Harper's Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harper's Mansion |
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| Location | Wilkinson Street, Berrima, Wingecarribee Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1834–1844 |
| Architectural style(s) | Georgian |
| Owner | National Trust of Australia (NSW) |
| Website | http://harpersmansion.com.au/ |
| Official name: Harper's Mansion; Harper's Hill | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 1 March 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1500 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders | James Harper |
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Harper's Mansion is a special old house in Berrima, New South Wales, Australia. It is now a museum that you can visit. The house is famous for its beautiful Georgian style.
The National Trust of Australia (NSW) bought Harper's Mansion in 1978. They help protect important places. The house was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on March 1, 2002. This means it is officially recognized as a very important historical site.
Contents
The Story of Harper's Mansion
How the House Was Built
James Harper and his wife Mary bought land in Berrima in 1832. In 1834, James built the Surveyor General Inn, a local pub. He became its owner in 1835.
In 1834, James bought another large piece of land, about 100 acres. This is where he built what we now call Harper's Mansion. It was likely built between 1835 and 1836.
The house was built with a single-story verandah, which is like a covered porch. It also had a separate brick kitchen. By 1844, there was a stable for horses and a fenced garden.
About 100,000 clay bricks were made right there on the property. The stone used for the house probably came from nearby quarries. At that time, skilled workers were building the local courthouse and jail. James might have hired some of them to help build his mansion.
The National Trust believes the house was designed using ideas from a common type of Georgian townhouse. These designs were popular in the colony back then.
Changes Over Time
James Harper passed away in 1845. He had some money problems, perhaps because Berrima did not grow as fast as he hoped. Many land blocks were sold to people who just wanted to resell them, not build on them.
After James died, William Hutchinson took over the house in 1846. James's wife, Mary, later married James McDermott. She moved into the Surveyor-General Inn, which her family owned for many years.
From 1853, the house was rented by the church. It was used as a presbytery, which is a home for priests from St Francis Xavier's Roman Catholic Church. At this time, the house had a lovely flower garden with fruit trees, a gardener's cottage, a well, and a horse paddock.
The Catholic Church bought the house in 1856 and owned it until 1970. It was a presbytery until the 1880s. Sixteen priests and two bishops lived there over the years. Around 1900, the priest moved to Moss Vale.
The house was empty until 1903. Then, four Sisters from the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart used it as a convent, a home for nuns, until 1909. They had opened a school in Berrima.
Between 1909 and 1970, the Church rented the house to different people. Harper's Mansion slowly started to fall apart. In 1950, the two-story verandah, which had replaced the first one, collapsed. The top floor was no longer used and had broken windows. The original separate kitchen had also fallen down. A new fuel stove was put inside the house. A small shed outside was used for laundry and bathing, with water pulled from a well.
Saving Harper's Mansion
In 1970, the Church sold the house, which was in very bad shape, to Mr. and Mrs. W. G. E. Williams. They wanted to fix it up, but it was a huge job. So, they decided to sell it again.
The Mittagong Shire Council wanted the house saved. They got a special grant and helped the National Trust of Australia (NSW) buy the property in 1978.
A team of experts, Clive Lucas Stapleton and Partners, worked for seven years to restore the house. Harper's Mansion was finally opened to the public in 1985. It became a house museum from 1985 to 1999.
The Gardens and Maze
From 1999 to 2006, a local garden designer named Michael Jackman lived at the mansion. He created the beautiful and large garden we see today. He also added a fun maze where there used to be just an empty field.
The garden was designed to look like a garden from the 1830s. It used plants that were known to be available back then.
In 2007, the mansion was opened to the public again. More work was done on the garden. Experts used old plant lists to find out what plants might have been there originally. In 2011, a large garden bed was filled with old types of roses. Many of these roses were sold before the mid-1800s. Some examples include:
- Aimée Vibert (1828)
- Belle Isis (1845)
- Bullata (1809)
- Chapeau de Napoleon (1828)
- Charles de Mills (before 1790)
- Hermosa (1840)
- Konigin von Danemark (1816)
- Rosa bracteata
- Rosa gallica officinalis
- Rosa laevigata
What Harper's Mansion Looks Like
Harper's Mansion is a two-story brick house built in the Georgian style. It sits on two acres of land.
The house has five sections across the front and two sections deep. It has a hipped roof covered with corrugated iron. Stone quoins, which are special corner stones, and an elegant front door make the house stand out. The front door has a fan-shaped window above it and windows on the sides.
The house first had a single-story verandah. Later, a balcony was added to it. Now, both are gone, and only a stone terrace remains at the front.
Inside, the house still has most of its original wooden parts and plasterwork. The doors have six panels. The chimney surrounds have round designs. Behind the house, there used to be a separate brick kitchen and stables. A small outdoor toilet, called a privy, is still there.
In front of the house, you can still see parts of the old squared garden. There is a main path and signs of an old fence and gate.
The two acres of land include a modern garden that fits well with the old house. It has many plants that were common in gardens in the 1800s. A fun part of the garden at the back of the house is a maze.
It's amazing that the house is still mostly the same as it was built. Only the verandah is missing. The mansion still has its original ceilings, decorative moldings, painted plaster walls, and a special design on the ceiling. The original skirting boards, stairs, floor, and balustrade (stair railing) are also still there. These original features make the house very special and important.
Why Harper's Mansion is Important
Harper's Mansion is one of the best examples of a colonial Georgian house in New South Wales. It is a very important part of the historic town of Berrima. It shows what a Georgian house looked like and is very rare and special in the region.
The house is connected to the Harper family and the Roman Catholic Church. It also shows how Berrima developed over time. Harper's Mansion is one of Berrima's most famous buildings. It is known for its Georgian design and its history, which goes back to 1834.
James Harper built the house for his family. For 120 years, it belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. Even with its long history with the Church, most people still know it as Harper's Mansion. Old descriptions from the mid-1800s even called it Harper's Hill. The property has always been a well-known place in Berrima.
Harper's Mansion was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on March 1, 2002, because it met several important rules:
Showing History
Harper's Mansion is important because it shows what a typical colonial house from the 1830s looked like. It is also a rare example of a suburban house from that time that still has its full garden and original rooms. Its connection to James Harper and the Church is also very important. James Harper (1806-1845) was a well-known local person. He was a police officer in Sutton Forest. His family also built the Surveyor General Inn, and James was its first owner. In 1844, Harper was chosen to be on the Berrima District Council.
Showing Beauty and Skill
The beauty of Harper's Mansion is very important for Berrima being known as a historic town. The house and its grounds show what a property from the 1800s would have looked like. Harper's Mansion is a very noticeable building in the historic town of Berrima.
Connecting to the Community
Harper's Mansion is important to the community because it shows what a home built by middle-class colonists in the early 1800s was like. Even though James Harper built it for his family, the property was used by the Roman Catholic Church for 120 years, mostly as a home for priests. This gives the property a special religious meaning.
Showing Key Features
Harper's House is one of the best examples of a Colonial Georgian house still standing in New South Wales. It represents an important part of Berrima's history and settlement.
See also
- List of National Trust properties in Australia
- List of rose cultivars named after people
