Blundells Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blundells Cottage |
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Exterior of the cottage in 2009
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type |
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| Location | Wendouree Dr, Parkes, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°17′35″S 149°08′31″E / 35.293°S 149.142°E |
| Completed | c. 1858 |
| Renovated | c. 1890s; 1960s |
| Client | George Campbell |
| Owner | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Landlord | National Capital Authority (since 1999) |
| Official name: Blundells Farmhouse, Slab Outbuilding and Surrounds, Wendouree Dr, Parkes, ACT, Australia | |
| Type: | Listed place |
| Criteria: | A., B., D., E., H. |
| Designated: | 15 July 2005 |
| Reference #: | 105734 |
Blundells Cottage is a historic stone house in Canberra, Australia. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin. The cottage was built around 1858 by George P. Campbell. It was made for his ploughman, William Ginn. The cottage was on the original Molonglo River floodplain.
The Ginn family lived there until 1874. After them, Flora and George Blundell moved in. They stayed until about 1933. Flora was a local midwife, helping families with new babies. George was a bullock driver for Mr. Campbell. In 1913, the land became part of the new Australian Capital Territory. Even so, the Blundells continued to live in the cottage. Later, Harry and Alice Oldfield lived there from 1933. Blundells Cottage was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List in 2005.
Contents
The Ginn Family: First Residents
The Ginn family were the first people to live in Blundells Cottage. They called it home from about 1860 to 1874. William Ginn (1821-1904) was born in Hertfordshire, England. He came to Australia in 1857 with his wife, Mary Wade, and their two children, Walter and Henry.
- They were hired by George Campbell of Duntroon.
- William worked as a ploughman, preparing fields for crops.
In 1860, George Campbell built the stone cottage for William Ginn. William was known as a very good worker. The Ginn family also rented 90 acres of land. Two more daughters, Agnes (born 1858) and Gertrude (born 1865), were born at Duntroon.
Life and Legacy of the Ginns
Agnes later married Thomas Lawson. She lived on a property called Maudale in Berrima. Gertrude never married. After Agnes's husband died in 1929, both sisters returned to Canberra. Agnes passed away in 1946, and Gertrude in 1953 at 87 years old. A newspaper, The Canberra Times, wrote about Gertrude's life.
By 1874, William Ginn had saved enough money. He bought his own land, 80 acres near Gungahlin. He named his new home "Canberra Park" and built a stone house there. William and Mary lived there until William's death in 1904. His grave is marked by a large stone at St John's Churchyard, Reid. Many Ginn family members are buried there.
William's sons, Walter and Henry, helped him develop the farm. Walter never married and died in 1925. Henry married Elizabeth Winter. She was the daughter of John and Jemima Winter of "Red Hill." The sons inherited "Canberra Park" when William died. Both are also buried at St John's Church, Reid.
The Blundell Family: Sixty Years at the Cottage
After William Ginn left in 1874, George Campbell rented the cottage to George Blundell. George was Campbell's bullock driver. The Blundell family lived in the cottage for the next 60 years. George Blundell (1846-1933) was born in the Canberra area. His father, Joseph Blundell, came to Australia in 1826.
- Joseph was a convict who worked for Robert Campbell, the owner of Duntroon.
- He received his freedom in 1842 and married Susan Osborne.
- They had eleven children.
George Blundell, Joseph's third child, married Flora McLennan (1844-1917). Flora was from the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Her family moved to Australia in 1852 when Flora was seven. They settled near Maitland.
Life at "Poplar Grove"
Right after their wedding, George and Flora moved into Blundell's Cottage. Over the next fifteen years, they had eight children. Flora was well-known as the local community midwife. The family grew crops on the land around the cottage. In 1893, a newspaper reported that "Mr George Blundell has a magnificent crop." At that time, the house was known as "Poplar Grove."
Because their family was growing, George and Flora added to the cottage in 1888. They built a new section on the south side and a verandah at the front. They became respected members of the Canberra community. When Flora died in 1917, her obituary was in the Queanbeyan Age newspaper. George was one of the local pioneers chosen to meet the Duke of York. This happened when Parliament House opened in 1927. George passed away in 1933. After his death, the Oldfield family rented the cottage.
The Oldfield Family: A New Chapter
Harry Oldfield (1885-1942) and his wife Alice Matilda (1888-1958) moved into the cottage in 1933. They continued to farm the land. They supplied milk and eggs to people in the local area. Harry was a stockman from Yaouk, Adaminaby. He was known as a skilled horseman.
- A newspaper obituary described Harry as a "neatly dressed shepherd."
- He rode his "beautiful black mare."
- He had amazing experiences as a station overseer, drover, and stockman.
Harry died in 1942, but Alice continued to live at the cottage. In 1957, The Australian Women's Weekly newspaper wrote an article about Canberra residents. Alice Oldfield was one of the people they interviewed. She talked about her life at the cottage.
- The interviewer called Alice "the happiest woman I found in Canberra."
- The cottage was described as having a "genuine camp-oven, slab kitchen, shingles, and kerosene lamps."
- Electricity had not yet reached the cottage.
- Alice told the interviewer, "You wouldn't catch me living in any other place."
- She added, "even though I have to chop up three tons of firewood each winter."
Alice died in 1958 and was buried at St John's Church in Reid.
Preserving Blundells Cottage
After Alice Oldfield passed away in 1958, there were plans to knock down the cottage. However, Sir William Holford suggested that the cottage should be saved. He thought it would make a great museum. The National Capital Development Commission renovated the cottage.
- The Canberra and District Historic Society managed it as a museum until 1990.
- Today, the National Capital Authority manages Blundells Cottage.
- It is open to the public as a museum.
Blundells Cottage is very important because it is one of the few stone buildings of its kind. It has survived almost perfectly in the Australian Capital Territory. It shows us what life was like on a farm estate in the 1800s.
In 1983, the cottage was listed on the Register of the National Estate. This list no longer exists. In 2005, it was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List. In 2013, the ACT Government decided not to list it on the Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register. This was because the ACT Heritage Act does not directly affect land owned by the Australian Government. Also, the cottage was already protected by the Commonwealth Heritage List.
Gallery
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Side exterior of the cottage
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Gertrude and Agnes Ginn
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Flora Blundell in about 1900
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Alice Oldfield in 1957 at Blundells Cottage
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Blundells Cottage in 1955 when it was occupied by Alice Oldfield
