Graham Lodge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Graham Lodge |
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| Location | Pleasant Way, Nowra, City of Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1860–1861 |
| Owner | Shoalhaven City Council |
| Official name: Graham Lodge; Prague Lodge; Nowra Bomaderry Leagues Club; Greenhills; Warragee | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 4 June 2004 |
| Reference no. | 1699 |
| Type | Other - Community Facilities |
| Category | Community Facilities |
| Builders | Charles Moore, stonemason, and Willet Burry, carpenter |
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Graham Lodge is a historic building in Nowra, Australia. It was once a family home, then a function centre, and later a sports club. It was built between 1860 and 1861 by Charles Moore, a stonemason, and Willet Burry, a carpenter.
Over the years, it has been known by different names. These include Greenhills and Warragee when it was a homestead. It was called Prague Lodge when it was a function centre. Later, it became the Nowra Bomaderry Leagues Club, which is now closed. Today, the Shoalhaven City Council owns the property. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on June 4, 2004. This means it is a very important historical site.
Contents
The Story of Graham Lodge
Early Days in Shoalhaven
Aboriginal people have lived in the Shoalhaven area for at least 21,000 years. The local Aboriginal groups spoke the Tharawal language. They were part of the Wodi Wodi people, who belonged to the Yuin language group.
Europeans arrived later in the Shoalhaven area. This was because the river mouth was hard to enter. The first Europeans explored the river in 1805. From 1811, people started cutting cedar wood to send to Sydney.
In the early 1800s, land was given out for farms. By 1822, Alexander Berry became the first European settler. He wrote about the Aboriginal people he met. He noted five main clans in the lower Shoalhaven area.
Berry's farm used a lot of Aboriginal workers. They helped find farm locations and build roads. They also helped with daily chores and moving supplies.
The Greenhills Estate
In 1826, William Graham, a former convict, arrived in Shoalhaven. He settled on 100 acres of land on the Shoalhaven River's south bank. This land became known as Greenhills.
The next year, William's sons, William and James, expanded the estate. They took over another 640 acres nearby. This made Greenhills a much larger property.
In 1829, William Graham wrote about his efforts. He had spent a lot of money clearing land and building a cottage. He also started a small cattle herd and grew food for his family.
To help with the farm work, Graham brought tenant farmers from Britain in 1841. These families lived in houses on the Greenhills estate. They included servants, blacksmiths, and labourers. They helped a lot in developing Greenhills. Old paintings show the Greenhills estate and its buildings.
Greenhills was a place where Europeans and Aboriginal people met. Tools from both cultures have been found there. Paintings show Aboriginal people camping in the area. Historical records also show Aboriginal people working on the property. They likely traded goods like sugar, tobacco, or blankets for their work.
Building Graham Lodge
William Graham passed away in 1852 and was buried at Greenhills. His son, James Graham, took over the estate. James and his wife, Mary, had six children. Their old house became too small.
So, James decided to build a new, larger house. He hired Charles Moore, a stonemason, and Willet Burrey, a carpenter. Construction started in January 1860 and finished in May 1861.
James Graham was important in local government. He was elected to the first Shoalhaven council in 1859. He became its first Mayor in 1860.
Graham Lodge is an early example of a grand house in the Shoalhaven area. It was built in the Victorian Georgian style. This style uses balanced designs and strong materials. The house has two floors with a veranda on both. This design was quite new for the area at the time. The slate roof and cedar wood inside showed its high quality.
James Graham (Senior) died in 1867. His son, James Graham (Junior), took over the farm. James (Junior) and his wife, Emily, had seven children at Graham Lodge. The Graham family remained important in Nowra for many years.
In 1928, the Graham farm was sold to John Thomas Bourne, a cousin. The Bourne family lived in Graham Lodge until 1960. Then, it was sold to a group of business people. They divided the property into smaller parts.
The Graham Lodge part was sold to Ted Ashcrost. Later, Mrs. Mary Theresa Sherlock bought it. She turned the downstairs into a function centre called Prague Lodge. She lived upstairs.
From Club to Council Ownership
In 1968, the Nowra-Bomaderry Leagues Club started using Prague Lodge. They leased it first, then bought it in 1970. The club made big changes to the inside of the building.
The club operated for twenty years but closed in 1992 due to money problems. The building was empty and fell into disrepair. In 1998, the Shoalhaven City Council bought the property. They began to restore it.
In 2017, there was a plan to fix up the building even more. This was part of a larger apartment development. After the work, the building would be returned to the council.
What Graham Lodge Looks Like
Graham Lodge is located near the Shoalhaven River, close to Nowra's town centre. It faces east and still overlooks some of its original farmlands. The family cemetery is also nearby.
