Price Morris Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Price Morris Cottage |
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Heritage boundaries
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| Location | 37 Upper Macdonald Road, St Albans, City of Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1835– |
| Owner | Price Morris Complex |
| Official name: Price Morris Cottage | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 22 December 2000 |
| Reference no. | 1444 |
| Type | Cottage |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders | Price Price Morris and family |
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Price Morris Cottage is a very old house located at 37 Upper Macdonald Road in St Albans, New South Wales, Australia. It was built starting in 1835 by Price Morris and his family. This special home is now listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place that needs to be protected. It was added to this list on December 22, 2000.
Contents
History of Price Morris Cottage
The Morris Family's New Life
Price Morris was from Wales. In 1812, when he was about 29, he was sent to New South Wales for life. This was a common punishment back then. About six years later, in 1818, he married Mary, who was born in the colony. She was 20 years younger than him.
Over the next ten years, Price and Mary had five children: Sarah (born 1819), Elizabeth (born 1821), Price Jr. (born 1824), William (born 1826), and Mary (born 1828). By 1828, Price senior had earned his "ticket of leave." This meant he could work for himself. The family lived on 12 hectares (about 30 acres) at Lower Portland on the Hawkesbury River. They grew crops on 10 hectares and had a few cattle.
Building the Cottage
Around 1835, Price and Mary moved to St Albans. They built the first part of their cottage on this new land. They chose a spot that was higher up to avoid floods. From their home, they could look out over their farm fields. We don't know the exact date the house was built, but it was likely between 1835 and 1837. We know it was ready by 1838 because the first Methodist church service in the area was held there.
A Community Meeting Place
The Morris family and their neighbors, the Walker family, were Methodists. The Walkers had moved to the Macdonald area around 1830. They had three generations of Methodist preachers in their family. Other Methodist families, like the Walters, Baileys, and Thompsons, also lived nearby. This group of Methodists was important in the area.
In the 1830s, there was a cattle drovers' camp and a "bullock wharf" nearby on the river. This made the Morris family's land very useful. A new town called St Albans was planned across the Macdonald River. More people moved to the area in the 1840s. An Anglican church opened in 1843, and a Methodist church was finally built in 1853.
Family Changes and New Occupants
By 1844, Price and Mary Morris had eleven children. They created many connections with other families in the valley. However, Price and Mary then returned to England and never came back to Australia. Price died in 1867, and Mary died in 1888. Price Jr. was buried in the St Albans cemetery in 1867, the same year his father died.
Margaret, one of Price senior's daughters-in-law, was known as "Mag the Midwife." She was born in 1839. Many people visited the Morris cottage because of her work until she died in 1907.
Later, William Price Morris (1874-1957), a grandson of Price and Mary, lived there. His memories of St Albans in the 1800s were used in a history book about the valley.
After William Price Morris died in 1957, the land stayed with the Morris family. However, the original cottage was lived in by Beatrice Rose. She was from a very old family in the Hawkesbury and Webbs Creek area. While Rose lived there, a new dining room was added to the house. It was made of fibro, a type of building material. Rose used the large indoor fireplace in winter and an outdoor fireplace in summer. Rose died in the 1970s, and the cottage was empty for a while.
The property is now owned by Mrs. Joyce Stepto and her husband Doug, who are descendants of the Morris family. The cottage has been fixed up and now works as a bed and breakfast.
What Price Morris Cottage Looks Like
Price Morris Cottage is a unique house built with wooden slabs. It has a weatherboard section that sticks out. The house sits on a flat area supported by stone walls. It has five rooms and verandahs on three sides. There is also a separate kitchen building covered in fibro. The main house has a large stone chimney, but it has some damage.
Around the main house, there are other old farm buildings. These include stables, a dairy, milking sheds, a honey house, a packing shed, and an outdoor toilet. All the roofs are made of corrugated iron over older wooden shingles. A tall wire fence protects the main house.
Why Price Morris Cottage is Important
Price Morris Cottage is a very important historical site in New South Wales. It shows us what pioneer life was like beyond the Hawkesbury River. The way the house was built clearly shows how it was expanded and changed over time, but it still has many of its original parts.
Its location on a hillside, looking over farmland next to the river, makes it very beautiful. Artists and travelers often admire it. It's also special because it has stayed in the same family for over 160 years! Its role as an early meeting place for Methodists before a church was built also makes it very significant.
Price Morris Cottage was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on December 22, 2000, because it meets several important rules:
Showing History
The cottage is very important because it was the home of a key Welsh Methodist family in the Lower Hawkesbury for many generations. It is the oldest complete wooden slab building complex in the valley. It is especially important as the first Methodist meeting place in the area.
Beautiful Location and Design
The cottage is built on a flat area on a hillside, surrounded by trees. A stone wall holds up the building site. It looks out over the original farming and grazing fields. This makes the cottage very well-placed and easy to see. It has a beautiful and unique setting.
Strong Community Connections
Price Morris Cottage has been a special place for many reasons throughout its history:
- In the 1830s, it was a center for Methodist meetings.
- In the Victorian era, it was the home of a midwife, "Mag the Midwife."
- In the 1900s, it became a well-known scenic spot for artists and photographers.
- It is known as the home of a significant family for seven generations. This gives the cottage strong social importance.
Learning from the Past
The cottage is very important for understanding how buildings were made in the past using different types of wood. It shows details of construction and wall coverings from that time.
Rare and Special Qualities
The untouched setting of the cottage is now rare in the area. Few other houses nearby have stayed in the same family for so long. It is also unusually clear and well-preserved, which helps us study old building methods. It has kept its special social importance throughout its entire history.
