Thomas Newing and David Smith
One of the many family connections that started in the early years of Kiama is the link between David Smith (cedar-getter and the first white settler in Kiama) and Thomas Newing (the man responsible for building the stone walls around the Kiama area).
David Smith arrived in Sydney as a convict in 1819 to serve a 7-year sentence. He gained his Certificate of Freedom in 1831 and then applied to marry Ann Davis, also a convict who had received a 7-year sentence. The pair married in 1832 and together had four children - two daughters and two sons. One of their daughters, Elizabeth, firstly married Abraham Kent (1818-1855), and when he died of 'Insanity', Elizabeth then married George Cook in 1864. William Cook was born in 1864.
David Smith received his allotment of 2 roods (half acre) of land in May 1833. He paid a high sum for the land on the corner of Bong Bong and Manning streets (opposite the Grand Hotel). He built a home on his land. He believed the future of the town would be big and decided to turn his home into an inn in 1837, called the Gum Tree Inn. This transformation cost him £1000. David continued to purchase other allotments of land around town and became quite a respected man within the community.
Thomas Newing married Maria Bailey in 1860 and they had four children, one of which was Ann Newing (born 1863). Maria died at a young age, in 1867, two months after having her fourth child. The remaining three children were raised by Maria's sister who lived in Kiama.
Thomas Newing continued building the stone walls around Kiama. When he got a job he would look for a sheltered spot near water to erect his tent. For many years he lived at his camp while he carried on building our famous stone wall fences. In his later years he would visit Kiama town on a Saturday evening and stay with his daughter Ann. He would attend the Church service on a Sunday morning, then he would return early Monday morning to his campsite and whatever job he was working on, with enough food to last him the week.
Thomas's daughter, Ann Newing, married William Cook, and together they had five children.
There are presently three generations of the Cook family still living in Kiama today.
Gum Tree Inn, cnr of Bong Bong and Manning Sts, c.1914-16.
Stone wall at 'Lemongrove' dairy farm, Jerrara
Stone wall built by Thomas Newing near Kiama c.1960s
