Experiment Farm Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Experiment Farm Cottage |
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Experiment Farm Cottage
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| Location | 9 Ruse Street, Harris Park, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | Mid-1790s-c. 1834 |
| Built for | John Harris and family |
| Architectural style(s) | Old Colonial Georgian |
| Owner | National Trust of Australia (NSW) |
| Official name: Experiment Farm Cottage | |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 768 |
| Type | Homestead Complex |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Builders | John Harris |
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Experiment Farm Cottage is a very old house in Harris Park, Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. It's one of the oldest buildings still standing in Australia, built around 1834. This cottage sits on the land of Australia's very first European farm, called Experiment Farm. This farm was created from Australia's first ever land grant, which is when the government gives land to someone. Today, Experiment Farm Cottage is a museum where you can learn about early Australian history. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because it's so important.
Contents
A Farm Experiment
In 1789, a man named James Ruse was chosen by Governor Arthur Phillip for a special experiment. The goal was to see how long it would take a person to grow enough food to support themselves. Ruse was given about 1.5 acres (0.6 hectares) of land that was already cleared. He also got help to clear another 5 acres (2 hectares). To help him start, he received two pigs and six chickens.
Ruse was given food and clothes from the government for 15 months. After this time, he was able to support himself completely! Because he was so successful, he was given an extra 30 acres (12 hectares) of land. This showed that people could farm and live independently in the new colony.
John Harris and the Cottage
In October 1793, James Ruse sold his farm to a surgeon named John Harris. Harris was the person who built the cottage you see today. He already owned land next to Ruse's farm. John Harris was a very busy and important person in the early colony. He had many jobs, including being a judge, police superintendent, and a naval officer. He became one of the richest farmers in the colony, owning lots of land in New South Wales.
Harris was born in Ireland and had worked as a surgeon in the Navy for many years. He was also a soldier and even worked as a lawyer and head policeman. He helped build roads and public buildings. He was also a skilled architect and engineer, overseeing the building of ships and courthouses. He was a farmer, an explorer, and even helped start the Bank of New South Wales, which was the colony's first bank. He did all these things while also working as a surgeon!
A Special House Design
The cottage was built in a style called the "Indian Bungalow." John Harris had seen these types of houses in Bengal, India, where he had lived. These bungalows were used by British officers and were designed to be comfortable in hot climates. They had features like a pitched roof, a verandah (a covered porch), and were built on a raised platform. These features helped keep the house cool and protected from heavy rain.
The hot summers and cool winters in Sydney were similar to Bengal, so this house style was perfect for Harris. The cottage built by Harris in the mid-1790s has these same important features. It has a verandah built into the roof, sits on a platform, and has shutters. Parts of the verandah were even partly enclosed for privacy and shade.
The Cottage Through the Years
The Harris family owned the property until 1921. After that, the land was divided up, and the suburb of Harris Park was created.
In 1961, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) bought the site. A special committee of women, including Dame Helen Blaxland and Rachel Roxburgh, worked hard to raise the money needed to buy it. Experiment Farm Cottage was the very first property the National Trust (NSW) ever bought. They carefully restored the cottage, filled it with furniture from the colonial period, and opened it to the public.
In 1963, Experiment Farm Cottage became Australia's first house museum. It focused on showing what Australian colonial furniture and life were like. Over the years, more land around the cottage was bought and cleared to make it look more like a simple farm again.
In 2013, the cottage had a big restoration project to fix some problems and make it even better. It was reopened to the public with a celebration of its 50th anniversary as a museum. The Governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir, even re-enacted the original opening from 1963.
What the Cottage Looks Like
Experiment Farm Cottage is an "Old Colonial Georgian" style house. It has a balanced, simple front with a low, sloped roof that extends over the verandah. The front door has six panels, with narrow windows on either side and a curved window above it.
The cottage sits in a small garden with some old trees, like jacaranda and lemon-scented gum. There are also fruit trees and other cottage plants. Since 2001, a 19th-century style garden has been rebuilt in front of the cottage, based on old photos. It has large oval garden beds with trees and shrubs.
The street next to the cottage, Ruse Street, has been changed. Part of it is now a narrow road that looks like an old farm track, with farm-style fences. This helps the cottage feel more like it did when it was a farm.
Why Experiment Farm Cottage is Special
Experiment Farm Cottage is incredibly important to Australia's history for many reasons:
- It's part of the very first land grant given to a European in Australia.
- It shows how early farming experiments helped the colony survive.
- It was part of "Harris' Farm," one of the big properties owned by important families in early Parramatta.
- The cottage itself is a beautiful example of an early colonial house, built around 1834. Its design, with the verandah, was very clever for the Australian climate.
- It helps us understand what life was like for people like Governor Phillip, James Ruse, and John Harris.
- Many people in the community care deeply about this place. They have worked hard to save and preserve it since the 1920s.
The cottage is a rare and well-preserved example of an early farmhouse. It helps us learn about the first free settlement of land in Australia and the lives of the people who shaped the colony.
See also
