| Graythwaite's ties to significant moments in our history
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Graythwaite has long linkages to significant moments in Australian history namely:
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Edwin Sayers and Australia's first Parliament
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Edwin Sayers bought Euroka, as the property was then known, in 1853 and substantially redeveloped it. While living in the house he was elected as member for St Leonards in the first New South Wales Parliament, which was Australia's first Parliament.
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George Dibbs, the sale of crown land, State Premier and Federation
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George Dibbs lived in Euroka from 1872 to 1881. His residency in the house was cut short when he was jailed for failing to pay a fine for defamation. Upon his release from jail he almost immediately became State Treasurer. In this role he stopped the then practice of selling off crown land to balance the State's books.
He went on to serve several terms as Premier of new South Wales.
George Dibbs was a pivotal figure in the debates leading up to the Federation of the States to create Australia. However, Dibbs was a vigorous opponent of Federation. It was not that he opposed the creation of a united Australia, quite the opposite. Dibbs was a unionist and wanted one Australia with one Government. He was strongly opposed to the Federal model, with both State and Commonwealth Governments. His arguments contributed to New South Wales almost voting against Federation in the two referendums in the late 1890s.
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Sir Thomas Dibbs and Gallipoli
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The tragedy of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 was a pivotal moment in the building of the Australian psyche. The news of the appalling level of casualties did not reach the Australian public until 7 May. Today we can only imagine the growing disbelief, then grief, as the immense scale of the tragedy gradually became known.
Like virtually the whole country, Sir Thomas Dibbs was horrified by the carnage of Gallipoli. His response was to offer his home to the State as a convalescent home for sick and wounded soldiers. In the Memorandum of Transfer for the property, Dibbs describes his gift of his magnificanet home to the State as being due to "my admiration of and sincere sympathy for those brave men who have so unselfishly given their services and their lives fighting for the Empire in the cause of justice and liberty."
The fact that Graythwaite survives today is a direct link to the suffering of Gallipoli.
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