Oaklands, Pambula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oaklands |
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Heritage boundaries
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| Location | Princes Highway, Pambula, Bega Valley Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1842– |
| Official name: Oaklands; Pamboola Station (c1833-1842) | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 20 February 2004 |
| Reference no. | 1686 |
| Type | Farm |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Builders | Messrs Robertson, Hall and Rogers |
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Oaklands is a very old and special house located on the Princes Highway in Pambula, New South Wales, Australia. It was built way back in 1842 by some builders named Messrs Robertson, Hall, and Rogers. Before it was called Oaklands, it was known as Pamboola Station from around 1833 to 1842. This historic home is so important that it's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's protected because of its history and unique features. It was added to this special list on February 20, 2004.
A Look Back: Oaklands' History
Early Days and First Peoples
The land around Pambula and the Bega Valley was first home to an Aboriginal group called the Djiringani. The first time Europeans saw Aboriginal people near Pambula was in 1797. A surgeon named George Bass wrote about it in his journal after sailing into the Pambula River. The first meeting between Europeans and Aboriginal people on the South Coast happened in 1798 at Snug Cove. This was when Matthew Flinders met an Aboriginal man during his exploration trip with George Bass.
European Settlement Begins
In the late 1820s, cattle farmers started bringing their herds south. This led to Aboriginal people being moved from their traditional lands. Permanent European settlements began in the 1830s and 1840s. Many Aboriginal people sadly died from new diseases brought by the Europeans. By 1848, there were only 17 Aboriginal people left in the Pambula area.
The area was rugged and far from Sydney, so European settlement was slow at first. By 1846, about 1000 people lived in the County of Auckland.
Whaling and the Imlay Brothers
The first big business in the region was whaling. Thomas Raine started the first whaling station at Twofold Bay in 1828. Soon after, in 1834, the Imlay Brothers (Alexander, George, and Peter) from Tasmania set up a large whaling station there. They also started businesses in coastal shipping and large-scale farming along the South Coast.
The Imlay Brothers were likely the first European settlers in the Pambula area. Their property, originally called Pamboola Station, was first leased in 1833. In 1835, they built a large house at Kameruka, near Candelo. This house had many features similar to Oaklands, which was built later.
The Walkers Take Over
The Imlay Brothers' whaling and farming businesses didn't do well, and they ended up owing a lot of money to the Walker brothers (William, Edward, and James) from Scotland. The Walkers were important businessmen and took over Pamboola Station in the early 1840s.
They built the Oaklands homestead in 1842. They used bricks made by hand and had convict workers help build it. In 1844, the Walkers also took over the Kameruka property.
Pambula Town and Floods
In 1843, a government surveyor named Thomas Townsend was planning the new town of Pambula. He met with a local farmer, Benjamin Boyd, and his employee, Oswald Walters Brierly. Brierly wrote about how beautiful the area was and mentioned the "pretty cottage" of the Imlays.
The planned town included the land where Oaklands now stands. However, parts of the town near the river often flooded. A big flood in 1851 washed away the small settlement. Because of this, the town was moved to higher ground. Oaklands, being on a hill, was not affected by the flood.
Oaklands Gets Its Name
In 1853, a group of businessmen formed the Twofold Bay Pastoral Company. They took over the Walker properties, which included over 16,000 hectares in the Bega Valley. James Manning, one of the partners, bought Kameruka and Pamboola Stations. He changed Pamboola Station's name to Oaklands.
James Manning planted many oak and olive trees, which you can still see today. Some people say he built a large bird enclosure near the house. When his property was sold, the birds were released and are believed to be the ancestors of some English birds now found in Australia.
Dairy Farming and Changes
In 1897, the Pambula Cooperative Creamery and Dairy Company was formed. Dairy farming became a very important industry along the South Coast.
After James Manning passed away, the Hayward brothers bought Oaklands in the 1880s. They turned it into a dairy farm. In 1893, they even won first prize in a national farm competition! A newspaper reported that the house had 13 rooms, and there were tall olive trees and huge oak trees in front.
Sadly, some parts of the house, like the servants' quarters, kitchen, and a glass room (conservatory), were in bad shape and were taken down in 1958.
New owners bought Oaklands in 1967. In 1986, the current owners carefully fixed up the remaining building. They added two bathrooms in what used to be storage rooms. These changes didn't affect the original look or feel of the house much.
In 2000, the property was divided. The homestead now sits on 1.3 hectares, but it still looks out over the land that used to be part of its farm. In 2006, Oaklands was put up for sale for the first time in 40 years.
