Sydney University Book of Remembrance

Gregson, Edward Jesse “Rid”

Photo Nov. 1917

B.A.: Lieutenant, 8th Battery, Garrison Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force, France. Enlisting at Toronto in the Field Artillery in August, 1914 and sailing in October with 1st Canadian Division, crossed to France early in 1915, served in 2nd Battle of Ypres and was evacuated to England due to an injury in April, 1916. Upon recovery passed through various schools, was commissioned early in 1917, and returned to above unit as lieutenant in November, serving till demobilisation and then returning to Australia. Early education at All Saints'' College, Bathurst. Later at St. Paul’s College and Cornell University, New York.

Sydney University Book of Remembrance.

Surrounded as Mt Wilson is by bushland, the children of the 20s and 30s had the endless delights of bush picnics often led by Edward Jesse Gregson, Helen’s father and a fine amateur botanist. As Helen describes them: “the billy was boiled and some times chops grilled. Then there were the Bogey Holes, a series of dark waterholes overshadowed by rocks – “there surely must be a bunyip”.

The children also gathered at Windyridge with Miss Helen Gregson, Edward’s sister. Here a children’s playground was created including the Maypole, the Giant’s Stride, monkey bars and a seesaw. Lemon syrup and biscuits were offered as refreshments. Miss Gregson was a great believer in developing a sense of adventure in children.

Gregson, Jesse (1837 - 1919)

Born in Kent, England, on 4 August 1837 and died at Leura, N.S.W., on 3 August 1919.

He arrived in Australia in 1856 and took a position on Cassilis Station in Queensland, but later became a partner in Mount Rainsworth Station and managed it for 12 years. In 1875 he became Assistant Superintendent and shortly afterwards Superintendent of the Australian Agricultural Company, holding the latter position until 1905.

Shortly after Gregson was appointed to the position of Superintendent (1876), he bought a small holiday property at Mt Wilson, in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales. He had been keenly interested in botany from the time of his arrival in Australia and made a detailed and careful collection of plants, especially in the Mt Wilson area, which has a rich basaltic soil and a high rainfall. He was particularly interested in eucalypts and the specimens he collected were sent to the National Herbarium in Sydney. This led to a friendship with J. H. Maiden and to the latter accompanying Gregson on collecting excursions. All his botanical specimens are at the Herbarium.

He is honoured in the name Eucalyptus Gregsoniana jointly with his son, Edward Jesse. L. Johnson & D. Blaxell (1973 Source: Extracted from: Hall, N. (1978) Botanists of the eucalypts. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Melbourne

Surrounded as Mt Wilson is by bushland, the children of the 20s and 30s had the endless delights of bush picnics often led by Edward Jesse Gregson, Helen’s father and a fine amateur botanist. As Helen describes them: “the billy was boiled and sometimes chops grilled. Then there were the Bogey Holes, a series of dark waterholes overshadowed by rocks – “there surely must be a bunyip”.

Australian National Herbarium - updated 13 November, 2007 by webmaster (

Obituary Bathurstian 1956 P.64 Died Katoomba 25/10/55