A descendant of a Lake Macquarie pioneer has called for a historical injustice to be rectified with the creation of a plaque in one of the Hunter's most scenic reserves.
Michelle Lunn has formally written to Lake Macquarie City Council and mayor Adam Shultz requesting a plaque be installed in the Green Point Reserve at Valentine to acknowledge her family's historical ownership of the site and their gifting of the asset to the community.
Ms Lunn is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Lunn, an early pioneer of Belmont who emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in 1862.
A year later Benjamin Lunn, along with fellow Belmont pioneers including Maurice Marks, became a shareholder in the Cardiff Coal Company. Mr Lunn's 100 shares passed to his eldest son James Lunn on Benjamin's death in 1878.
The Cardiff Coal Company's 221 hectares of holdings included land on the Lake Macquarie foreshore near the Belmont 16s Footers up to Green Point Reserve.
In 1888 James Lunn purchased 34 acres at Belmont from Maurice Marks in the vicinity of the present Sails Holiday Park and Sid Toon Park, where a family home was established.
Generations of the Lunn family lived in Belmont and played pivotal roles in developing the suburb's sailing community and the Belmont 16s.
Meanwhile, the Cardiff Coal Company lay mostly dormant, and in 1938, the Belmont Colliery Pty Ltd took over the mining lease, which later passed to Leslie Savage in 1973.
Mining continued until 1982, and then the focus turned to developing one of the largest portions of undeveloped waterside land in Lake Macquarie.
During the 1980s there were several plans proposed to develop the site.
These included a casino and a 1750-lot residential subdivision, but those plans were refused by the Lake Macquarie council following a campaign from the public.
However, nearly half a century later in 1989, the Lunn family launched legal action in the NSW Supreme Court alleging that documents transferring share holdings from the Cardiff Coal Company were forged in either 1938 or 1976.
In 1994 the NSW Supreme Court ruled in the Lunn family's favour. An appeal was dismissed in 1998.
By 1995 the late developer Jeff McCloy struck a deal to develop 58 hectares for residential housing, and 154 hectares were set aside for the council's Green Point Reserve.
Today Green Point is one of the Hunter's most treasured public reserves, filled with accessible walking trails and majestic lake views from Sea Eagle Lookout.
Michelle Lunn said she seeks no "adversarial legal action or financial compensation from the council", and her request is about "dignity, closure, and recognition" for her family.
"I see it [the plaque] being there [Sea Eagle Lookout], and I'd like to see something with the history there going all the way back," Ms Lunn said.
"Not to be egoistical, but I look at Marks Point; our family were mates with [Maurice] Marks, and we've got nothing.
"They renamed it Green Point.
"You can't go renaming things, I understand that, but it would be nice if they had a plaque."
Ms Lunn, who lives in Brisbane, said she became motivated to have her family's legacy in Belmont recognised following the horrific death of her father and businessman Phil Lunn in 2012.
Phil Lunn, 64, who was the managing director of crane and heavy-lifting company Lampson Australia, was murdered by Michael Cumins, 57, of Edgeworth at his Fishing Point home.
Cumins shot himself dead after killing Phil Lunn.
"I've got his ashes and I've been holding onto them because I've really got nowhere to take them," Michelle Lunn said.
"It's not just about taking my dad's ashes somewhere that belongs to the rest of the family; I'd like some history there."
A spokesperson for Lake Macquarie City Council said signage for Green Point Reserve was planned for a review prior to Ms Lunn's letter.
"We are investigating a refresh of signage throughout the Green Point Reserve precinct," the spokesperson said.
"This will include a more detailed explanation of the site's cultural and natural significance and its history before and since European settlement.
"We will also review the information provided by the Lunn family with a view towards referencing it on our Lake Mac History website."
The spokesperson said any update to plaques or message boards in the reserve would require a thorough historical evaluation.
"Our staff, including our heritage and museum lead, work closely with various stakeholders, including historical associations, to compile this information," they said.
"Consultation and research can also include external heritage professionals and in-person interviews with family members, where appropriate."
