Golden Vale, Sutton Forest facts for kids

Golden Vale is a historic farm and country home located in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia. It was built between 1868 and 1869. This beautiful property is also known as Golden Valley. Today, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) looks after it. Golden Vale was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, which means it's a very important place to protect.

A Look Back in Time

Golden Vale has a long and interesting history. It was first called Golden Valley. An ex-convict named Thomas Wilmott received this land in 1842. He had earned his freedom in 1822. Thomas Wilmott became a successful innkeeper. He also owned several other properties.

The Carter Family Era

Later, Edward Carter bought Golden Valley. He had inherited a lot of land from his father. Edward Carter became a very wealthy landowner. By 1880, he owned many estates. He even discovered kerosene shale in the Joadja Valley. This was a valuable mineral used for fuel. He started mining it around 1873.

Edward Carter built the main house at Golden Vale. This was done around the late 1860s. He built it for his wife and children. His youngest son was born there in 1870.

Famous Kangaroo Hunts

Golden Valley was well-known for its yearly kangaroo hunts. These hunts would last for several days. A newspaper in 1871 described one of these events. It said 32 huntsmen, 44 dogs, and 48 horses took part. They caught 76 kangaroos and 15 young kangaroos (joeys). This shows how much wildlife was around back then!

The Carter family became very important leaders in the area. In 1879, Alfred, Edward's oldest son, moved away. He went to a property called Lake Edward. Edward and his sons raised sheep, cattle, and fine horses. They did this on their properties for many years.

Edward Carter passed away in 1903. He was buried at All Saints Church in Sutton Forest. He had grown his family's wealth. He left each of his sons a large amount of land.

In 1904, Alfred Carter returned to Golden Valley. He lived there with his wife and young son, Walter. Alfred died in 1922. Walter left Golden Vale five years later. He moved back to his original home.

Later Owners and Protection

In 1939, Sir Phillip Goldfinch bought Golden Valley. He owned it until he died in 1943. After that, Frank Keighley purchased the property. Golden Valley stayed in the Keighley family until 2004.

Geoffrey Keighley, a famous international cricketer, later bought part of the farm. He then inherited the rest of the land. Geoffrey Keighley worked to restore the house. He also filled it with a huge library.

In 1961, an earthquake caused some damage. The building was repaired. The chimneys were replaced with concrete covers. Over the years, the kitchen and bathrooms were updated. Some original features, like shutters, were removed.

In 1984, Geoffrey Keighley asked for the property to be protected. He wanted a heritage order placed on it. At the time, he was against a mine being built nearby. He was worried that blasting from the mine could damage Golden Vale's sandstone buildings.

The house and other buildings were restored in 1984 or 1985. A swimming pool and other new parts were added. A new sandstone garage was built. The verandah was also rebuilt and enclosed.

In 2004, Geoffrey and Karin Keighley gave Golden Vale to the National Trust of Australia. This happened a few months before Geoffrey passed away. Karin Keighley continued to live there. She helped manage the property and the house.

In 2007, the National Trust sold some of the land. The money raised helps to preserve the house and garden. As of 2018, the property was not open to the public.

What Golden Vale Looks Like

Golden Vale is a group of buildings that make up the farm's main area. These include:

• the main house, built in the late 1860s;
• a stone meathouse;
• a two-storey barn or stables made of sandstone;
• a woolshed made of weatherboard;
• several sheds for machinery;
• two garages; and
• a carriage house.

The Homestead

Golden Vale is a beautiful two-storey house. It is made of sandstone. It has a steep iron roof with two chimneys. The house looks like a traditional Georgian style home. It has French doors with shutters on the ground floor. There are also twelve-paned windows on the first floor. A large verandah runs across the front of the house. It is supported by timber columns. Inside, you can see very fine red cedar wood. Most of this wood is still in great condition.

