

1892The only marriage in the Brownhill Creek Chapel took place between Charles Orchard and Ann Grigg (the daughter of Joanne Grigg) on 13 July.

1893The Chapel was used as a school with only three teachers until it closed 32 years later, the teachers being, Jeannie Barron, Harriett C Ward and Helen Lewin.

Bridge south of the present day camping reserve. H. Snell sketch - 1879

Left:Manure pits Brownhill Creek Valley

'Monarch of the Glen' – Popular with photographers over the years.

The Chapel School c1920

Brownhill Creek Map

Prepared by Mitcham Local History Service and Heritage Research Centre103b Princes Rd, Mitcham SA 5062. Ph 8372 8261

September 2004

Brownhill Creek - 1890s

During the First World War, Helen Lewin, teacher at the Brownhill Creek Chapel School, began collecting photographs from the families of those of her former pupils serving in the conflict. Pictured at right is the 'Honor' Roll she commissioned as it appeared around 1918. By the following year two more names had been added. On October 29, 1917 Helen wrote to Adela Cowin whose son Norris had been killed at Ypres, Belgium on the first of the month: 'I am getting a Roll of Honour for my school and would be pleased if you would let me have a portrait of Norris for it. It is to be unveiled on Nov. 24th. I know the dear lad would like to be among the others. I always had a kindly feeling for him, and I think, he was happy at my little school in the hills.'

Helen Lewin