Beaumont House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaumont House |
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The rear façade of Beaumont House
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Eclectic Romanesque-Classical |
| Town or city | Beaumont, South Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°56′59″S 138°39′39″E / 34.94972°S 138.66083°E |
| Completed | 1851 |
| Client | Bp. Augustus Short |
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South Australian Heritage Register
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| Official name: 'Beaumont House', Stables, Shed and Olive Grove | |
| Designated: | 24 July 1980 |
| Reference #: | 10752 |
Beaumont House, sometimes called Claremont, is a unique house in Beaumont, South Australia. It was built with a mix of old Roman and Greek styles. You can find it at 631 Glynburn Road.
The house was built for Augustus Short, who was the first Anglican bishop (a church leader) in Adelaide. He also started St Peter's Cathedral. The land where the house stands was first owned by Sir Samuel Davenport, a rich landowner in Adelaide.
When Bishop Short moved back to England, Davenport bought the house. Beaumont House had five owners over time. In 1968, it was given to the National Trust of South Australia. It has been a protected heritage site on the South Australian Heritage Register since July 24, 1980.
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History of Beaumont House
The area of Beaumont was planned as a special village by Sir Samuel Davenport in 1848. Beaumont was close to Adelaide, which was growing fast at the time. This made land there very expensive. Even though Adelaide was doing well in the mid-1800s, only a few rich people could afford to live in Beaumont.
Who was Bishop Augustus Short?
Bishop Augustus Short came to Adelaide from England. A senior church leader offered him a choice between two new church areas: Newcastle or Adelaide. He chose Adelaide.
He was officially made a bishop at Westminster Abbey on June 29, 1847. He arrived in Adelaide by ship on December 28, 1847.
Building Beaumont House
Bishop Short wanted to live in Beaumont. He was rich enough to buy a large piece of land from Davenport. Between 1849 and 1851, he had Beaumont House designed and built. It was located on a big plot of land at the end of Glynburn Road. This road connected Beaumont to bigger roads leading to Adelaide city.
Bishop Short named his new home 'Claremont'. He picked this spot in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges because it caught cool breezes from the sea.
Early Residents of Beaumont House
Bishop Short and his family moved into the house in 1851. They lived there until 1856, when their new home, Bishop's Court in North Adelaide, was ready.
In the same year, Sir Samuel Davenport bought Beaumont House and its land from Bishop Short. Davenport lived in a small cottage called 'The Lodge' near the entrance to the Beaumont House driveway. He stayed there until Short moved out of Claremont.
Bishop Short later started St Peter's Cathedral in 1869. After 13 years, he resigned as bishop due to his health and disagreements. He returned to England on January 7, 1882. At that time, the Claremont estate was worth about £8200.
Sir Samuel Davenport was a farmer who grew olives. He planted some olive trees around Beaumont House in 1852. Later, he planted more olive trees from Beaumont on other parts of his land and at his other properties. He also planted mulberry trees on the estate to produce silk.
Davenport lived in Beaumont House until he passed away on September 3, 1906. His wife had passed away earlier, and they had no children. He left most of his property to his nephew, Howard Davenport. Both parts of the South Australian Parliament stopped their work for his funeral to honor him.
Later Owners
In 1907, the estate was sold to a new owner, Major Vincent. He made many changes to the house. Then, in 1911, Mr. Bennet bought it. After he passed away, his wife inherited the house.
Beaumont House was then given to the National Trust of South Australia on August 24, 1968. This gift came from Bennet's widow and her new partner.
House Design and Changes
Beaumont House originally had five bedrooms. It has been made much bigger over time. Most of the big changes happened between 1907 and 1911, when Major Vincent owned it. The house has not been changed much since it was given to the National Trust.
The house looks a lot like Romanesque architecture, which is an old European style. This is mainly because of changes Davenport made. A member of the National Trust explained how Davenport's travels influenced the house's style: "Samuel Davenport traveled a lot. He went to many big world exhibitions that happened every two years. I'm sure what he saw on his travels influenced the design of Beaumont House."
The olive groves are no longer farmed at Beaumont House. However, other features added by Davenport in the Romanesque style are still there. The house is sometimes called 'Mediterranean' because of its red Tuscan-style roof, the olive trees, and the pillars on the outside.
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