Helping out at the Gerringong Library and Museum once a month, we get many interesting people visiting. 

On different occasions, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a member of the Gray family, who have a strong connection to the Kiama LGA.

Their link to Gerringong district is through the Omega Retreat Estate. What was this estate?

Mackay Cameron, a descendant of the first Gray to come here, gave me the opportunity to view a manuscript he had completed on his family history and was happy for me to use it to help tell the story.

The Omega Retreat is a large area of land just south of the lookout at Saddleback Mountain and continues down the hill on the southern side of the highway, stopping close to what is now Werri Beach.

The Gray family had lots of wonderful adventures in many different places mentioned in the manuscript but for the purpose of this article I am focusing on their time at Omega.

In 1833, James Mackay Gray (usually known as just Mackay Gray) left Ireland. After a few adventures he ended up visiting Thomas Campbell, who owned that parcel of land which he called “Bark Hill”.

Campbell had travelled to Australia five years earlier and he had applied for a land grant. He was offered a choice of two parcels of land and in 1829 and settled on acquiring 1280 acres (518 hectares) that stretched from Saddleback Mountain to the swamps to the south and west to the slopes of Saddleback. 

Mackay Gray fell in love with the place and wanted to purchase it. However, Campbell was not allowed to sell it until 1838. 

This suited Mackay as it gave him time to organise his affairs and arrange for his wife Sarah Anne and their five children to come from Ireland to their new home at Gerringong. One can only imagine the joy of seeing this for the first time from the top of Saddleback Mountain.

As he waited, Mackay began to farm a section of the land.

Considering that he thought that this land would go as far as settlement would go, he named the land Omega Retreat - Omega being the last letter in the Greek alphabet.

James Mackay and Sarah Gray. Photo: The Gray Family Collection

Mackay Gray had, at first, some difficulty in paying Campbell the full price for the land.

Therefore, he set about clearing it so it could be used to generate an income. 

For this he was able to use convict labour as it was a lot cheaper. Part of this entailed the cutting down of the red cedar trees. Three of the convicts he had were Richard Bagnall, Thomas Bromley and William Brown.

When Mackay found he was unable to use much convict labour anymore, he cut the land up into tenanted farms. The new tenant families had to clear their lot, then hoe and plant crop seeds by hand. 

Some of these were ex-convicts as “Ticket of Leave” men. On the 1841 census the names of these were George Brothers, William Burlane, John Cook, John Jordan, George Barnes, Evan Campbell and William Greenwood.

Life was not always rosy on the estate. In 1842, Campbell’s original building - in which the Gray family was residing - was burnt to the ground. All their possessions went up in flames. Not to be defeated, they just started again.

Around 1853, Mackay decided to expand. Firstly, he extended the estate by adding another 400 acres of property adjoining what he already had. 

Secondly, he built a grand home with 11 rooms. It was lined with red cedar as stately homes around Gerringong were at that time. He called it “Omega House” but the locals referred to it as “The Big House”. Unfortunately, it burnt down in 1886.

He then looked at the education of the local kids. The first school was the Mount Pleasant School established in 1858 with a very “interesting” lady as teacher.

He had more luck with the Omega Retreat School in 1860. That building is now a private residence halfway down the hill towards the south.

Some businesses were established on the property - a tannery, a store and a pub - the Dairyman’s Arms. In 1880, a milk condensing factory and a butter factory were established, without any great success.

Life was not all wonderful for Mackay and Sarah though. They lost a son and daughter. a terrible tragedy which badly affected them.

In 1877, Mackay died, followed by Sarah the next year.

The remaining son, Sam, inherited the farm, as was the custom in those days.

A poster for the sale of the Omega Retreat Estate in 1901. Photo: The Gray Family Collection

He died in 1889. His wife continued on until she passed away in 1900.  

This marked the end of the Omega Retreat farm, as it was sold in 1901.

Nowadays there are a number of dairy farms as well as a few private houses set into the hill above Werri Beach to capture the wonderful view.  

Many people stop at the top of Saddleback Mountain to admire the sight. I wonder if they have as much excitement in their eyes as Sarah did when she first saw her new home all those years ago.

Mackay Gray’s association with the Omega Retreat was only a fraction of the activities he was involved in. 

Space does not permit me the justice he deserves in the history of the Kiama LGA.