ST ALBANS COMMON

A common dedicated in 1853 extending along Mogo Creek, about 5 km ESE of Yondi Mountain and about 4 km E by N of Bailey trig station.

Reference: pages 59, 60

St Albans Common, also known as St Albans Permanent Common and Wallambine Common has been in use since 1824 when Governor Brisbane set aside 2,000 acres of land in the Macdonald Valley, north of the village of St Albans on the Wollombi Road, for the use of local land owners who were allowed grazing rights on this land in compensation for the smallness of their blocks. The area of the common is actually 2,567 acres (1027 hectares), measuring almost ten kilometres in length and one kilometre in width. Water for stock is provided by Mogo Creek which flows through the common.

On the 4 March 1853, Roger Sheehy, Joseph Fernance, John Walker, Matthew Thompson and John Jurd were appointed as trustees as it was found in 1842 that no title deeds had been issued for the land. The common is still administered by five trustees to the present day although there have been attempts by the New South Wales State Government to amend the management of common land in the state.

Reference: 25 March 2017

In 2017, the NSW government proposed changes to the management of Crown land including the repeal of the Commons Management Act.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/no-common-fight-as-st-albans-village-battles-to-save-historic-acreage-20170324-gv5id4.html