What Oaklands Looks Like
The Homestead Building
The original Oaklands house had four main rooms with verandahs all around. It also had several storage rooms and pantries, plus two extra rooms on the back verandah. Connected to the main house were a glass room, offices, servants' quarters, and a kitchen.
The house was built using handmade, sun-dried bricks. These bricks have a thumbprint on them, which was a way to identify them. The walls sit on strong stone foundations. You can still see four chimneys, which means there were fireplaces inside. The roof was originally made of wooden shingles but is now covered with corrugated iron. The verandahs are wide, about 2.75 meters (9 feet), with simple, rectangular posts. Some parts of the verandahs at the sides and back are now enclosed to form the extra rooms.
The front door is a beautiful example of Georgian design. It has two cedar doors with glass panels on the sides and a decorative fan-shaped window above. This design is repeated halfway down the hallway inside. All the main rooms have cedar French doors that open onto the verandah. These doors have delicate glass panes and small windows above them.
Inside, the house has amazing cedar woodwork. This includes 6-panel doors, 12-pane windows, tall skirting boards (some are 30 cm or 45 cm high!), and decorative frames around doors and windows. The cedar fireplace surrounds are simple but elegant, showing the Georgian style. The floors are made of wide, 20 cm (8 inch) wooden boards. The walls are smooth plaster with decorative moldings near the ceiling, and the ceilings are made of lath and plaster with simple round decorations.
Today, the homestead has two bedrooms, including a main bedroom with its own bathroom. It also has formal living and dining rooms, and a sunny room facing north. The building is in very good condition. There might be some old remains underground from the demolished outbuildings. The house still looks very much like it did originally, especially the outside and the beautiful cedar woodwork inside.
The Gardens and Grounds
Oaklands has a large garden area, about 14,000 square meters. The most important features in the garden are two huge oak trees. One has a trunk that's 6.4 meters (21 feet) around! There are also some old olive trees. These trees were likely planted in the 1870s and were even mentioned in a newspaper report from 1894 as being very notable.
Why Oaklands is a Heritage Site
Oaklands is very important to the history of New South Wales. It's a rare example of an old colonial homestead from the late Georgian period that is still mostly complete. The house was built on a hill to avoid floods and to offer great views of the surrounding farmland.
This main house, along with its gardens, is one of the oldest buildings in the Bega Valley. It's also one of the earliest colonial houses still standing on the NSW South Coast. Built in 1842, it shows us how early European settlers lived and how farming, especially dairy farming, grew in the region.
The house has beautiful cedar woodwork, including unique entrance doors with fancy glass. It also has original fireplaces, floorboards, plasterwork, and French doors. The inside of Oaklands is considered one of the finest examples of Georgian colonial style on the South Coast. Studying its woodwork might even tell us about trade connections between NSW and Tasmania long ago.
The property became a dairy farm in the late 1800s. The olive and oak trees, which gave the house its name, were planted around the 1860s. The garden also has old wooden fences. The house's location on a rise, overlooking the valley, makes it a special and beautiful landmark.
Oaklands was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on February 20, 2004, because it met several important requirements:
- It shows the history of New South Wales: The homestead, built in 1842, is one of the oldest buildings in the Bega Valley. It helps us understand the history of European settlement and how farming changed over 170 years.
- It's connected to important people: Oaklands has links to important people in the history of the South Coast. The Imlay brothers were the first owners. The Walker brothers built Oaklands and were successful merchants. James Manning, who named it Oaklands, was a partner in a big farming company.
- It's a beautiful and well-built example: The house is a great example of colonial architecture in the Victorian Georgian style. Its symmetrical design, hipped roof, and beautiful cedar woodwork show the high skills of early builders. The special inner hallway door, which looks like the front door, is very rare and unique.
- It's important to the local community: Oaklands is important to the local community's sense of place. The local council supported its listing as a heritage item.
- It can teach us more about history: The house and garden could provide more information about early colonial farming and lifestyles. The cedar woodwork can show us the styles and craftsmanship of the late Georgian era. It might even show connections to Tasmania's building styles from that time.
- It's rare and special: Oaklands is one of the few surviving colonial homesteads from the 1840s in the Bega Valley. It's known for how well-preserved it is and the high quality of its interior, especially the cedar woodwork. The unique hallway door is particularly rare.
- It's a great example of its type: Oaklands is an excellent example of a Victorian Georgian homestead. It has many typical features like a symmetrical outside, verandahs on all sides, French doors, and high-quality cedar woodwork inside.
