Horsley complex facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Horsley complex
Heritage boundaries
Location	52-58 Jamieson Close, Horsley Park, City of Fairfield, New South Wales, Australia
Built	1805–1832
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name: Horsley complex (homestead, outbuildings, garden, farm); Horsley Park; King's Gift; Horsley House
Type	State heritage (landscape)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	30
Type	Homestead Complex
Category	Farming and Grazing
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The Horsley complex is a special heritage site in Horsley Park, Australia. It was once a large farm with vineyards, orchards, and animals, including horses. Today, it is still a home and a farm.

This historic place was built between 1805 and 1832. It's also known by other names like Horsley Park, King's Gift, and Horsley House. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, which means it's an important part of history that needs to be protected.

A Look Back at Horsley's History

The First Owners and "King's Gift"

In 1805, Governor King gave 2000 acres of land at Prospect to Lieutenant Colonel George Johnston. This was a reward for Johnston's help in stopping a convict uprising at Castle Hill the year before. Johnston named his new farm "King's Gift." He passed away in 1823.

The Weston Family Arrives

Colonel Johnston's daughter, Blanche, received the Horsley land. In 1829, she married George Edward Nicholas Weston, a Lieutenant. His family had a long history of farming large estates in England. It's believed that Horsley was named after their family's estate, West Horsley Manor, in England.

Captain and Mrs. Weston spent two years in India. They returned to Sydney in 1831 with their two children. They lived in a large tent with Indian servants while their new home was being built.

Building the Homestead and Farm Life

By 1832, the main house, called the homestead, was finished. Other important buildings were also built, like a kitchen, stables, a blacksmith's shop, and a barn.

The land had many trees, and timber was cut and sent to sawmills. The Westons were very interested in farming and raising animals. They had fine racehorses and were involved in horse racing. Captain Weston was also active in local community issues.

The Westons had eight children. Captain Weston also had foxhounds at Horsley. By 1838, his farming activities had grown, and he had grazing land further away.

Horse Trading with India

The Westons even exported horses to India! In 1844, a report mentioned 80 horses being sent to Calcutta, with some belonging to Captain Weston and Blanche's brothers. This horse trade continued for several years.

George Weston died at Horsley in 1856. His wife, Blanche, continued to manage the farm with the help of her family and long-time employees.

Horsley Through the Years

In 1871, a journal described Horsley's garden and a 15-acre vineyard that produced a lot of wine. Mr. Frank, Blanche's youngest son, managed the property and was proud of their successful racehorses.

The main driveway to the house was lined with Bunya pines and ended with two huge Moreton Bay fig trees. There was also a circular carriage loop and shrubbery in front of the house.

Blanche Weston lived to be 98 and passed away in 1904. By then, some employees were the third generation of their families working at Horsley. The main activity was grazing animals, and the estate still produced its own wine.

Changes to the Property

Over the years, parts of the Horsley land changed hands within the family. In 1906, Blanche's daughter, Alice Smart, brought all the land back together under one ownership, making her the owner of 2045 acres.

Later, in 1924 (or 1930), the estate was divided into smaller sections. About 65 acres, including the homestead, stayed with Miss Julia Perry, a Weston family descendant. The property left the Weston-Johnston family in 1939 when Frederic Moffitt bought it.

Some parts of the original property were lost over time:

• A small pond near the front gates.
• An orchard and a small vineyard.
• A cottage used as a school for children on the property.
• The original barn was taken down and a new house was built where it stood.

By 1982, new houses were built around the Horsley site, which changed the views of the homestead.

Restoring the Buildings

In the 1970s, important repair and restoration work was done on the homestead. This included fixing the roof, gutters, and painting. The stables also received restoration work with government help.

Exploring the Horsley Complex

The Grounds and Gardens

The Horsley complex was designed to be a self-sufficient farm. The main house sits on the highest hill, offering great views.

The approach to the house is along a gently curving driveway. It's lined with Bunya pines and Chir pines, creating a beautiful entrance. At the top of the hill, two huge Moreton Bay fig trees frame the entrance to the house.

Closer to the house, the driveway forms a petal-shaped loop, which then creates a smaller circular loop. This circular area in front of the house was once planted in a special design. Today, it has many interesting plants, including a rare South African plant called the Kei apple.

Behind the house, there's a tennis court and old flower beds. You can also find unique trees like the Kaffir plum and rare native corkwood trees.

The Homestead: An Indian Bungalow Style

The single-story house is a direct copy of an Indian Bungalow. It was built with bricks made by convicts on the property. It has a high, hipped roof that was originally shingled but later covered with corrugated iron.

