Joseph Hyde Potts (1793 - 1865) was an accountant and in 1817 was the first employee to be engaged by theBank of New South Wales (now Westpac).[1]
On 9 August 1834 he married Emma Bates (d.1901). The marriage was conducted by the Rev. William Cowper at fashionable St. Phillip's Church.[2] They had four children: Joseph (b. 1835), Harriet (b. 1837), Francis (b. 1839) and Josephine (b. 1843).
In 1830 Potts acquired 64acres of land from Judge-Advocate John Wylde[3] on what was previously known as Paddys Point[4] and Woolloomooloo Hill[5] and renamed it Potts Point. Potts purchased another 369acres in 1834, 470acres in 1835 and a further 625acres in 1835. Potts Hill reservoir and Potts Point are located on a large portion of Joseph Hyde Potts' original land.[6]
In 1841 the Crown granted a further 256acres to Potts, who was at that time Secretary of the Bank of New South Wales, nearwhere Homebush[7] and Australian Catholic University's Mount Royal College campus is located at Strathfield[8] is today.