David Ramsay 1832- 1901

 

David Ramsay married Kate Dorothy de Mestre in 1861.They had 9 children, all of whom married and had children except the eldest, David (1862-1908) who died from a burst appendix, and is buried in the Ramsay grave at Rookwood Cemetery.

 

David owned various stations in NSW including at Yass, Bourke and Cobar. His station near Cobar, Tindarey Station, is now used to grow cotton.

 

In 1863, David Ramsay bought the second Austenham House, which had been built by the Colonys Deputy Surveyor General, Captain Samuel Augustus Perry between 1840 and 1844. David renamed this house Kalouan, from the Christian names of three members of his family.  Perry had sold the land and adjoining acres containing the first Austenham House, and gave his new house the same name.  The new house was on 18 acres of land, a large brick house with 2 acres of gardens. Perry's third house built nearby was called Broughton House. It eventually came under the ownership of John Keep, a wholesale ironmonger. He renamed the house Broughton Hall, and bought 3 adjoining acres in 1873. In 1878 he bought the 18 acres belonging to David Ramsay, containing Kalouan.  Keep renamed the house, Broughton Villa.

 

During World War 1, Frederick Langdon who had purchased the estate after the death of John Keep in 1905, made the houses and 25 acres of gardens available as an Army Hospital for patients suffering shell shock who had been admitted to the adjoining Callan Park Hospital. The entire property was resumed by the Commonwealth Government in 1918, and operated as the Broughton Hall Psychiatric Clinic, for patients who entered hospital voluntarily.  In 1932 Broughton Villa was demolished, and Ward 4 (now Ward 26) of the clinic was built on the site.

 

In 1976 Broughton Hall Clinic was amalgamated with Callan Park Mental Hospital to form Rozelle Hospital. The extensive gardens were enjoyed by the public, and the area provided valuable open space for the community. Local associations are at present battling plans to develop the site for residential use.

 

In March 1831, Dr David Ramsay purchased 85 acres for £314 from John Piper, which had been part of Hugh Pipers grant.  At the same time Piper sold 92 acres of adjoining land to Prosper de Mestre, which he called Helsarmel. The western border of the land lay along the shores of Iron Cove. This land lies in the present day suburb of Leichardt. The adjoining Elswick Estate was subdivided and sold in lots between 1868 and 1874. David Ramsay Jnr purchased 5 blocks over this time, with a total of approximately 63 acres. 

 

Over the following years, David subdivided and sold these blocks. This would have been a major contribution to his income.

 

In 1868, David had purchased two adjoining one acre sites. He donated one of these sites to the Council of Education as the site for a the new Leichardt Public School, as the school had been operating from a makeshift hall, and was in urgent need of a permanent building and site. The school opened in 1869, but had soon outgrown this site. He had sold the other block to a builder, and in 1883 this site was acquired to extend the school.

 

David Ramsay had moved to Lyriclea, a mansion that once stood on Lyons Road, Five Dock. The family lived at Lyriclea from 1879 to 1905. Sands directory records show Kate Ramsay living at Lyriclea in 1904, which was after the death of David in 1901. In 1903, Lyriclea was surrounded by 15 acres of land, with orchards, a carpenter's shop, stables and a barn. It had 14 rooms, servants rooms, a kitchen and two bathrooms.  In 1907 the estate was purchased by William Smilie Tait, who subdivided the land and lived in the house for 18 years, until it was demolished following the death of Mr Tait in 1925.

 

The Children of David Ramsay and Kate de Mestre

 

1.      David 1862-1908 born at Dobroyde, Haberfield: unmarried, David died age 45 from a burst appendix. He is buried in the Ramsay grave at Rookwood Cemetery.

 

2.      James Edward Ramsay 1864-1949 born at Kalouan. James was dux of Newington College in 1881. James was a Medical Doctor; he married Margaret Agnes Lockhart in 1907 in Busselton, Western Australia, and had 3 children. James later lived in Wahroonga, Sydney, where he died age 85. Their ashes are in the Vault at the Ramsay Graveyard at Haberfield.

 

3.      Charles de Mestre Ramsay 1866-1884 Charles was born at Kalouan: died at Lyriclea, aged 17, of pneumonia. Charles coffin was placed in the Vault at the Ramsay Graveyard at Haberfield. Charles attended Newington College in 1881-1882.

 

4.      Lord Livingstone Ramsay 1867-1924 born at Kalouan: Livie was an architect, who lived at The Highlands, Carlingford. He married Eliza Mary Alice Cape in 1902, and had 4 children. He died at Carlingford age 56. They are both buried at Rookwood Cemetery. (He attended Newington College in 1882)

 

5.      Archibald Ernest Ramsay 1869-1924 born at Kalouan: Archie was educated at Newington in Sydney, and studied Dentistry. He lived at Dobroyde, in Clarence Street at Burwood, which he had built. This house is now on the Heritage Register. Archie had 4 children. He married Muriel Woolnough Allard in 1907, and died at Burwood age 54. They are both buried at the Ramsay Graveyard at Haberfield. (He attended Newington College in 1882)

 

6.      Roderic Rupert 1871-1966 born at Kalouan,(Roderick R Ramsay attended Newington College from 1884-1889). Roderic R Ramsay lived at Elizabeth Bay, and moved to Killara, where he resided at his death, age 94. He married Pearl Wilkinson in 1902, and had 2 children. His grandson, Peter David, was in possession of David Ramsays Bible, which he generously donated to be displayed at St Davids Church.

 

7.      Kate Louisa Ramsay 1873-1968 born at Kalouan: educated at PLC, Croydon, Kate married Joseph Sydney Abbott in 1902. She had 6 children. Kate and David lived at Strathfield. They are both buried in the Old Methodist section of Rookwood Cemetery.

 

8.      Margaret Marceline Ramsay 1875-1960 born at Kalouan: educated at PLC, Croydon, married Robert Derwent Dixon in 1904. They had 4 children.

 

9.      Kenelm Kierston 1877-1953 born at Kalouan: educated at Sydney Grammar School, trained as a surveyor, then became a grazier living at Millbank, Quipolly near Quirindi, NSW, and then at Ardross, Quipolly. He married Jessie Gwendoline Mackenzie in 1910, and they had 7 children. Kenelm died in Sydney age 75, and was buried at Northern Suburbs Crematorium, in Sydney, Jessie at Rookwood Cemetery.