Booloominbah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Booloominbah |
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Booloominbah at night
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| Location | 60 Madgwick Drive, Armidale, Armidale Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1884–1888 |
| Architect | John Horbury Hunt |
| Owner | University of New England |
| Official name: Booloominbah; The Hill | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 8 November 2006 |
| Reference no. | 1768 |
| Type | Homestead building |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders | William Seabrook and John Thomas Brown. |
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Booloominbah is a grand, historic mansion located in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the famous architect John Horbury Hunt in a style called Federation Arts and Crafts. Built between 1884 and 1888, it was first a private home for the wealthy White family. Later, it became the very first building for the New England University College, which grew into the University of New England. Today, the university still owns Booloominbah. It is used for offices, a cafe, a bar, and events. This important building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2006.
History of Booloominbah
Early Indigenous History
Before Europeans arrived, the land around Armidale was home to the Indigenous Anaiwan people. They had strong trading connections with other groups. The area also provided special volcanic rock for making tools and for ceremonies.
After European settlers came to Armidale, the Anaiwan people set up a camp nearby. They formed close ties with large farm owners, especially the White family. Some Anaiwan people even worked at Booloominbah as household staff.
The White Family's Grand Home
Frederick Robert White was a very successful farmer who owned many sheep properties. In 1860, he married Sarah Amelia Arndell. Frederick was involved in building churches and often hired architect John Horbury Hunt for his projects.
The White family worked together to buy more land. In 1877, Frederick bought land near Armidale. He wanted to move his family there because he believed the New England climate was healthier. The decision was final when a new railway line was planned to go through Armidale in 1880. White bought even more land, which is now part of the University of New England campus.
The first plans for Booloominbah were ready in 1882 or 1883. Construction began in 1884. Frederick White paused the building work to take his family to Great Britain and Europe for a year. The family returned around 1885, and the house was mostly finished by 1887. Because of all the fancy interior decorations, the family didn't move in until 1888.
Frederick White continued to manage his farms while Booloominbah was being built. His family was very involved in the farming community. In 1891, his oldest daughter, Kate, married Thomas Richmond Forster. Kate often returned to Booloominbah to have her children. This showed how much the family wanted it to be a true family home.
Frederick White passed away in 1903. He left a lot of money to churches and hospitals. Sarah White, his wife, lived in Booloominbah for another 30 years. During World War I, from 1916 to 1919, Sarah let the Red Cross use part of the house. It became a place for wounded soldiers to recover. After Sarah died in 1933, the family struggled to sell the house during the Great Depression.
Booloominbah Becomes a University
Frederick White believed strongly in education. He wanted his grandchildren to have the chance to go to university. This is why his son-in-law, Thomas Forster, suggested donating Booloominbah to help start a university college in Armidale.
The idea of a university in Armidale had been around since 1922. People wanted to make higher education more available to everyone, not just the very rich. There was also a movement called the New England New State Movement (NSM). This group wanted the New England region to become its own state. They saw a university in Armidale as a key part of this plan.
In 1934, the Minister for Education, David Henry Drummond, said the government would support a university college if £10,000 could be raised. It was hard to raise the money. So, Forster's idea to donate Booloominbah helped make the university happen. The University of Sydney was finally convinced, and teaching began on March 15, 1938.
Booloominbah needed many changes to become a university. Walls were removed to create a dining hall. The laundry became a kitchen. A flat was built for the warden, which meant taking down a chimney. In the early years, all students lived in Booloominbah or nearby buildings. They all ate together in the dining hall.
By 1945, there were 180 students. The college wanted to become independent from the University of Sydney. After much discussion and delays, the University of New England officially became its own university on February 1, 1954.
For a long time, Booloominbah remained the main building. Students loved the building and even protested when administrators wanted to paint over its old decorations. As the university grew, more buildings were constructed. By the 1960s, students moved out of Booloominbah, and it became mostly administrative offices. Today, Booloominbah is still a central part of the university. It has had restoration work done to fix the roof, brickwork, and stained glass.
The Architect: John Horbury Hunt
John Horbury Hunt was born in Canada in 1838. He moved to Australia in 1863 and joined a famous architectural firm. Hunt was known for his strong personality and new ideas. He soon started his own practice. He became very popular with wealthy families, including the White family. Hunt designed many buildings for them, from farm sheds to grand houses like Booloominbah.
Beautiful Interior Designs
The amazing interior design of Booloominbah was created by Andrew Wells of Lyon, Wells and Cottier. Wells trained in Glasgow, Scotland. He was influenced by the Gothic Revival style, but he also added Japanese and Renaissance touches. His style was known for its colors and delicate line work.
Wells came to Australia in 1887. He was very skilled at transforming different materials into beautiful designs. His work at Booloominbah is one of the best examples of his ten years in Australia.
Changes Over Time
- Mid-1890s: A three-story section was added. It included service rooms, bedrooms for servants, and a billiard room.
- 1900-1903: A tower with a flat roof was added to help with water pressure.
- 1938: The building was changed to be used by the university.
- 1940: The kitchen chimney and an outside wall were removed.
- 1948: The terracotta roof tiles were replaced, and a sprinkler system was installed.
- 1952: Some new walls were put up inside.
- 1964: The water tank and roofing were replaced again.
