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Marybank Estate

The original owner and builder of ‘Marybank Estate’ was Thomas Shepherd. Thomas Shepherd and his wife Mary, it is believed, arrived in South Australia on the barque ‘Orissa’.  The Shepherds disembarked at Port Adelaide, on November 27th 1841. They purchased the land near Black Hill, and built the ‘Marybank’ homestead in 1842 1.   As well as the 560 acres at ‘Marybank’ Thomas also bought land at Port Adelaide, on the North Arm. His intention was to build warehouses and wharfs, as he thought it an excellent landing place for merchandise and accommodation of shipping.  He was prepared to spend £10,000 to build these facilities 2. The only drawback was the lack of easy access to Adelaide from the Port.  In 1851 he petitioned the Legislative Council of South Australia, to build a road from the North Arm to the city 3.

Also in 1851 on May 14th a son was born to the Shepherd family at ‘Marybank’ 4. The family was further increased by the birth of a daughter on 27th of January 1853 5. Just two years later Mrs. Shepherd died of smallpox. The Shepherds were visiting England; Thomas had visited the island of Jersey and had returned to London, ready for the family to commence the journey back to South Australia. Mrs. Shepherd died before they commenced their return journey 6.

In December of 1852 the Shepherds had unsuccessfully put ‘Marybank’ on the market.  From this advertisement we are able to judge the extent of the property.  The house consisted of a dining room, drawing room, breakfast room, bathroom, four bedrooms, nursery, cellar, and servant’s offices, plus a dairy, surrounding Veranda and Terrace. There was also a four stall stable, coach-house, harness room, plus poultry yard and piggery 7. After the death of his wife, ‘Maryvale’ was again listed for sale, and all the furniture was to be sold at auction.  Thomas Shepherd was to return to England.

The purchaser of ‘Marybank’ was Arthur Fox, a trained chemist from Ireland, who became an auctioneer in South Australia.  He purchased the property in 1853.  Tragedy was to befall the new owner, not long after the purchase.  On a stormy night, it is believed he decided to leave the city and walk to the home of a relative at North Adelaide.  He was found drowned in the River Torrens 10.   People had been digging sand from the river to use for their own properties. It is believed that Arthur had stepped into one of these deep sand holes.  At the inquest it was stated he had managed to escape the deep hole, and possibly exhausted had drowned in a shallower hole nearer the edge of the river.  There was considerable confusion as to the identity of the drowned person 11. At the inquest he was identified by two people as William Sullivan, a tailor.  Later when Arthur Fox could not be found, a second inquest was requested on the body, and it was finally confirmed as the missing auctioneer.  Arthurs widow Frances Ellen Fox, (nee Nihill), had become the new owner of ‘Maryvale’.   A devout Catholic, Frances donated two plots of land to the church.  One was a plot of half an acre, for a new sanctuary at St. Patricks West Terrace.  The other was a plot of three acres, for a new Catholic Orphanage 12.

Other donations of land included a plot for the construction of the Athelstone Institute. (Refer to the article Athelstone Institute on this web site).  Arthur and Frances Fox had four children, a boy and three girls.  The only boy was Arthur Aloysius Fox, the girls were, Mary Dymphna Fox, Sarah Theresa Fox and Margaret Francis Christina Fox 13.

Arthur Aloysius Fox married Winifred Phillips on 31st of May 1893.  Winifred was a good friend of Sister Mary Mackillop14.

In 1887 Arthur Aloysius Fox sought to represent the seat of West Adelaide in the House of Assembly for a second term, but was defeated15.  Arthur Aloysius and Winifred Fox had two children, Arthur Gerard Fox born 1894, and Helen Dymphna Fox born in 189616.

On the outbreak of the First World War, Arthur Gerard Fox enlisted in the 13th Battalion A.I.F.  On the 15th of August 1916 Captain Fox was captured at Pozieres, and interned in Germany, and then transferred to Switzerland. (Refer to Arthur Gerard Fox, on this website)  During the Second World War, at the age of forty seven, Arthur Gerard Fox again enlisted in the armed forces. After the war, in 1948, when visiting England, Mr & Mrs. Fox were guests of the former Governor of South Australia, Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey, and his wife, in Lincolnshire17. Also during that same trip Mrs Fox attended an informal garden party at Balmoral, attended by the King and Queen, also Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh18. For Further information of Arthur Gerard Fox, see the Local History Article.

Today the Fox family still own ‘Marybank’. The farm is still operating; the vineyard is still producing wine, either their own label or for neighbouring labels.  It also operates  a Wedding Venue, and a B&B.

Researched and compiled by Jim Nelson, a volunteer with the Campbelltown Library “Digital Diggers” group.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the information in this local history article, please contact the Local History officer on 8366 9357 or hthiselton@campbelltown.sa.gov.au

  1. List of historic houses in South Australia – Wikipedia
  2. Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 27 September 1851 p 2
  3. Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 27 September 1851 p 2
  4. South Australian Gazette and Mining Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1847 - 1852) Saturday 17 May 1851 p 2
  5. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Tuesday 1 February 1853 p 2
  6. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Saturday 8 September 1855 p 2
  7. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Thursday 30 December 1852 p 2
  8. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Tuesday 1 February 1853 p 2
  9. The Reminiscences of Sarah Jane Nihill, State Library of South Australia, D 7384(L), www.slsa.ha.sa.gov.au/archivaldocs/d/D7384_NihillReminiscences_transcript.pdf
  10. Adelaide Times (SA : 1848 - 1858) Wednesday 4 May 1853 p 3
  11. Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 7 May 1853 p 7
  12. Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954) Saturday 5 November 1870 p 4
  13. Arthur Aloysius Fox, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Aloysius_Fox
  14. Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954) Friday 2 March 1923 p 14
  15. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Thursday 17 March 1887 p6
  16. Arthur Aloysius Fox, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Aloysius_Fox
  17. News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) Friday 22 October 1948 p 11
  18. News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) Friday 22 October 1948 p 11