Meet Mary Grimes.
Mary was the first landholder in Blackwood. She purchased Lot 1. At the time she would have had no inkling as to the significance of her block. After the sale she set about running a store on the site. Hearsay tells us there was possibly a hotel there prior to this, more than likely just a tent.
Mary then sold the land to Bridget Cruise, who then built a hotel on the site. And so we have the origin of the Blackwood Hotel, about to have the latest of its incarnations.
As mentioned, Mary would have had no idea her land purchase would end up becoming the centre of our town. Simmons Reef, Golden Point and a fledgling Barrys Reef still had strong claims at this point. One takeout from this story is the major contribution that Blackwood's women have made to our rich fabric, both past and current. I won't begin to list them — perhaps a project for another day.
Our high achieving men are often celebrated, and in most cases rightfully so. Our women also deserve their place in the sun.
Ray Castellin — President, Blackwood and District Historical Society