What Booloominbah Looks Like
The Grounds and Gardens
Booloominbah is set up like a grand English country estate. It has two driveways, gates, a dam, and even a deer park. The main driveway is lined with beautiful English elm trees.
The house and deer park are surrounded by many old trees. These include European elms and poplars.
Booloominbah has three distinct gardens: north, south, and east. The northern garden is mostly a lawn area with a hedge around it. The gardens to the south and east are also lawns with large trees. These trees include a Bunya pine, Atlas cedar, and Himalayan pine. A report from 1992 mentioned a rose garden to the south of the house.
The House Itself
Booloominbah is probably the largest private house built in Australia in the 1800s. Only the official homes of governors in Melbourne, Sydney, and Hobart were bigger.
It has four main reception rooms, a billiards room, and a smoking room. There are five main bedrooms, seven smaller bedrooms, and four bathrooms. It also has special rooms for children, and large reception and stair halls. There are even two extra staircases for staff.
The house's design was very modern for its time (1883–1888). It was inspired by the "artistic house" style popular in England. This style was not common in Australia until much later. Booloominbah's large size and complex layout show the influence of grand English country houses. It also had new technologies for the time, like mechanical bells, gas lighting, and running water.
The style of the house is heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement from England. It also shows elements of the American Shingle Style. The roof is covered with terracotta tiles.
Amazing Stained Glass Windows
The house is beautifully decorated with lots of stained glass. Booloominbah has more stained glass than any other house designed by Hunt. This shows how much Frederick and Sarah White loved this type of art. All the main rooms and the children's nursery have stained glass.
The main stair hall has a huge window. It shows scenes from the life of General Charles George Gordon, a famous hero. This window was made by a British company called Lavers, Barraud and Westlake. It is the largest stained glass window in a private home in Australia. General Gordon was known for his bravery in wars and for helping working-class boys in England. His death in 1885 made him a Victorian hero.
Frederick White chose General Gordon for the window, even though his architect, Hunt, disagreed. This choice showed White's belief in strong leadership and his loyalty to the British Empire. The stained glass throughout Booloominbah shows the White family's background, loyalties, and values.
The stained glass in the main rooms was made by Lyon, Wells and Cottier. The library has images of famous writers like Shakespeare and Scott. The drawing room shows a classical muse playing a lyre. In the dining room, the windows show English farm scenes and traditional meats. The main bedroom window shows the Four Seasons. The children's nursery has pictures from popular nursery rhymes.
Many of the stained glass windows also feature Australian animals and plants. The classical muse in the dining room includes native birds and animals like bandicoots, possums, and kangaroos. The Four Seasons window has kookaburras, cockatoos, Waratahs, and wattles. The panels around the verandah door are only native birds and flowers. This was a very early use of Australian designs in art.
Inside Decorations
Besides stained glass, Booloominbah's interior was decorated with painted designs and furniture. These decorations added to Hunt's simple interior design, which was a big contrast to his fancy exteriors. The Stair Hall is very impressive, with a large, gothic-style fireplace.
The interior colors followed the fashion of the time. They used dull greens and reds, with brown wood and light ceilings. Because Booloominbah was so big, painted decorations were often on archways and pillars. They showed vases, birds, plants, and flowers.
The dining room is one of the most decorated rooms and has been restored. Its walls are olive green with gold stars on the ceiling. The fireplace area, called an inglenook, has mythical lion-like creatures. Above the fireplace, kookaburras and rosellas perch on vines. A ribbon of text reads, "Not Meat But Cheerfulness Makes The Feast." This shows the Victorian values of the White family. Even though Andrew Wells was new to Australia, his depictions of the birds are still amazing.
Booloominbah is important because it shows how the White family, architect John Horbury Hunt, and the decorating firm Lyon, Wells and Cottier worked together. It is a great example of how wealthy people used art to show their success.
Condition of the Building
As of 2006, Booloominbah was in good physical condition. Its outside features were excellent. The main structure of the building is still intact.
Why Booloominbah is Important
Booloominbah is very important to the history of New South Wales for many reasons:
- It is one of the largest private country houses built in Australia in the 1800s. It is also one of the earliest and most modern examples of the Arts and Crafts style.
- The house shows the wealth and power of the farming industry in New South Wales during the late 1800s.
- The donation of Booloominbah helped start the New England University College. This was the first university college in Australia not located in a capital city. This shows how important the White family, local churches, and community groups were in making Armidale a major education center.
- Booloominbah is a great example of the work of architect John Horbury Hunt. He was a very important and skilled architect in New South Wales.
- The house is strongly connected to the White family, who were very influential in the farming industry.
- It is an early example of the Arts and Crafts style in Australia, built 20 years before the style became popular. Hunt cleverly added verandahs to suit Australia's climate.
- The house has one of the largest collections of stained glass with Australian plants and animals. The "Gordon Window" is a special highlight.
- Booloominbah is important because it shows how the owner, architect, and decorators worked together to create a grand home.
- It represents the public face of the University of New England. It is a memorable place for thousands of students. There are even student traditions about Booloominbah, like how the wisteria flowers signal study time.
- The house helps us understand the history of architecture in New South Wales.
- It is the largest house ever designed by John Horbury Hunt.
- Booloominbah is a great example of a large home built by wealthy farmers in Australia.
