Kirkham Stables facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirkham Stables |
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Heritage boundaries
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| Location | Kirkham Lane, Narellan, Camden Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1816– |
| Official name: Kirkham Stables and Precinct | |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 11 August 2000 |
| Reference no. | 1411 |
| Type | Stables |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Builders | John Oxley |
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Kirkham Stables is a very old building in Narellan, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It used to be a place where horses were bred and milk was produced. Today, it is a vacant building on a beef cattle farm.
The stables were built in 1816 by John Oxley, an important early explorer. This historic site is also known as Kirkham Stables and Precinct. It is privately owned and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 11 August 2000. This means it is a special place protected for its history.
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The History of Kirkham Stables
The land around Kirkham Stables has a long and interesting history. It was originally home to the Gundungurra people.
Early European Settlement
European explorers first came to the Camden area in 1790. They found open plains and thick forests near the Nepean River. In 1795, cattle that had escaped from the First Fleet were found here. This area became known as the "Cow Pastures."
To protect the cattle, access to this land was limited. The first large land grant in the area was given to John Macarthur in 1805. He eventually owned a huge estate of 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares).
After 1809, more land grants were made. Governor Macquarie gave land to people like Surveyor-General John Oxley in 1810. This was to balance the power of John Macarthur.
The Oxley Family and Kirkham
One of the first land grants in the area was 600 acres (240 hectares) to John Oxley. He later bought more land, expanding his property to 1,000 acres (400 hectares) by 1815. Oxley named his farm Kirkham, after a place in England where he was born.
In 1816, Oxley built a large house and other farm buildings. The stables building was one of these. It had horse stalls, storage areas, and a loft. Farm workers and convicts might have lived in the stables when the farm was busy.
Kirkham became a famous horse stud under the Oxley family. They bred many horses, including a well-known English stallion named "Bachelor" in 1830. The stables were also used for community events. In 1827, a Christmas church service was held in the stable loft. Fifty convicts and the family attended.
Oxley also grew wheat and raised sheep. By 1824, he had 4,000 sheep and won awards for his merino wool. Kirkham was one of the big farms that used convict labor. John Oxley died in 1828.
His eldest son, John Norton Oxley, inherited the property. While he was young, Captain Coghill managed Kirkham. Coghill grew wheat and maize. A mill built in 1828 processed these crops. Farmers from nearby, including the Macarthurs, used this mill. It was used until the 1860s when a plant disease called wheat rust stopped wheat production. The mill was taken down in the 1880s.
The farm stayed in the Oxley family for many years. It continued to operate as a farm and horse stud.
The White Family and Horse Racing
In the mid-1870s, the Kirkham estate was sold to James White. White was a very important person in the horse racing world. He was a committee member and chairman of the Australian Jockey Club.
White bred horses at Kirkham because it was closer to the Sydney race tracks. Newspapers often reported on the success of the Kirkham Stud. The most famous horse from Kirkham was a stallion named "Chester". Chester won 19 out of 29 races, including the famous Melbourne Cup. James White won many other important races too. Chester died in 1891 and is believed to be buried near the Kirkham Stables.
James White made many improvements to the Kirkham estate. The original Oxley house was taken down around 1882. White then hired a famous architect, John Horbury Hunt, to design a new mansion. This mansion, now called Camelot, is on a nearby property and is also heritage-listed.
The Camden-Campbelltown Railway line was built in 1882 during White's time. Kirkham Railway Station was one of the stops on this line. James White died in 1890. The property continued as a horse stud for a while.
Later Owners and Changes
Over the 20th century, Kirkham was used mainly for grazing dairy cattle. A new dairy was built around 1966.
The property had many different owners over the years. In 1951, Sir Frederick Walter Sutton, who owned the Sutton Group of Companies, bought Kirkham. He and his wife lived there often. They made many upgrades to restart a racehorse stud. They built new horse stud buildings, a dairy, and farm machine sheds. They also planted new trees and installed new entrance gates.
The farm's dairy stopped working in 1990. While beef cattle are still raised there, the horse stud is no longer active. The size of the farm today is much smaller than Oxley's original grant. Some parts were sold for houses.
What Kirkham Stables Looks Like
The Kirkham Stables area has many buildings. These include a homestead, cottages for workers and managers, and various sheds. There are also memorials to the famous racehorse Chester and to John Oxley. However, the most important building is the original stable from 1816.
The Original Kirkham Stables (1816)
The stables building is in the Colonial Georgian style. This means it has a simple, strong, and balanced design. It is a rectangular building with thick masonry walls. These walls are now covered with a rough cement finish. The building has a brick base about 1 meter high.
The stables have a hipped roof, which slopes on all four sides. It is currently covered with painted corrugated iron. Underneath, the original wooden roof shingles are still there! This building is the only one left from John Oxley's original farm buildings from 1816.
The Setting and Gardens
When the Sutton Group of Companies bought the property in 1951, they added many new buildings for horse stud operations. They also improved the landscape. They planted trees along Kirkham Lane and around the dam. New entrance gates, thought to be from Scotland, were put in place.
The property still has many old and beautiful trees. You can see silky oaks and sweet gums along Kirkham Lane. The garden around the homestead has a large Himalayan cedar tree. Other big trees like pin oaks and Asian pears also grow there. The view from the house's front garden across the paddocks is framed by mature trees.
Condition of the Stables
As of 1999, the Kirkham Stables building was in fair physical condition.
Why Kirkham Stables is Important
Kirkham Stables, built in 1816, is probably the oldest large stable building still standing in Australia. It is a beautiful Colonial building with a simple and strong design. It is a landmark in a landscape that still looks much like it did in the past.
The Kirkham Stables area shows how farming has changed over time, from the very first days of European settlement until now. It is also important because it was a place where special horses were bred.
Kirkham Stables is connected to important people in early Australian history. John Oxley, the Surveyor-General and explorer, started Kirkham. Later, James White, a member of the NSW Parliament and a very successful racehorse owner, owned it.
In the early days, Kirkham was a center for community activities. It was a place where people worked and gathered.
Kirkham Stables was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register because it meets several important criteria:
- It shows the history of New South Wales: Kirkham Stables shows what early farming was like outside Sydney. It is linked to John Oxley, an important explorer. The historic land around the stables still looks much as it did in 1815. It is also connected to James White, a key figure in farming and horse racing. The stables were a center for early community and religious activities.
- It is beautiful and well-designed: The Kirkham Stables building is a large and impressive example of Colonial Georgian style. Its balanced design and how it fits with Kirkham Lane show the design ideas of the early 1800s. The whole area still feels like a pleasant farm.
- It is important to the community: The local community likely feels a strong connection to Kirkham because of its early history. It was a very important place for social activities and work in the early days of settlement.
- It can teach us about the past: Kirkham Stables can help us learn about old farming methods. There might also be hidden remains of older buildings and paddocks near the stables that could tell us more.
- It is rare: The Kirkham Stables is likely the oldest large stable building still existing in Australia.
- It is a good example of its type: Kirkham Stables is a great example of early farm buildings like barns and stables.
