Riverview House, West Ryde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Riverview House, West Ryde |
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Riverview House, 135 Marsden Road, West Ryde, New South Wales
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| Location | 135 Marsden Road, West Ryde, City of Ryde, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1860–1878 |
| Official name: Riverview House, Outbuildings etc. | |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 775 |
| Type | Homestead Complex |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Builders | George Spurway |
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Riverview House is a special old home in West Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. It used to be part of a big fruit orchard. George Spurway built it between 1860 and 1878. Today, it's a private home, but it's also listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it's an important historical place that needs to be protected.
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The Story of Riverview House
The Ryde area was perfect for growing crops and fruit. In the early days, land was given to soldiers to encourage farming. In 1792, some land grants were made in the Ryde area. Later, famous people like John Macarthur, Gregory Blaxland, and Reverend Samuel Marsden bought these farms. Ryde remained an important fruit-growing area throughout the 1800s.
The Marsden Family's Land
The land where Riverview House stands was once part of a large farm owned by Samuel Marsden. He received 100 acres in 1794. He bought more land, making his farm a total of 335 acres. This big farm was called Kingston Farm.
When Samuel Marsden passed away in 1838, he left Kingston Farm to his daughter Anne. Later, in 1873, Anne and her daughter decided to sell the land. It was divided into 22 smaller pieces and sold off.
George Spurway, a farmer from Pennant Hills, bought two of these sections in 1873. These pieces of land were where Riverview House would later be built.
The Spurway Family's Journey
George Spurway senior (born 1806) was a farmer from England. He came to New South Wales in 1829. He was sent to work on Gregory Blaxland's Brush Farm estate, probably because he already knew a lot about growing fruit. By 1835, he was in charge of the workers on the farm.
George Spurway senior became a free man in 1838. He then rented a farm next to Brush Farm and started his own fruit orchard. He was very good at farming and even won awards for his fruit. He bought his first land in 1842.
In 1835, George Spurway senior married Frances Johnson. They had six children. Their youngest son, George Spurway the younger, was born in 1843.
Building Riverview House
George Spurway the younger (1843-1913) grew up on his family's fruit farm. In 1862, he got married. Around 1869, he moved to Bathurst and opened a fruit shop. Even though he was in Bathurst, he still got fruit from his family's orchards in Sydney.
While in Bathurst, George the younger bought the land for Riverview House in 1873. This land was right across from his family's properties. It's thought that his father might have bought the land for him. Riverview House was built on this land.
By 1877-1878, George the younger moved back to Dundas with his family. His father gave him and his brother James 55 acres of orchards. George, his wife Ann, and their daughters Annie and Eveline made Riverview their home.
The brick house was built in three main parts.
- The first part was a small two-room cottage. It faced the river, which is why the house was named Riverview. This part is now the back wing of the house.
- The second part was a larger four-room cottage. It was built next to the first part around 1878-1880. This made two sides of a courtyard.
- A large kitchen with a cellar was added to the back of the original cottage.
- The courtyard was completed with a two-story stable and a coach house, plus a small brick dairy.
The house now faces Marsden Road. It has special old features inside, like a fitted sideboard in the dining room and an old kitchen stove.
George Spurway the younger became a very successful fruit grower. He owned a lot of land in the area. He also became a local council member in 1889 and served for 19 years.
The Spurway family, along with other families like the Mobbs and Midson, were important pioneers in the Ryde/Parramatta area. They helped develop the region's fruit farming industry in the 1800s.
George Spurway the younger passed away at Riverview in 1913. He left his properties to his wife and daughters. This meant the house and land stayed in the family for two more generations.
The last Spurway family member to live in Riverview House was Mrs. Merle Trist. She lived there from about 1948 until 1982, continuing the family's connection with the house for almost 110 years.
Riverview House has been recognized as an important historical building since the 1970s. It's listed on heritage registers because of its history and unique features.
What Riverview House Looks Like
The Garden and Surroundings
Riverview House now faces Marsden Road. The garden has two very old and large Port Jackson fig trees. These trees are a big part of the garden near the house.
There's also a tall Canary Island date palm tree on the land next door, which used to be part of Riverview's garden. You can still see signs of an old Victorian-style cottage garden there.
Near the entry gate, there's a cocks-comb coral tree. The front garden also has mature cypress trees. A hedge of Cape honeysuckle faces Marsden Road. Inside this hedge, there's a rare Osage orange plant, which was once popular for hedges on farms.
Under the big fig trees, you'll find plants that like shade. In the more formal front garden, there are flowers that love the sun, on either side of the path to the front door.
The House and Other Buildings
Riverview is a single-story house built in the old colonial Georgian style. It's made of brick with stone details. It has a corrugated iron roof and a verandah on three sides with pretty decorative woodwork. There's a long service wing connected to the house and a cellar under the kitchen.
Behind the house, there's a separate two-story coach house and a single-story dairy. These buildings are also made of brick with stone details. The kitchen inside the house still has its original large Lassetter's kitchen stove.
The front of the property has an iron fence on a stone base, with fancy stone gate posts. These posts were recently moved because of road widening.
Why Riverview House is Important
Riverview House is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register because it meets several important criteria:
- It shows how history unfolded in New South Wales: Riverview House has been connected to the Spurway family for over a century. They were important pioneers in fruit farming in Sydney's north-west. The house also shows how people who came to Australia in the early days, like George Spurway senior, built successful lives.
- It has beautiful design and special features: Riverview is a lovely old farmhouse from the mid-Victorian era. It still has its original garden and other buildings. It helps us see what the area looked like before it became a suburb.
- It's important to the local community: People in the local area have recognized Riverview's historical value for a long time. Local history groups care deeply about the house and its future.
- It helps us learn about history: Riverview House can teach us about Australian history. We can compare it to other old houses in the area to understand how different families lived and worked in the past.
- It's a rare and special place: Riverview House is considered rare because it helps us understand the history of farming and settlement in New South Wales in a unique way.
