Kingston House, Kingston Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kingston Historic House |
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| Former names | Kingston House, Marino Hotel and Boarding House, Marino Inn |
| General information | |
| Location | Kingston Park, South Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°02′27″S 138°30′58″E / 35.040724°S 138.516172°E |
| Construction started | 1840 |
| Renovated | 1851; 1983 |
| Owner | Government of South Australia |
Kingston Historic House is a very old and important house located in Kingston Park, South Australia. This area is a suburb of Adelaide, a big city in South Australia. It is known as a "pioneer house" because it was built very early in the state's history.
A Home with History
The story of Kingston Historic House began in 1839. A man named Sir George Strickland Kingston bought a large piece of land, about 80 acres (which is about 32 hectares). This land is now where Kingston Park is located.
The house itself was built in two main parts. The first part was finished in 1840, and then more was added in 1851. This makes it the oldest building in the City of Holdfast Bay area. It is also one of the oldest buildings in the entire state of South Australia!
From Hotel to Family Home
When the first part of the house was built in 1840, Sir George Kingston rented it out. A person named Robert Bristow, who had traveled to Australia on the same ship as Kingston, opened the very first hotel in the Brighton-Marino area there. In September 1840, Bristow was allowed to sell beer and wine. People like fishermen, quarry workers, and sailors were expected to visit the inn. This was because there was a fishing village, a new quarry, and a new pier nearby.
Later, in 1841, Mr. Burslem took over the hotel. He kept it running as the Marino Hotel and Boarding House until 1843. After that, Sir George Kingston rented the land to a farmer named Samuel Oakley until 1851.
In 1851, Sir George Kingston decided to make the house his family's holiday home by the sea. He added more rooms and fixed up the house. After Sir George Kingston, the house was passed down to his son, Charles Kingston. Charles Kingston later became the Premier of South Australia, which is like being the leader of the state government.
Becoming a Heritage Site
In 1919, after Charles Kingston's wife, Lucy Kingston, passed away, the Government of South Australia bought the land and the house.
A big project to fix up and restore the building happened in 1983. Today, Kingston Historic House sits on a 3-acre (12,000 m2) piece of land. This land is a special reserve on top of the Kingston Beach Cliff Face. The house is surrounded by a small park that people can visit.
Because of its long history and importance, the building was listed on the South Australian Heritage Register on June 24, 1980. This means it is protected as an important historical place. It was also listed on another old register called the Register of the National Estate in 1978, which is no longer used.