It is a large, two-storey house built in the Victorian Georgian style. This style means it has a balanced look with windows and doors placed evenly. The roof is made of slate. It has two-storey verandas at the front and back.
The front upper veranda has a curved roof. It features cast iron columns and decorative iron lace. The lower veranda also has parts of its original design. The outside walls are smooth and painted.
The house was built with local bricks on sandstone foundations. The original doors and windows were made of cedar wood. The front door has a semi-circular fanlight above it. The words "Graham Lodge" are written above the entrance.
An old brick with the name "ARDENER" was found on a wall. This likely refers to the first owner's wife's maiden name. It has been preserved under glass. Old items like broken glass, crockery, and nails have been found around the house. Some Aboriginal items were also found during surveys.
The Family Cemetery
The Graham family cemetery is a small, private burial ground. It is visible from the house but is now on its own piece of land. The first person buried there was William Graham in 1852.
Many Graham family members are buried there. This includes James Graham, who built the house. There is also a memorial for Douglas Erle Graham, who died in action in 1918. William Graham's headstone is very important because it marks the grave of the original land owner on his own land.
Condition of the Building
Archaeological surveys have found old items around Graham Lodge. These include things from early European settlers and Aboriginal people.
Most of the outside of Graham Lodge is still original. Parts that were added later and did not fit the original style have been removed. Much of the inside of the building was changed over time. It is now being rebuilt to look more like it did originally.
Changes Over Time
- Graham family era (1860-1928): The house had many working sheds and small cottages behind it. These are now gone.
- Bourne family era (around 1930 to 1960): Not many changes were made during this time.
- Prague Lodge era (1960-1970): The building was changed quite a bit. An extension was added to the north side on the ground floor. Some original inside parts were removed.
- Nowra-Bomaderry Leagues Club era (1970-1990): Even more changes were made. More extensions were added, and much of the original inside was removed.
- Shoalhaven City Council era (1990 to now): The council has been working to restore the building. They removed some of the later additions. They also fixed up the outside of the building. The original slate roof was removed before 1999.
Why Graham Lodge is Important
Graham Lodge is important for many reasons. It is a beautiful old house from the 1800s. It still looks out over its original farmlands. It helps us understand how early European settlers lived and interacted with Aboriginal people.
It also played a role in the start of local government in Shoalhaven. Later, it was a popular club for almost 40 years. So, it shows how the area has changed over time.
The site is also important for its archaeological finds. These include items from the old cottages and sheds. There are also Aboriginal items from before and after European contact. The family cemetery is also a key part of its history. William Graham's grave is especially important as he was the first owner of the land.
Graham Lodge was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on June 4, 2004, because it meets several important standards:
- It shows the history of New South Wales.
Graham Lodge is a significant 19th-century home. It was the main building of the "Greenhills" estate, an early European settlement. It helps us understand early farming life and how Europeans and Aboriginal people met. It also shows the start of local government in 1860.
- It is connected to important people.
Graham Lodge is important because of its link to the Graham family. They were among the first European settlers and played a big role in early local politics. It also shows the skill of early Nowra builders, Charles Moore and Willet Burrey. The family cemetery holds the graves of many early Graham family members.
- It is a great example of architecture.
Graham Lodge is a significant early home built in 1860-1861. It shows the Victorian Georgian style with Regency influences. Its two-storey veranda was one of the first of its kind in Shoalhaven. The grand look and quality materials, like the slate roof, show the owner's status. They also show how the area was becoming more developed.
- It has strong social and cultural meaning.
As the centre of the "Greenhills" estate, Graham Lodge is important for its connection to early European settlement. It was also a place where Europeans and Aboriginal people met. The family cemetery being visible from the home shows how families thought about death in the 1800s. As the home of the first mayor, it is important for local history. It also served as a popular social club for many years.
- It can teach us more about history.
Graham Lodge has the potential to reveal more about the history of a farming estate. It can show how it connected with Aboriginal people. Old paintings show cottages and sheds that were once there. The nearby family cemetery also adds to its historical value. It helps us understand building methods from the mid-1800s. It also tells the story of European settlement and local government in Shoalhaven.
- It is a rare example of its kind.
Graham Lodge is rare because it is a surviving part of a 19th-century farming estate. It includes a large old house, a family cemetery, and archaeological sites. The fact that the family cemetery is visible from the house is unusual today. William Graham's headstone is especially rare because it marks the grave of the original land owner on his own land.
- It represents important historical patterns.
Graham Lodge represents how early European families settled and developed politics in rural New South Wales. It is a great example of a large Victorian Georgian house built with good materials. The way the house relates to the family cemetery shows a different view of family life and death from the 1800s. Locals value the property as an important part of the region's early European history.
