Oldbury Farm facts for kids

Oldbury Farm is a historic home located on Oldbury Road in Moss Vale, Australia. It was built between 1822 and 1828. This important site is now protected and listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register since 1999.

The History of Oldbury Farm

Oldbury Farm has a rich history, starting with its first owner, James Atkinson. It was a place of innovation and home to remarkable people.

James Atkinson's Vision

Oldbury Farm was started in 1822 by James Atkinson (1794-1834). He received a large piece of land, about 3000 acres, from Governor Macquarie. James Atkinson was a farmer born in Kent, England. He arrived in New South Wales in 1820.

In 1825, James Atkinson went back to England. There, he wrote a book about farming and grazing in New South Wales. This book was well-known and praised by others.

James returned to Australia in 1826. He married Charlotte Waring and then built the main house at Oldbury in 1828. He was a very forward-thinking farmer. He built the first windmill on his property to mill flour. He also started dairy farming. James wanted to improve farming methods. He even held ploughing competitions on his farm. Oldbury Farm became a great example of a successful farm.

James Atkinson was also a magistrate, which is like a judge. He worked with other magistrates to keep order in the area. James Atkinson passed away in 1834. The local newspaper called him a "gentleman of considerable literary attainments and as a practical agriculturist second to none."

The Atkinson Family at Oldbury

After James Atkinson died, his wife Charlotte Atkinson took care of the farm. She faced challenges, including a scary encounter with bushrangers. Charlotte later married George Bruce Barton, who was her farm overseer.

Charlotte Atkinson was also a writer. She wrote the first children's book ever published in Australia. It was called A Mother's Offering to Her Children.

Louisa Atkinson: A Pioneer

James and Charlotte's youngest daughter was Caroline Louisa Waring Atkinson (1834-1872). She was born just eight weeks before her father died. Louisa was often unwell, but she loved to explore nature. She spent her youth writing, collecting, and drawing plants and animals. She explored areas near Oldbury and later in the Blue Mountains. Louisa was a skilled horse rider. She would ride into deep valleys and high ridges to find new specimens.

When she was 23, Louisa published her first novel. She wrote five more novels and many articles for newspapers. She often used the pen name "A Voice from the Country." Louisa was one of Australia's first female journalists. She was also a talented artist.

Louisa's biggest contribution was as a botanist. She studied plants and collected many specimens. She shared her findings with famous botanists of her time. Some plant species were even named after her, like Atkinsonia ligustrina. Louisa was one of Australia's earliest botanical explorers.

In 1869, Louisa married James Calvert. He was an explorer who had traveled with Ludwig Leichhardt. Louisa died tragically in 1872, just 18 days after giving birth to her only child, a daughter named Louise.

The beautiful avenue of English elm trees at Oldbury was planted by James Atkinson. He wanted them to connect Oldbury to his brother John's property, Mereworth.

Oldbury Farm After 1834

After James Atkinson's death, the farm was leased out for a while. This helped provide an income for his wife Charlotte and their children. Later, Charlotte, her son James Junior, and daughter Louisa returned to live at Oldbury. Louisa Atkinson's wedding to James Calvert even took place in the sitting room at Oldbury Farm in 1870.

The farm changed owners over the years. In the 1920s, the roof of the house was updated. In the 1960s, the house was restored by J. McDonald. Later, in 1983, a major restoration was done by Clive Lucas & Partners. They carefully brought the house back to its original look, even replacing the roof shingles.

In recent years, there has been a big effort to improve the farm's gardens and hedges. Old European practices, like hedge laying, are used to keep the hedges strong and neat.

Exploring Oldbury Farm

Oldbury Farm is a special place with a historic house, beautiful gardens, and old farm buildings. It also has a swimming pool and tennis court.

The Farm's Setting

Oldbury Farm sits on a small hill. It is surrounded by lovely hawthorn hedges and European elm trees. The road leading to the farm is also lined with these trees.

The fields around the farm are edged with hawthorn hedges. Many of these have been re-laid using old European methods. This makes the hedges thick and strong, perfect for keeping farm animals in.

Oldbury Creek flows through the property. It is lined with willow trees and hawthorn seedlings. The main house is protected by rows of hawthorn and Bhutan cypress trees. Tall Monterey pines also shelter the garden from strong winds.

You approach the house on a gravel driveway. There is a large circular loop for carriages right in front of the house. Another drive goes around the back to the farm buildings.

Near Oldbury Farm, there is also Oldbury Cottage. This stone cottage was once part of the larger Oldbury Farm estate. It has its own garden and is surrounded by pine trees and hawthorn hedges.

The Oldbury House

The Oldbury house is a simple, two-story building in the Colonial Georgian style. It still has many of its original wooden features. The roof slopes down longer at the back, covering rooms that are a bit lower than the front ones.

At the back of the house, there's a stone-paved veranda. At each end of the veranda, there are separate stone buildings. One was a kitchen, and the other was a dairy. The house has eight rooms, a hall, and a cellar underneath. It is built of stone and has a timber shingle roof.

The front of the house has a simple wooden porch. It has small windows and six-paneled doors. The main entrance is a wide set of French windows. Inside, the entrance hall is wide with a beautiful wooden staircase. In the living room, there is a unique cedar fireplace. The cellars are made from deep foundations and have brick and stone floors. The house is in very good condition.

The Gardens of Oldbury

The garden at Oldbury Farm is very impressive. From the main gates, a short drive leads to a large circular area for carriages. In front of the house, there is a raised, semi-circular area. Stone steps lead up to this area, and a stone path goes straight to the house.

Old pictures show that this garden area used to have hedges around it. Today, the garden is sheltered by some old Monterey pines and a Himalayan cedar tree. There are also old oak trees and Mediterranean cypress trees.

A new drive now leads from the carriage loop to the garages. These garages were once old farm buildings.

The garden has been updated with new plants since the 1990s. There are new hedges and different sections in the back garden. To the southwest, there is a vegetable garden. There are also rows of Monterey cypress and Leyland cypress trees. A "native walk" garden has been created between these rows. The plan is to extend this garden up the slope of Mount Gingenbullen.

Since about 2013, the garden and farm have been greatly improved. Old stone paths have been relaid. Parts of the farm fields have been turned into new garden areas. These include a "nature garden," a magnolia walk, a prairie garden, and a tree collection called an arboretum. The goal is to make the historic part of Oldbury surrounded by beautiful parkland.

Thousands of European bluebells have been planted under the elm trees near the front gate. These create a beautiful blue display in spring. Benches and a small bridge have also been added. A new arboretum, covering five acres, has been created since 2013. It has a loop walk, a collection of pine trees, and a lookout point.

Why Oldbury Farm is Important

Oldbury Farm is very important because it is one of the earliest farms in the area. The main house is in excellent condition and still looks much like it did long ago. The large, attractive gardens, with their old 19th-century trees, add to its significance. The farm is also important because of its connection to James and Caroline Louisa Atkinson.

Oldbury is a rare example of a Colonial Georgian country house in Australia. It looks like a small English farmhouse, especially with its English trees that grow well here. The quality of its original building work is very high. The house and its setting are beautiful and have been well-preserved.

The garden's layout is also very rare. It has a small, enclosed "cottage" garden in front of the house. This leads to an impressive circular carriage loop. This type of garden design was once common but few are still intact today.

Oldbury Farm was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.