Melvys Wharf

About

TypeOtherDetailsMelvys Wharf is on the western shore of the Hawkesbury just upstream from Bar Island and Fishermans Point in the small bay north of that occupied by the Knox College Camp.

Peter Melvy was born in 1831. He came to Australia as a young immigrant and established himself near Fisherman's Point as a river trader. His earliest vessel was the 'Fairy', which he sailed from his river depot to Windsor, picking up farm produce. He later sailed the 'Westwind' and the 'Brothers', both to Windsor and around to Sydney.
Over the years, he acquired a fleet of vessels, including the 'Emily Melvy' and a steamer, the 'Grande', Melvy raised a large family at his riverside home. He operated a tore there as well and many of the professional fishermen camped in the vicinity to be close to Melvy's transport to the markets. Melvy obtained his master mariner's certificate in 1872, when regulations were tightened. It is possible that others skippered vessels for him across the years in which he was active.
This changed when the railway came through Brooklyn and Melvy's ceased to be the centre of the transport hub. Melvy retired to North Sydney and died in 1910. The area retained Melvy's name but pased into the ownership of Hadley Lippmann, who ran a boarding house there.

CreatorPowell, John P. 1994, Placenames of the Greater Hawkesbury Region, Hawkesbury River Enterprises, Berowra, pp.77-78.; Our Bushland Shire (2021) p.53

LocationHawkesbury River

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Melvys Wharf