Heritage Buildings

Blacktown Central Public School, Blacktown built in 1876 and located in Flushcombe Road once included several other buildings. It was an infants and primary school, and for a while also included a school at Hereward Highway. The oldest building, with two infants classrooms continued to operate until the school was closed. Children felt very privileged to have their classes in the old building. Banksia shrubs lined the footpath. The adjacent Catholic School and the old Blacktown Registry once occupied nearly the entire block. Westpoint shopping complex now occupies the rest of the site.

Cricketers Arms Hotel, Prospect, like the Red Cow at Penrith was an 1800's stop for travelers making their way to the Blue Mountains. An opportunity to water the horses as well as the travelers. It is once again operating, trading as The Royal Cricketers Arms and providing meals and refreshments. The NSW Department of Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Planning oversaw the rebuilding and preservation of the site. It has an extensive garden planted by the ex-licensees, the Kellie family. Greater Union have now purchased the remainder of the 99 year lease.

Prospect Post Office, Prospect. This building has had many functions, it is often referred to as the old Prospect Post Office. It was located on the old Great Western Highway and was once a hive of local activity. It has a new roof and bullnose verandah awning, unfortunately the windows are boarded up and a fence surrounds the building to deter vandals. Admirably, it has been preserved by the NSW Department of Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Planning.

Minchinbury Winery, Minchinbury. Captain William Minchin served in the colony as Principal Superintendent of Police and Treasurer of the Police Fund (a colonial treasurer). In 1819 Governor Macquarie granted Captain Minchin 1,000 acres. Minchin later named the estate Minchinbury. As a member of the New South Wales Corps he commanded the detachment of Corps at Government House. Instrumental in allowing other officers to arrest Bligh in the Rum Rebellion in 1808, he actually protected Governor Bligh from physical harm. He was no stranger to mutiny as he had been subject to one in August 1797 aboard the Lady Shore, after sailing from Portsmouth the previous May.
Minchin was not prosecuted for his part in the rebellion and was given the job of taking reports of the rebellion back to England. Later he rejoined his regiment and served in Canada until he retired in 1817. Governor Macquarie granted Minchin 1000 acres, which became Minchinbury, when he returned as a free settler aboard the Isabella.

Minchinbury House, Rooty Hill.
Dr McKay owned the estate and property in 1881 and posted this advertisement of the estate.

"a superior brick built two-story residence, quite new containing 28 apartments. 600 hundred acres in various sizes could be sold in sections if desirable. Minchinbury embraces 60 acres of enclosed land, and planted with about 50,000 vines in full bearing ...A trap dike of blue metal runs through the Minchinbury from west to east which will be invaluable to parties contracting for blue metal for Sydney Streets. There is also a hill of trap tuff, the deposit from an extinct volcano. This is hard and durable stone used for some years on a portion of the Great Western Road. A tramway could be inexpensively made form the quarries to Rooty Hill station. Fine clay for brick making and good building sandstone can also be obtained. There are three wine cellars, two sixty feet by twenty, one sixty by thirty, capable of storing one hundred thousand gallons of wine and wells, tanks and lagoons with never failing supply of water."

St Bartholomews Church, Prospect was built in 1841 by the local population, using donated funds. The donations were started by William Lawson, with what was then, the huge sum of 100 pounds. Lawson is buried in the nearby cemetery which is still operating. The church has been preserved after a fire which was aided by the large amount of newspapers that were stored inside. Church Lane (now Prospect Highway) led to the church from Blacktown road to the Great Western Road. There is now a bend in the M4 Freeway to allow it to bypass the church. It has been said that the church is haunted.

View of St Bartholomews from the east side.

Melrose House, Grantham Estate built in 1897 and designed by the architect, Mr B Hadley Melrose House was the out-of-town residence of the solicitor William Chadwick it was once surrounded by orchards on adjoining properties. In 1901, the property was acquired by John Harborne, who had owned a house called Grantham at Plumpton and transferred the name. in 1917, the 'Returned Soldiers Resettlement Scheme' established farmlets for returned soldiers in conjunction with the Grantham State Poultry Farm. Select for further detail

The Old Lockup , Reservoir Road (Great Western Road) Prospect This building faces east, parallel to Reservoir Road (the old Great Western Road) and the pine is the same as those that line Lawsons Drive. This building is west of Prospect Post Office not far from the Cricketers Arms. There were once other premises alongside. In the past it was once used as a courthouse. Next door stood a building used as a police lockup.

Bridestowe, Great Western Road Prospect.
Built by the Hicks family c1900, Bridestowe was owned by members of the Hicks. It has been maintained in its original design.  The Hicks family had a large dairy farm at the site. The house is not far from the old Prospect Post Office and St Bartholomews church. As it stands on what was the Great Western Highway, once every vehicle that was heading west to the Blue Mountains went past this house. (Thanks to Jill Finch for this information)