Cooma Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cooma Cottage |
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| Location | Yass Valley Way, Marchmont, Yass Valley Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1830–1837 |
| Owner | National Trust of Australia (NSW) |
| Official name: Cooma Cottage; Hamilton Hume's House; Humedale Stud; New Nordrach Institute for Consumption | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 1 March 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1496 |
| Type | Farm |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Builders | Cornelius and Rebecca O'Brien |
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Cooma Cottage is a very old and important house located in Yass, Australia. It was built between 1830 and 1837. This historic place has been known by a few names, including Hamilton Hume's House and Humedale Stud. Today, it is owned by the National Trust of Australia (NSW) and is open for people to visit.
Cooma Cottage is one of the oldest farmhouses still standing in the Yass area. It shows us what early settlers built for their families and workers. The bricks were made by hand, and the woodwork was carefully crafted using local skills. The house started as a small bungalow and grew with many additions over the 1800s.
This cottage is very special because it was the home of Hamilton Hume, a famous Australian explorer, for over 30 years starting in 1839. After his long journeys, Hume became a farmer here. The property also played a part in the early days of Australia's merino wool industry.
Contents
Cooma Cottage: A Historic Home
Who Lived Here?
The Yass area was first explored by Hamilton Hume in 1821. He returned in 1824 during a big trip with Captain William Hovell. Hume later received land here in 1829.
The land where Cooma Cottage stands was first given to a farmer named Henry O'Brien in 1829. In 1833, 100 acres were given to Rebecca O'Brien, who was married to Henry's brother, Cornelius O'Brien. The O'Brien brothers built the first part of the cottage. It was a charming timber house, and Cornelius lived there.
In 1837, a visitor named Thomas Walker said it was a "very nice and comfortable cottage" with lovely gardens.
Hamilton Hume bought the 100 acres from the O'Briens in June 1839. It's said that Hume loved this spot because he had camped there during his famous journey in 1824.
Hume lived at Cooma Cottage for the rest of his life. He added about 20 rooms to the house over the next 20 years. While the house grew, it became a bit of a maze inside, with many rooms that were not always easy to get to. The stables, however, were very well-designed. Hume and his wife, Elizabeth, did not have children. They likely used the original O'Brien rooms, which had a nice verandah facing the Yass River.
The name "Cooma" is interesting. It might come from "County Murray," the area where it is located. The main street in Yass is also called Comur Street, which sounds similar.
Hume was very interested in gardening. In 1850, he got many plants, including mulberry trees, white figs, and apricot trees. He also had a large vineyard at Cooma Cottage in the 1860s.
Hume bought more land in 1862, making his property larger. He and Elizabeth lived at Cooma Cottage until he passed away in 1873. Elizabeth stayed there until about 1875.
After Elizabeth moved, Hamilton's nephew, John Kennedy Hume, inherited Cooma Cottage. John Kennedy Hume lived there with his family for a time. Some of the original furniture from the house was later given to the Yass Historical Society.
In the late 1800s, Cooma Cottage was used as a place for people to recover from illnesses, sometimes called a "sanatorium." It was even called the "New Nordrach Institute for Consumption" for a while. The Yass area has a cool, fresh climate, which was thought to be good for health.
Later, in 1925, the property was used as a horse stud, where horses were bred. It was known as "Humedale Stud" at this time.
Over the years, small parts of the property were taken for road upgrades (the Hume Highway) and power lines.
Saving Cooma Cottage
By 1970, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) became worried about the condition of Cooma Cottage. It was in very bad shape. A resident from Canberra, Mary Griffiths, bought the house and later agreed to transfer it to the National Trust. The Trust promised to spend money to fix it up.
Restoration work began in 1971. The first step was to fix the roof to stop leaks and make the house dry again. The original roof had wooden shingles, but later it was covered with special iron tiles. These tiles were remade, and the roof was completely redone. They also fixed a smaller building called the "Shepherd's Cottage."
More work was done in 1975, including repairing the brickwork and fixing the front of the original timber cottage. The windows and plaster were also repaired.
In 1978–79, the outside of the house was painted, probably for the first time in 100 years. By the end of 1979, the inside of the original O'Brien house was repaired, and the garden was restored.
The final big restoration happened between 1986 and 1988, just in time for Australia's Bicentennial celebrations. Shutters were rebuilt, and the rest of the inside was restored, with new wallpapers. A picket fence in front of the house was also rebuilt. Cooma Cottage officially reopened in 1988.
The National Trust works to keep the cottage's large 100-acre property looking as it did in the past. They also protect the views of the Yass River and other old farms nearby.
A Look Inside and Out
Cooma Cottage is a single-story house made up of different parts. Some parts are timber, and others are solid brick. It has a central enclosed area, like a courtyard. The house has many verandahs, which are covered porches.
The roof is very complex, with 34 different slopes! It is covered with special iron tiles that look like the original ones. Inside, most of the walls are plastered, and the ceilings are made of lath and plaster.
Many of the wooden parts inside, like doors and frames, are made of cedar wood. Some walls were painted, and others had wallpaper. Most of the timber used to build the house was cut by hand.
Gardens and Grounds
The National Trust wants to keep the cottage's setting natural within its 100 acres. They also protect the views of other old farms along the Yass River.
Digging in the ground has shown signs of an old carriage loop in front of the house and areas where garden beds might have been.
A very rare tree, called a palo blanco (Picconia excelsa), grows behind the house. It's related to the olive tree and comes from the Canary Islands. This tree is very rare in Australia, with only about 22 known specimens. It is also almost extinct in its natural home.
Other Buildings
There is a brick stable building next to the main house. Hamilton Hume added these stables and other outbuildings. The coach house, where carriages were kept, is a great example of old farm buildings from the 1800s.
How Cooma Cottage Changed Over Time
- 1830s: The first part of the cottage was built by Cornelius and Rebecca O'Brien.
- 1839: Hamilton Hume bought the 100-acre Cooma Cottage property.
- 1862: Hume bought more land, making the estate larger.
- 1890s: The house was used as a "sanatorium" for people needing to recover from illness.
- 1925: The property became a horse stud, called "Humedale Stud."
- 1938, 1944, 1962: Small parts of the land were used for road upgrades (Hume Highway) and power lines.
- 1971: The National Trust began major restoration work, starting with the roof and the Shepherd's Cottage.
- 1988: Major conservation work was completed, and the house officially reopened.
- 2008: The Shepherd's Cottage was upgraded and is now rented out.
Why is Cooma Cottage Important?
Cooma Cottage is very important for many reasons:
- It was the home of Hamilton Hume, a famous Australian explorer.
- The house shows how buildings grew over time, starting as a small bungalow and becoming a larger, unique home.
- It is one of the oldest surviving farmhouses in southern New South Wales.
- The original cottage is a great example of an early Australian verandah house.
- The buildings are still very much as they were in colonial times, which is rare in Australia.
- The stables and coach house are excellent examples of 19th-century farm buildings.
- The property still looks much like it did in the past, with its original land and views.
- It helps us imagine what life was like for early Australian farmers and pioneers.
- The rare palo blanco tree in the garden is also very important for its natural history.
Images for kids
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Cooma Cottage from the southwest.