The rooms inside are arranged in a unique way. Some rooms have fireplaces in the corners. The dining room still has its original floorboards. The house features an entry hall, music room, library, and drawing room. It also has a dining room. All these rooms have lovely French windows. They also have fireplaces that burn solid fuel. There are fireplaces made of marble, slate, and cedar. A beautiful cedar staircase connects the floors.

Upstairs, there are three large bedrooms. The main bedroom has a dressing room and a bathroom.

At the back of the house, there is an enclosed courtyard. This area is formed by the kitchen wings. The kitchen block is a separate sandstone building. You can reach it through a glass room called a conservatory. The old servants' room is now a laundry and pantry. There is also a meat room next to it.

Many additions have been made to the house. These changes were done to make the house more comfortable. The verandah was extended to shelter the kitchen courtyard. On the east side, the verandah was enclosed. This created a breakfast room. A new double garage was built. It was made to match the style of the other buildings.

Other parts of the homestead group include:

• stone foundations southwest of the woolshed (possibly from an earlier house);
• a driveway that goes to the back of the house;
• an inner courtyard with new walls and a garden;
• a couple of weatherboard cottages;
• a stone stables/coach house with a modern shearing shed attached. This stables building might be older than the main house;
• old picket fences that have been replaced with high stone walls.

The Farm

The Golden Vale farm is located near the Medway Rivulet. It sits at the foot of Mount Gingenbullen. The land is cleared and used for grazing animals. It is surrounded by other farms. The farm also has trees and dams.

Gardens and Grounds

The gardens around the house are very pretty. They were designed in the English style by Karin Keighley. The garden has many trees and shrubs that lose their leaves in winter. In springtime, you can see many bulbs flowering. There is also a collection of parrots in aviaries. High stone walls protect parts of the garden from the weather. Outside these walls, a long, tree-lined driveway leads to the front gates.

The driveway is lined with Himalayan cedar trees. There are also golden ash trees. The driveway is long and straight. It curves around the house. Here, more hedges and fences create yards and paddocks.

Behind the house, there is a gravel service yard. It is surrounded by other buildings. A single gate leads into this area. Other gates are further north.

Old picket fences have been replaced. Now there are high, stone-capped concrete block walls.

You can also find:

• a large Monterey pine tree in the middle of the driveway turning circle;
• some young European oak trees. These trees are said to have grown from acorns collected in Hyde Park, London.

The oldest trees in the garden include a Bhutan cypress. It is located southwest of the house. There are also two or three large old "English" oaks. These are found at the eastern end of the garden. Two large pin oaks are north of the swimming pool.

A large lawn stretches from the front verandah. It slopes down to a swimming pool and a pavilion. The pavilion has columns around it. Shrubs and trees line both sides of the lawn. A smaller lawn area is south of the house. It leads to a small backyard. This area is surrounded by other buildings.

In the garden's northeast corner, a hedge hides a formal vegetable garden. This garden has fruit like currants, raspberries, and strawberries. It also has beds of vegetables.

Why Golden Vale is Important

Golden Vale is a very important historical site. It shows us about the early settlement of the area. It is also linked to Benjamin Carter. He discovered the valuable kerosene shale deposits.

The sandstone house, meathouse, barn/stables, and woolshed are beautiful. They are placed well in the valley. They are a rare example of stone and timber buildings together. This group of buildings is also a landmark. It stands out in the important landscape of Mount Gingenbullen.

Golden Vale is a two-storey sandstone house. It has a corrugated iron roof. The front verandah goes halfway along each side of the house. The house shows a mix of careful design and simpler work. The front looks very detailed. The back looks more practical. Even though the walled garden is new, the house has always been accessed from the back.

It is a distinguished and well-built house. Benjamin Carter, the original owner, found Kerosene Shale in 1852. By 1873, he was mining it. He later sold his business. Golden Valley is a large property that was settled in 1856. It is an elegant example of a late Georgian farmhouse.

Golden Vale was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.