Abercrombie House facts for kids
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Abercrombie House is a beautiful old house built in the 1870s in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It was built by the Stewart family, who were important pioneers in the Bathurst area.
The story of the house begins with William Stewart, who came to Australia from England in 1825. At that time, Australia was a penal colony, meaning it was a place where prisoners were sent. William was a high-ranking official, almost like the second-in-command for running New South Wales. He was given land in Bathurst as a reward for his good work. Later, William Stewart's oldest son, James, built Abercrombie House.
This house is very important historically. It's listed on several special registers, like the National Trust Register, the New South Wales Heritage Register, and the Australian Heritage Database. These listings mean it's a protected and valued piece of history. Experts describe it as an amazing example of Victorian Tudor style architecture. It's made of granite with sandstone details and has two main floors plus an attic. One of its most striking features is its unique gables (the triangular parts of the roof) with iron decorations on top.
The property, which includes the house and about 50 acres of land, is currently owned by the Rex Henry Morgan Family. Since 1969, the Morgan family has worked hard to restore the house to its original glory. Today, Christopher Morgan and his family live there.
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The Stewart Family's Story
James Horne Stewart, William Stewart's son, started building Abercrombie House around 1870. Back then, it was called "The Mount." It took eight years to finish building this grand home. A photo from 1893, taken about 15 years after it was built, shows how it looked then. James lived in the house until he passed away in 1920, at the age of 95.
James was born in 1825 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He moved to Australia with his family when he was ten years old, in 1835. In 1855, he married Harriet Eliza Boyce in Sydney. Harriet's father, the Reverend William Boyce, was a very well-known clergyman. James and Harriet had five children together: three sons and two daughters.
James Stewart was known for being a kind landlord. Many newspaper articles from his time mentioned his generosity. For example, during times of drought, he would cut the rent for his tenant farmers by half. This helped families avoid too much hardship during difficult times.
After James died in 1920, his son Athol took over managing the property. Athol was born at Abercrombie House in 1867. He married Frances Helen McDougall (who was called Helen) in 1905. After his wife passed away in 1927, Athol closed up the house and moved to Sydney. The house then sat empty and slowly started to fall apart until the Morgan family bought it.
The Morgan Family's Restoration
In late 1968, Rex Morgan and his wife Mary bought Abercrombie House from James Stewart's great-grandson. Rex Morgan is a famous educator who has received national honors three times.
One of the conditions of the sale was that the house's name had to be changed. The Morgans chose "Abercrombie House." This name was a nod to the local shire (a type of county) called Abercrombie. It also honored General Sir Ralph Abercrombie, a military leader whom William Stewart had served under in the 1790s.
The Morgan family immediately began a huge project to completely restore the house and its property. In 1969, they started offering public tours of the house, allowing people to learn about its history and see its beauty. These tours continue to this day.
The Historic Gates at Abercrombie House
The secondary gates at Abercrombie House are actually much older than the house itself, which was built in 1870. These gates originally came from Toxteth Park in Sydney, which is now St Scholastica's College. Toxteth Park was built in 1829, so the gates likely date back to that time.
Toxteth Park was the home of Sir George Wigram Allen, who was the brother-in-law of Harriet Stewart (James Horne Stewart's wife). In 1901, Toxteth Park was sold to the Good Samaritan Sisters. They wanted to bring gates from their old convent to the property. So, the gates from Toxteth Park were no longer needed and were moved to Abercrombie House.
In the early 1900s, Arthur Wigram Allen, Harriet's nephew, visited his relatives at Abercrombie House. Arthur's mother, Lady (Marian) Allen, was Harriet's sister. Arthur took a photograph of the gates, noting that they came from Toxteth Park.
Abercrombie House in the Edwardian Era====Photographs by Arthur Wigram Allen====A Glimpse into the Past====Life at Abercrombie House in the Early 1900s
Arthur Wigram Allen was a well-known lawyer in Sydney. However, he is most remembered today for the many photographs he took, which are now kept at the NSW State Library. An exhibition of some of his photos, called "An Edwardian Summer," was held in 2010-2011 at the Sydney Museum. You can find more information about this event here.
When Arthur visited his Aunt Harriet at Abercrombie House during the Edwardian era (the early 1900s), he took several photos of the property. These pictures give us a wonderful look at what life was like at Abercrombie House over a hundred years ago.
Images for kids
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Abercrombie House in 1909. From left to right: Ethel Allen (Arthur Allen's wife), Harriet Stewart, Albyn Stewart (Harriet's son), Helen Austin (a friend of the Allens) and Miss Lindsay.
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A room inside Abercrombie House in 1901.
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A carriage parked outside Abercrombie House in 1901.
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Harriet Stewart in 1909.
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Frances Helen Stewart (called Helen), wife of Athol Stewart, in 1909.
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A distant view of Abercrombie House in 1909.
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The gates at Abercrombie House that came from Toxteth Park, photographed in 1909.
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Abercrombie House in 1901, View 1.
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Abercrombie House in 1901, View 2.
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Abercrombie House in 1901, View 3.
See Also
- Bathurst, New South Wales
- Rex Henry Morgan
- Toxteth Park, Glebe
