The New South Wales Government has officially signed off on the heritage listing for Hadley House.

The Castlereagh property has a special meaning for Ray, belonging to his fourth great-grandfather Charles Hadley in the 18th century.

The homestead’s significance is undeniable as one of Australia’s oldest farming estates but keeping it on the map for future generations has been a struggle.

In February this year, the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation assured Ray that Hadley Park would be protected only to go back on its word.

It didn’t end well for Chairman Keith Carew, whose lies were called out live on air.

Mr Carew quickly returned to his original position, supporting Hadley House as a heritage property.

State Planning Minister Anthony Roberts says Governor David Hurley has signed off on a heritage listing for the property, with the government now moving to restore it.

“From there we’ll start to, of course, protect the site further, rebuild it, and turn it into a destination for people to go and see how people in the past used to live and work,” he tells Ray.

Ray has thanked the Minister and the government for preserving the historic location.

“I think it’s very important, from my point of view, that we leave some sort of legacy into the future, where our children… can go and look at places and have a look and feel what it was like back then.”

Click PLAY below to hear from Planning Minister Anthony Roberts 

Ray’s conversation with the Planning Minister prompted a long-lost relative to get in touch.

When Ray’s ancestor Charles Hadley briefly returned to the UK, his wife Sarah became involved with another man.

Listener Terry has emailed in, telling Ray his fourth great-grandfather may have dodged a bullet.

“I’m descended from Sarah and the bloke she went off with, John Griffiths,” Terry writes. “You might say that Charles arrived back home to find he was a free man in more ways than one.”

Ray hopes to catch up with his distant relative at Hadley Park to “compare notes” one day.

Click PLAY below to hear Ray’s long-lost relative get in touch