Lilianfels, Home of the Chief Justice of NSW

This splendid country home was built by Sir Frederick Matthew Darley, Chief Justice of New South Wales from 1886 to 1910 and Lieutenant Governor from 1891 to 1910. It sits near to the cliff edge in the Blue Mountains at Katoomba in a spectacular position.

Its history is tragic. Lilianfels is named after Darley's daughter Lilian and "fels" for crag in German. Lilian had TB and her father must have thought that the cooler mountain air would help her, but alas she died before the House was completed.

Frederick Darley is a fascinating example of a British Imperial lawyer and official. He was born in Bray County Wicklow in Ireland in 1830 - a member of the Protestant ascendancy. He followed his father into the Irish bar and graduated from Trinity College Dublin.

After practising at the English bar, he returned to Ireland. Reading between the lines perhaps he was not too successful. He emigrated to Sydney in 1862 having been persuaded that prospects were better there. He prospered and for 28 years was a leading Sydney barrister representing prosecution or defence in all the major cases of the period.

Darley took a considerable pay cut to become Chief Justice of NSW in 1886. He then became a leading official in NSW and then the British Empire. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 1891 and ran the NSW Government in the gaps between Governors no less than seven times. He was in this role doing Federation in 1900-1902.

He visited England in 1902 and was clearly seen as a "safe pair of hands", since he was appointed to the Royal Commission on the South African War in which Australian troops had served with distinction and some controversy (Breaker Morant).

He received the full range of colonial honours - knighted CMG in 1897, KCMG in 1897 and GCMG in 1901. The orders were known by wits of the day as "Call me God"; "Kindly Call me God" and "God Calls me God".

Darley became a member of the Privy Council in 1905 - a crowning appointment, and died in 1910 - in London, whilst still Chief Justice of NSW.