Berrima Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Berrima Inn |
|
|---|---|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Jellore Street, Berrima, Wingecarribee Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Official name: Berrima Inn; McMahon's Inn; | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 103 |
| Type | Inn/Tavern |
| Category | Commercial |
| Builders | Brian McMahon |
The Berrima Inn is a very old building in Berrima, Australia. It used to be an inn, which is like a guesthouse or small hotel. Over the years, it has also been a cafe, a craft shop, and a restaurant. Today, it is a private home. This historic building is also known as McMahon's Inn. It was built by Brian McMahon and is officially recognized as an important heritage site in New South Wales.
Contents
History of Berrima Inn
How Berrima Town Started
Berrima is one of the oldest European towns in the Wingecarribee Shire. The first settlement in this area was in 1821 at Bong Bong. In 1829, a surveyor named Sir Thomas Mitchell chose the spot for Berrima. He was planning a new road from Sydney.
In 1830, Mitchell had the town marked out. He designed it like an old English village. It had a central market area. The town was named using a local Aboriginal word. Berrima was meant to be the main business and government center for the County of Camden.
Bryan McMahon and His Inn
In 1832, Bryan McMahon received one of the first land grants in Berrima. He got the land where the Berrima Inn now stands. McMahon had worked as an innkeeper before. The Berrima Inn was one of the first inns to open in Berrima. Other early inns included the Surveyor-General Inn.
By 1834, McMahon had built the inn. It was made of simple brick. It had traditional 12-pane windows and a hipped roof. This style is called Colonial Georgian cottage style. A verandah, or covered porch, faced the street. In 1834, this inn received the very first inn license in Berrima. It operated as an inn until 1848. After that, it became the home for Brian McMahon and his family. McMahon passed away two years later.
Later Owners and Uses
Bryan Patrick McMahon, Bryan's son, inherited the property. In 1862, he sold the Berrima Inn to Francis Breen. Breen was also an innkeeper. He already owned another hotel in Berrima. The official land grant for the inn was transferred to Breen in 1862.
From 1862 until the 1990s, the Berrima Inn was a private home. In the 1990s, it became a shop selling crafts. Since then, it has been used as both a restaurant or cafe and a private home. In 2005, it changed back from being the Bantam Cafe to a private residence.
What Does Berrima Inn Look Like?
The Berrima Inn building and a simple two-car garage are the only structures on this property. The building is still connected to Jellore Street and the Wingecarribee River.
The inn is a simple building made of brick. It was built by 1834 to be an inn. It has traditional colonial windows with 12 small glass panes. It also has a hipped roof, which slopes down on all four sides. This is part of the Colonial Georgian cottage style. A verandah with square posts faces the street. Later, an extension was added to match the original building.
Why Berrima Inn is Special
The Berrima Inn is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it is recognized as an important historical building in New South Wales. It was added to the register on April 2, 1999.
