Dayton House, Seven Hills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dayton House |
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Heritage boundaries
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| Location | 37-39 Roger Place, Seven Hills, City of Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1834 |
| Official name: Dayton House; Bates Farm | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 325 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
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Dayton House is a very old farm house located in Seven Hills, New South Wales, Australia. It was built way back in 1834! It's also known as Bates Farm. This special house is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's an important part of history and needs to be protected. It was added to this list on April 2, 1999.
Contents
The Story of Dayton House
How Bates Farm Began
Dayton House, also known as Bates Farm, sits on land that was first given to a person named Lewis Henry Campbell. This land was quite large, about 120 acres.
Later, in September 1827, Campbell sold the land to a man named James Bates. At that time, the land was described by its location near the new road to Richmond. It was also close to other land owned by people like William Hill and George Parsley.
James Bates's Journey
James Bates arrived in Sydney in October 1819. He had been sent to Australia after being found guilty of stealing cotton in London in 1818. He was 20 years old and worked as a labourer.
By 1821, James Bates was living in Parramatta. He was given permission to marry Elizabeth Alcock. He worked for the government lumberyard. A few years later, he became a nail maker.
In 1828, a census showed that Bates's 120 acres of land had 60 acres cleared. He had 10 acres where he grew crops. He also owned three horses and 16 cattle. His family included his wife, Elizabeth, and their three young sons: Abraham, James Junior, and Isaac.
In 1829, James Bates put out a warning. He told people not to trespass on his farm in Prospect. He made it clear that the land was his property.
Changes to the Land
Around 1830, a new road was built. This road, now partly known as Blacktown Road, went right through Bates's land. James Bates asked the government for help. He wanted them to build fences or give him more land as a trade. He kept asking for this help until 1833.
In 1831, Bates also asked for the official ownership papers for his land. He finally received these papers in August 1834. The papers described his 120 acres in detail.
Sadly, James Bates passed away in November 1834.
The House and the Family After James Bates
It seems the house was finished around the time James Bates died. We don't know for sure which way the house originally faced.
Because James Bates died without a will, his property likely went to his son, James Bates Junior. At the time, James Junior was only about eight years old.
The family faced some trouble with the money from James Bates's estate. The person in charge of managing money for people who died without a will, John Edye Manning, ran into financial problems. After some time, in 1846, the Bates family finally got back some of their money.
James Bates Junior married Sarah Ivory around 1848. They had three daughters: Elizabeth Ann, Emily Ann, and Alice Selina Ann.
During the 1850s, James Bates Junior was listed as living in Prospect.
Leasing the Farm
From August 1864, the 110-acre property, known as "Bates Farm," was leased to a farmer named Edward Moon. The lease was for 10 years, and Moon paid £40 each year.
During this time, James Bates Junior lived in Richmond and Sydney. But by 1891, he was back living in Prospect.
When James Bates Junior passed away, the property went to his wife, Sarah. Sarah Bates died in July 1909, at the age of 83.
New Owners and Changes
After Sarah Bates died, her daughter Emily Ann Harris and grandson Harold James Cofill became the trustees of the property. In October 1912, they sold the property to Mildred Ethel Harris for £1210.
Mildred Ethel Harris took out a large loan. This loan also included other lands she owned. During this time, some small changes were made to the house, like adding a store room.
Later, Mildred Ethel Harris had trouble paying back the loan. So, in February 1922, the property was divided and sold. Dayton House, with its land of about 7 acres, was sold to Stanley Eric Speare and Florence Harriet May Stedman. Speare also bought land next to it.
We don't know exactly how the property was used during this time. It might have been used for logging or as a chicken farm. The house itself didn't seem to have any changes.
The land was divided again and sold between 1926 and 1928 to Samuel Frederick Gray and his wife Jessie. The land around the house became smaller, about 6 acres. It was sold again in 1931 to Ella Grovers and in 1935 to Olive May Grigg.
During this period, more changes were made to the house. These included adding new lounge and bedroom areas.
In the 1950s, the property was sold a few more times. In 1950, it went to Adair MacAlister Blain. In 1952, it was divided again and sold to Mary Gloria Patricia Buchanan. In 1958, it was sold to Antal Galambos.
During these years, big changes were made to the house. These changes gave it the look it has today.
Protecting Dayton House
In 1967, the property was sold to Meadow Park Pty Ltd. The land was then divided into 15 smaller blocks, including Roger Place. Dayton House became Lot 9.
In 1982, Dayton House was put up for sale. People worried that the old building might be torn down. So, special orders were put in place to protect it.
In 1985, Lot 9 was divided into two smaller lots. At first, there were doubts about how important or old the building was. So, the protection orders were removed. However, new information came forward later in 1985. This new information showed that the house was indeed built as early as the 1830s.
A new owner bought the property. With help from a heritage program, they bought the empty block next door. This was important for keeping the house's garden area.
Finally, a permanent protection order was placed on Dayton House on May 3, 1986. It was officially added to the State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
What Dayton House Looks Like
Dayton House is a great example of a two-storey farm house from the early 1830s. It has a classic design with a verandah. Even though it has been changed over the years, it still shows its original style.
The house has a roof made of corrugated iron. It has a hipped roof shape, which means all sides slope down to the walls. The four brick chimneys are the only parts of the outside that haven't been covered with a rough plaster finish. The largest chimney shows it once had two fireplaces connected to it.
Most of the brick walls are covered in a rough plaster. This was likely added after World War II. You can see signs that a verandah once wrapped all the way around the ground floor. There are also old stone window sills on the first floor. Many of the ground floor doors were likely French doors originally.
On the western side, there's a covered entrance area called a porch. It also has the rough plaster finish and metal railings. The staircase inside that goes to the upper floor seems newer than the rest of the house.
It feels like the house might have originally faced east instead of west. This is because the main staircase is in the middle hall.
On the southern side of the house, there's a curved verandah with a corrugated iron roof. This verandah was probably added in the late 1800s. The concrete floor of the verandah might be from after the wars.
The kitchen and bathroom areas on the east side were likely added after World War II. The store room on the north-east corner might be from the early 1900s. Both of these parts are also covered in the rough plaster.
Around the house, you can find some old trees and plants. There are False Acacias and Oleanders. A Wisteria plant grows against the southern verandah, and there's a big Lilly Pilly tree. On what might have been the front lawn, there are two large Lagerstroemia trees and two Cypress pines. There's also a rubber tree near the north-east corner of the house.
Even though there's no direct proof, it's very likely that Bates Farm was once an orchard, growing fruit trees.
Why Dayton House is Special
Dayton House, or Bates Farm, is thought to be the oldest farm house still standing in the Blacktown area. It was probably built in the early 1830s. Even with changes, its design shows a classic two-storey Australian farm house from that time.
This place is important because it tells us about the history of the Blacktown area. It shows how the land changed from farms to suburban areas.
It's also connected to James Bates, who was a successful settler. His family stayed involved in the Blacktown area for over a hundred years.
The house also has some old plants that might have been there when the Bates family owned the property.
Finally, the house is important because it has the potential to teach us more about early 19th-century farm buildings. Digging around the site could uncover new information about how people lived and built homes back then.
