Culwalla Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Culwalla Homestead |
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| Location | 2km east of Jamberoo Main Road, Jamberoo, Municipality of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1858–1858 |
| Official name: Culwalla Homestead | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 447 |
| Type | Homestead building |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders | James Marks |
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Culwalla Homestead is a special old house located near Jamberoo, New South Wales, Australia. It was built in 1858. This historic home was once part of a dairy farm. Today, it is a private residence. It is protected because of its important history and unique design. The house is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.
Contents
History of Culwalla Homestead
Who Built Culwalla?
Culwalla Homestead was built in 1858 by James Marks. His brother also built another important house nearby. This house was called Terragong House. Both houses were built around the same time.
James and his brother came from an important local family. Their father, also named James Marks, was an early settler in the area. He owned the second inn in Kiama in 1842. Both brothers married daughters of William Moffitt. He was a bookseller from Pitt Street in Sydney.
How the Land Was Divided
Terragong House stands on land first given to Malcolm Campbell in 1830. He was in charge of convicts at Coolangatta. Mr. Campbell built a brick cottage there. He then moved to Sydney and died in 1837.
Two people claimed his land after he died. They were James Marks and Ewen Campbell. Eventually, the 500 acres of land were split between them.
Protecting Culwalla's History
In 1985, the owners of Culwalla were planning to divide and sell the property. They asked for a special order to protect the house. This helped them restore and maintain the building. The restoration work was finished in the late 1980s.
On April 2, 1999, Culwalla Homestead was officially added to the State Heritage Register. This means it is now a protected historical site.
What Culwalla Homestead Looks Like
Culwalla Homestead sits on a beautiful spot above the Jamberoo Valley. It is a well-known landmark in the area. North of the house, you can still see parts of an old, large garden. It now has some old trees and bushes. The areas to the south, west, and east are covered in grass. There is also a separate timber garage and laundry building.
The Main House
Culwalla is a beautiful old Georgian-style house. It is one of the oldest buildings still standing in the Kiama area. It looks much like it did when it was first built. The house shows a traditional colonial design. Its details suggest it was built in the mid-Victorian period.
The walls are made from local basalt stone. They are covered with a smooth finish on the outside. This finish makes the walls look like they are made of large, cut stones. Inside, the walls are plastered. Most of the wooden parts, like doors and window frames, are made of fine, polished native cedar wood.
The hipped roof (a roof that slopes down on all sides) still has its original wooden shingles. These are covered by later corrugated iron sheets. There are some small brick additions to the old kitchen area. All the chimneys are made of sandstock bricks.
Inside and Outside Details
The house has one floor. It is designed symmetrically, meaning both sides are the same. It has timber verandahs (porches) at the front and back. There is also a kitchen wing attached to one side. The roof keeps its original timber shingles under the corrugated iron. The floors are made of wide pine boards. The ceilings have painted wooden boards and plaster cornices (decorative moldings).
Inside, the house is in excellent condition. Outside, it is generally good. Only some verandah flooring and a corner were damaged by small earthquakes. The Spinks family bought the house in the late 1800s. Sydney's first "skyscraper," built in 1912, was named Culwalla Chambers after this house.
The main part of the house has a central hallway. There are three rooms on each side of this hallway. The front verandah wraps around three sides of the house. The back verandah has a concrete floor. It ends with two small rooms, one larger than the other. The kitchen wing is at the back on the west side. It has its own hipped roof and a verandah that is now enclosed. This enclosed area was probably a pantry.
The timber verandah has posts that get narrower at the top. They have simple, classic-style capitals (the top part of a column). The verandah also has decorative scalloped timber edges. Steps made of stone lead up to the front verandah. You can still see parts of old cast iron boot scrapers on the sides of the steps. The front and side walls of the house seem to have their original colors. The walls were a yellow-brown color, and the wooden parts were Venetian red.
The main front rooms have French windows on the sides. Above these windows are decorative cedar panels. All the door frames are paneled to match the doors. The front door has five panels. Its top panels are now glass. This door seems to be a replacement from the Edwardian period. Inside doors have four panels. The doors leading to the back verandah have six panels.
Most windows have 12 panes and slide up and down. Some windows have cedar panels that go from the windowsill to the floor. The French doors leading to the side verandahs have wide architraves (decorative frames around doors or windows). These frames reach up to the picture rail line. The space below is filled with a cedar board. Most windows are the colonial twelve-paned style.
All the chimney pieces are made of fluted cedar wood. They have round decorations, except for one made of white marble. Three chimney pieces have round decorations at the corners and vertical grooves (fluting). They have a wide, simple mantel shelf. The largest front room has a white marble chimney piece. It has classical console brackets (decorative supports). All fireplaces have elegant cast iron inserts and grates. All the cedar wood in the main rooms is polished. This includes the skirtings (baseboards) and architraves.
Changes Over Time
Most changes to the house involve the ceilings of the back rooms and verandahs. Some parts of the verandahs have also been enclosed. The small room on the southeast side was turned into a bathroom around 1960. It looks like the small rooms, kitchen wing, and back verandah were partly or completely rebuilt around 1900 or later.
Why Culwalla Homestead is Important
Culwalla Homestead is very important to the history of New South Wales. It is a large and mostly untouched Georgian farmhouse. It is one of the oldest homes still standing in the Kiama area. The house is connected to its first owner, James Marks, and his family. The Spinks family also lived there for most of the 1900s.
It is a great example of traditional building methods. It shows excellent craftsmanship. Local materials were used, such as freestone, native red cedar, and hardwood. The house is on a beautiful site above the Jamberoo Valley. It is a well-known landmark in the district.
Culwalla Homestead was officially added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