The house has a clever design with bedrooms opening from a central living room, sitting room, and dining room. This is a classic Indian bungalow style. Verandas (porches) at the front and back are part of the main roof.

The front veranda has columns and wide steps leading up from the garden. French doors open onto the veranda from the main rooms. Rainwater from the roof was collected and drained into an underground tank.

The house also has cellars underneath for storing wine, meat, and dairy products. The wine cellar is very large, with sloped timbers to roll wine barrels down. In 1931, seven bottles of Horsley wine, nearly a hundred years old, were found in excellent condition!

The windows and doors have special features like adjustable louver shutters, showing their British India design. The wood used for the outside parts of the house is Indian teak, which is very strong and termite-proof. Inside, the wood is cedar and is painted.

The Outbuildings: A "Village Street"

West of the main house, there's a line of service buildings that look like a small street. These include the kitchen, an office/library, laundry, stables, a coach house, servants' quarters, and a blacksmith's shop. This "street" used to end at a large barn, which is now gone.

All these buildings are single-story and made of brick. They share a similar style to the main house. The kitchen wing is closest to the house and was connected by a covered walkway. The office/library was placed so the owner could easily see servants or visitors.

The stables were used for horses until recently. The blacksmith's shop collapsed in a storm in 1940 but could be rebuilt. The last building, a machinery shed, still looks much like it did originally. Many other buildings must have once stood here to house all the people who worked on the estate.

Current Condition and Changes

How Horsley Looks Today

In 2002, the garden was in fair condition, but the main entrance driveway was not used often. The circular carriage loop in front of the house is now covered in grass.

The original wooden shingles on the roofs of the homestead and outbuildings are still preserved under the newer corrugated iron roofs. You can still see the brick drains around the house, just as they were first built. The convict-made bricks are visible where the outer plaster has flaked off.

The coach house and stables were used for horses until 1998. You can still see signs of old horse stalls. The blacksmith's shop, which fell down in 1940, could be rebuilt.

The garden is a bit overgrown but still shows much of its original design. The Bunya pine avenue along the driveway remains, and the huge Moreton Bay fig trees at the entrance have grown so large they block cars from entering the carriage loop.

Major Changes Over Time

• 1832: The homestead and main outbuildings were built.
• 1860s/70s: Bunya pines were likely planted along the main driveway.
• 1906: All the land parcels were brought together under one owner, Alice Smart.
• 1924/1930: The estate was divided into smaller holdings.
• 1939: Frederic Moffitt bought the property, and the large barn was taken down.
• 1940: Part of the blacksmith's shop collapsed in a storm.
• 1950s-1970s: More land was sold off, reducing the site to 12 acres. New housing developments were built around the property.

Why Horsley Complex is Important

A Unique Historic Farm Estate

The Horsley complex is very important because it's an unusually complete example of an early 19th-century self-contained farm estate. It still has its original 1830s house, outbuildings, gardens, and layout. This kind of rural setting is now rare in the area.

Horsley is a key part of the history of Fairfield and history of New South Wales. It's connected to major developments in the colony, especially farming, horse racing, and trade with India.

Special Features of Horsley

• The Homestead: It's a rare, possibly unique, early Australian example of an Indian Bungalow style house.
• The Outbuildings: They are special both individually and as a "street" of buildings, which is very uncommon.
• Early Plantings: The impressive Bunya pine avenue at the entrance is a significant feature.
• The Garden: It's a mostly untouched 19th-century garden with its original layout, including the carriage loop and early plants. It even has unusual plants like the Kei apple.

Connections to Important People and Ideas

Horsley has strong links to important people like Colonel George Johnston, Governor King, and the Weston family. It also influenced the "colonial revival" movement in architecture in the 1920s and 1930s, especially through architect William Hardy Wilson.

The site can teach us a lot about how the estate developed over time. It's also interesting for archaeological research.

The garden is a major historical and beautiful site. It's a well-preserved mid-19th-century garden that perfectly matches the house's location. It's considered one of the finest landscapes in New South Wales.

Horsley is the only Australian colonial house that directly shows the influence of Anglo-Indian architecture. Not just the design, but even details like the folding casement doors came from India.

The way the house and its outbuildings are placed is also unique. Horsley is the only colonial homestead in New South Wales that has what looks like a small village street of outbuildings very close to the main house.

Its influence on architects in the 20th century is also significant. After a book by Hardy Wilson was published in 1924, Horsley became a favorite house and inspired many designs.

The Horsley complex was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.