Longreach or Brayton?

Why the name Brayton?

When the first Post Office opened on 1st July 1862, it was on the property ‘Longreach’ and was named after this historic property. The Post Office retained the name Longreach even after the next Post Office building was opened on ‘Barfoots’.

This continued until 15th November 1913 when, with the establishment of a telephone office, it was decided by the residents of the area to call the Post Office ‘Brayton’, this being the name of the property on which the office was established. The reason given for the change of names was that ‘Longreach’ was being confused with its namesake in Queensland.

The strip of land is the area surrounding the Brayton Cemetery. When the Post Office was transferred to a building on ‘Glenraven’ it retained the name of Brayton. Mr Lacey said the property ‘Brayton’ was so named by his great grandmother in honour of her girlhood friend Lily Brayton. Lily Brayton was quite a well known English actress and the Lacey family have an enchanting photograph taken when she was appearing as Katharina in the ‘Taming of the Shrew’.

After the war, Lily Brayton’s photo appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald under the heading “Grandpa’s Pin-Up Girls”.

The name of Lily Brayton lives on in the Brayton area and certainly adds glamour to what is now a quiet rural setting.

Source: author unknown, from a series of articles on Brayton, held in the Regional History Room of Goulburn Library.


Does anyone in your family have recollections of Brayton? Please share their memories.