1878 - 1886 - Eliza – Mistress of Mundarrah Towers until her death

On Samuel’s death Eliza inherited the Mundarrah estate and she lived there until her death in December 1886. For part of that time, at least up until their departure for England in 1883, her daughter Rose Heaton and her family lived there with her. One of the few photographs of Mundarrah Towers is of a family group celebrating the christening of two of Samuel and Eliza’s grandchildren. Judging from the size of the Norfolk Island pines, it was probably taken about 1880.

Mrs Bennett’s Picnic

Another great photo of Mundarrah Towers was taken on the occasion of a staff party hosted by Eliza for the employees of the Evening News and the Town and Country Journal.

The picnic was held on Good Friday, 11 April 1884, the date presumably chosen because the holiday provided the opportunity for all staff to attend. A report of the festivities appeared in the Town and Country Journal of 19 April 1884.

Eliza and her son Alfred and his wife Emily are shown seated at the centre of the group photo. One of the notable guests, unmistakeable, sitting on the grass at front left in the photo, is Sir Henry Parkes. The original proprietor of the Empire, the paper upon which Samuel Bennett had launched his newspaper business, he maintained a connection with the family; Alfred’s second son Alfred Leonard (Len) Bennett recalled being told about Sir Henry bouncing him on his knee as a baby.

1885 – George Heape Stanley – A gift?

In 1885, the year before her death, Eliza transferred a building block on the south-west corner of the original 20 acres to Dr George Heape Stanley. Rev. Stanley had been the first minister of the Unitarian Church in Sydney, arriving from England in November 1853. The Bennetts were active members of the congregation from that time and Stanley had baptised the children born after his arrival; Frank in 1856 and Christopher in 1857. After 11 years as Minister, Stanley left the Church to open the Paddington House School. A close association with the Bennett family obviously continued and Eliza appointed him as an executor of her estate. It is not known whether the land was sold or gifted? Eliza certainly did not need the money; her estate was valued for probate at over £94,000 of which over £20,000 was in cash deposits. It was most likely a gift and among other charitable bequests made in her will, Eliza left £100 to the Unitarian Church of Sydney.