I have been talking to some of the early owners of the Half Way house. It has been remodelled over the years and I am hopeful of finding a photo of it before the latter changes occurred.The verandahs are a recent add on but it is thought the attic windows are original

Half -Way House

Such along time since I have added to this blog, but I shall try to begin again. Just recently I have been looking for the halfway house at Lower Jerusalem. My initial problem was that I did not even know where Lower Jerusalem might be.An enquiry at a meeting brought forth some suggestions which have proved to be correct. It is now called Lowdina and is close to Campania and just north of Richmond. My interest in the place was sparked by the fact that Ephraim and Bridget lived nearby, and it was here that Bridget was found in the bar, half drunk and her horses were taken from her, in lieu of unpaid rent in 1859.
I searched through "trove" to find any newspaper articles about the area and discovered that in the past, there was a railway station, post office, school and of course, the halfway house. The building was used as a stopover for travellers and, as an inn, had the skittle alley which was an important accessory to establishments in those days.  Inquests and stock sales were held there. Cricket matches were a regular event  and even more so, shooting matches at which horses were often the prizes.
Some advertisements for land sales in the area in 1861 gave me a much clearer idea of the location of the half-way house. It was next door to one property being sold and opposite another. One property was named (though not the owner) and acreage given, so I used a map from the times to find parcels of land of relevant size and position. When overlaid on a modern map, some patterns emerged. I als knew now that the house had been owned in 1856 by Joseph Foster.
Next on the agenda was a trip to the Lands Titles Office. A "google" searchof their internet site informed me that it was a complicated process, I could expect no help and it was going to cost money. I had been into this dungeon of old books before but it was a long time ago and I was not sure where to find all I needed. I paid up, collected my pass and was directed to a chair where I would be given an outline of the process. (Already I felt better). A few minutes later Richard arrived and decided that he would escort me into the research area and proceeded to help me. Joseph was not the original owner of the land but by trawling through the documents, the correct property was able to be isolated. Bits have been added on and lopped off over the years but a shaded area in the corner showed where the inn had stood.
Next, current documents were consulted and it was here that the "wow factor" hit me. The building standing today is described as stone with a colorbond roof - built 1850! Now I know that the roof is not going to be original but I can't wait to get out there and check out the stone walls.
I came home from my 2 hours in the city, with maps, google earth pictures, and copies of deeds. I felt like a star on "Who do you think you are?" Far from no help, I had been given fantastic support for nearly two hours. There are some great people out there. You just have to find them - on a slow day.