William O’Donnell is on duty Traditional Cache

A few free settlers took advantage of the opportunity to settle in l8l8 at Maitland and three grants of land were made, William O’Donnell’s grant was of 33 acres and included Abbot and Sparke Streets. He built the first home in West Maitland - a small ironbark slab structure with a bark roof, on the site now included in the western corner of Browne’s monumental yards. the rise may have been an old rail crossing or may have been Train Maintenance area