Early History of Bensville

Bensville was named after pioneer settler Benjamin Davis, who owned 1000 acres of this area, using its rich source of timber for his ship building yard near the current Bensville Wharf. Parts of the area were used for orchards and dairy farming. Timber was also milled and freighted to Sydney by ship until the Newcastle to Gosford Railway line was completed in 1889.

Benjamin Davis

Benjamin Davis was born in 1826 at Roscommon, Ireland, a son of William and Sarah Davis. William was the first schoolteacher at Kincumber, settling on a 37-acre farm at east Saratoga in 1839. Ben married Eliza Weatherall at St Paul’s, Kincumber in 1850 and they had 11 children.

Ben Davis was physically a very big man (127 kg). A person, who visited Brisbane waters in 1909, remarked “The Davis brothers were immensely tall, handsome built men, remarkable for strength and appearance”.

In 1851 Benjamin purchased 60 acres at Burramun (now Davistown) and started his own shipbuilding business there. He later bought other blocks in the area, providing valuable sources of timber. He sold waterfront allotments to his younger brothers Thomas, Rock and Edward who set up their own shipbuilding yards.

Davistown was named after the concentration of the Davies clan eventually living in this area, mainly involved in shipbuilding.

Sunnyside

Ben built his house on a high piece of land above the current Bensville Wharf with commanding views over Cockle Creek Channel to Davistown. In 1877 he indentured settlement to his wife Eliza.

The house was later extended and after his death, his daughter Alice Eliza (Mrs William Hastings) operated the popular “Sunnyside House” boarding house business. The house block was later subdivided, and Sunnyside was replaced by new houses.

The area where Ben Davis lived and operated his shipyard was first known as Willis’s Point, later as Hastings Wharf and then Sunnyside. However, in 1926 residents chose Bensville as the name best suited for their new postal receiving office.

Benjamin died of heart disease at Balmain on the 12th of May, 1883 and his body was transported to Brisbane waters by the steamer “Promise” (built by brother Rock Davis) and then by launched to Kincumber where he was buried in Saint Paul's churchyard.

Ben Descendants

After Ben's death his eldest son, Arthur (born 1861), continued to operate the Bensville shipyard business, building 8 schooners, a ketch and a lighter between 1884 - 1908.

The 1,000-acre Norton allotment (now Bensville) was later subdivided into 12 blocks for his wife Eliza and their children. Some of these blocks had houses built thereon – “The Cedars” (c. 1903) in Cedar Close, “Rose Cottage” (c. 1904) and “Wyandra” (c. 1904) a small farm at the bottom of Kildare St built by Walter Davis.

The Move to Bensville Area

In 1871 Ben purchased the 1000-acre grant of James Norton, on the shores of Cockle Creek, the area now encompassing Bensville, to establish a shipyard. This provided a rich source of timber and he established a shipyard close to the current Bensville (Hastings St) Wharf.

There he built many wooden vessels the last being the 175 tonne, 3 masted, barquentine-rigged “Sarsfield”, launched in February 1883, just before Ben died. The “Sarsfield” was wrecked on Richmond River bar in 1887. During his ship building career (1848-1883), Ben built a total of 49 vessels, 36 at his Davistown yard and 13 at his Bensville yard.

Rose Cottage - General Store

“Rose Cottage”, a Davis family home in Kildare St, was moved to its Kallaroo Road site in 1924 and was extended to serve for many years as a general store and post office. In 2003 it was replaced by the current Bensville Shopping Centre.

Ben Davis - Shipbuilder

 
By Robert Thompson

Source: Public Noticeboard, Ben Davis Reserve, Kallaroo Rd.
“The Shipbuilders of Brisbane Waters” by Gwen Dundon