John Scholey
John Scholey (15 September 1840 – 14 April 1908) was a landowner and businessman who became a prominent figure in Newcastle, New South Wales. He was born in Holbeck, Leeds, England, the son of Stephen Scholey and Anne Spink. His family moved to Australia in the 1850s, returned briefly to England, and then settled back in Australia in 1860, finally making Newcastle their home in 1862. He married Anne Greaves in 1865, and they had seven daughters.
Scholey built up large areas of land around Newcastle and Maitland, including much of the area that became the suburb of Mayfield, which he named after his daughter Ada May. He invested in coal mining and helped form the Richmond Vale Coal Company in 1888. They found large coal seams near Kurri Kurri, and sank the Scholey shaft in 1890. In 1897 the company sold its lease to J & A Brown and Abermain Seaham Collieries, which renamed the operation Richmond Main Colliery. The mine grew to be a major producer and, from 1912, provided electricity for nearby towns. Scholey was also a director of Aberdare Collieries and played a leading role in other ventures, such as the Waratah Municipal Gasworks. He served as an Alderman from 1882 and was Mayor of the Municipality of Waratah three times, as well as a Justice of the Peace and a member of the Newcastle Land Board.
John Scholey died in Mayfield in 1908 and was buried in Sandgate Cemetery. He left his estate to his wife; six of his seven daughters survived him. His grand sandstone home, Mayfield House, still stands today and is used as a youth hostel.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:35 (CET).