Roseneath Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roseneath Cottage |
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Roseneath Cottage, 40–42 O'Connell Street, Parramatta
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| Location | 40–42 O'Connell Street, Parramatta, City of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | c. 1835 |
| Owner | Privately owned |
| Official name: Roseneath Cottage | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 42 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
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Roseneath Cottage is a very old house in Parramatta, Australia. It was built around 1835 and is now used as a school building. This special house is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register because of its important history and beautiful design. It was added to the list on April 2, 1999.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
First People of the Land
Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for at least 60,000 years. The area around Sydney has been home to people for over 25,000 years. The traditional owners of the land where Roseneath Cottage stands are the Burramatta people. They are part of the larger Darug group from Western Sydney. The name Parramatta comes from "Burramatta," which means "eel" and "creek." You can still find signs of Aboriginal life near Roseneath Cottage. These include scarred trees and old tools in nearby Parramatta Park.
Early Days of the Colony
In 1806, Governor King gave some land grants to the new Governor, William Bligh. One of these grants was about 105 acres (42 hectares) near Parramatta. This land included the spot where Roseneath Cottage is today. However, Governor Macquarie later cancelled Bligh's land grants in 1819.
Later, in 1832, a man named William Tuckwell was supposed to get the land. But he had money problems, so the deal was not finished. Tuckwell worked at the nearby Parramatta Female Factory, a place for women convicts.
In 1833, Henry Harvey, a baker, was given some land nearby. He had been sent to New South Wales as a convict in 1817. But he became a successful businessman.
The Templeton Family's Story
In 1834, Henry Harvey started selling the land where Roseneath Cottage now stands. He sold it to a wealthy Scottish widow named Janet Templeton. Janet Templeton (born around 1790, died 1857) was a very interesting person. After her husband, a banker, passed away, she decided to move to Australia.
In 1830, she sailed to Australia on a ship called "the Czar." She brought her eight children and seven servants from Scotland. She also brought a small group of 63 Saxon merino sheep. These sheep were special because they produced very fine wool. Janet Templeton wanted to become a sheep farmer. She was one of the first women in Australia to breed these valuable sheep.
After arriving in Sydney in 1831, she settled in Concord. She then applied for a large land grant near Goulburn. This is where her sheep were kept.
Mrs. Templeton bought the land for Roseneath Cottage in 1835. The house was built soon after. We know it was standing by 1837 because her daughter, Marion, got married there. The "Sydney Herald" newspaper reported the wedding, calling the house "Roseneath Cottage." This is the first time the house's name appeared in print.
In 1837, Roseneath Cottage was described as a lovely home. It had a wide front door with a beautiful fanlight window above it. There were two large windows with shutters on each side. A verandah (a covered porch) went around three sides of the house. Inside, there was a wide hall and five rooms on the ground floor. These included a living room, dining room, and bedrooms. Upstairs, there were two large bedrooms and one smaller one.
Behind the house, there was a kitchen, stables, and a coach-house. Janet Templeton created a beautiful garden with fruit trees like oranges, apples, pears, and peaches. There was also a well to provide water.
In 1840, Major Edward Darvall and his family rented Roseneath. Emily Darvall wrote about the cottage. She said it was surrounded by beautiful climbing plants like ivy and passion flowers. She also mentioned that an "iron gang" (a group of convicts working in chains) of 200-300 men passed by the cottage every day.
Janet Templeton continued to live at Roseneath until 1842. She then moved to her property near Goulburn. After she left, the house was rented out to different people.
New Owners in the 1800s
Over the next few decades, Roseneath Cottage had many owners. In 1852, Charles Wray Finch, a businessman, bought it. He later sold it to William Frederick Bassett, a doctor.
In 1856, Rev. E. M. Bobart bought Roseneath Cottage. E.M. was Elizabeth Mary Bobart, the wife of the rector (a type of priest) at St. John's Anglican Church in Parramatta. She was also the daughter of Rev. Samuel Marsden, an important figure in the colony's early days.
From 1862 to 1863, Roseneath Cottage became a school for girls again. It was run by Mrs. McGhie. Later, between 1887 and 1889, it was home to "St. Ronan's," another school for girls. This school was an early step for the Tara Anglican School for Girls, which is still a school in Parramatta today.
From 1890 to 1899, a surgeon named R. C. Thorp lived at Roseneath. In 1891, Mary Elizabeth Allen bought the house. She was the wife of Frederick George Allen, a builder and local council member in Parramatta.
The 1900s and Beyond
From 1909 to 1975, the Davey family owned Roseneath Cottage. In 1909, George Bayley Davey, a newspaper reporter, bought the part of the land with the cottage.
In 1949, important groups like the NSW Institute of Architects and the National Trust of Australia listed Roseneath Cottage as a building worth saving. By 1967, it was officially recognized by the National Trust.
In the mid-1900s, during Marjory Davey's ownership, Roseneath was divided into two separate homes, like a duplex. This meant adding new walls and two front doors. The house was then known as 40 and 42 O'Connell Street.
In 1960, Roseneath was listed as a "Historic Building" by the Cumberland County Council. This meant that any changes or demolition needed permission from the council. It also meant the council could buy the property to protect it, but they never did.
In 1975, the Davey family sold Roseneath to Laurence and Joan Mear. They had been neighbors for a long time. In the late 1970s, the Mears found old items like bottles, plates, and pottery under the floor and in the garden.
Protecting Roseneath
People worked hard to protect Roseneath Cottage. In 1978, a temporary order was put in place to protect it. In 1981, a permanent order was made. Finally, in 1999, Roseneath was added to the NSW State Heritage Register. This is the highest level of heritage protection in New South Wales.
In the 1980s, the Mears family did work to preserve the house. They even received an award for their efforts from the State Planning Minister, Bob Carr.
Recent Times
In 2015, Roseneath Cottage was inherited by Bruce Mear and Alison Cotter, Joan and Laurence Mears' children. While the house was for sale, the owners found a hidden collection of objects under the attic floor. These included children's toys like marbles and wooden animals, as well as old nails.
In 2015, Our Lady of Mercy College, which is next door, bought Roseneath Cottage. They are working to restore the house and use it for their school.
What Roseneath Cottage Looks Like
The House
Roseneath is a beautiful old house built in the Georgian style. It has one story and is made of sandstock bricks, which have a lovely mottled fawn and grey color. The front of the house is very neat and balanced. It has a central doorway with a special elliptical (oval-shaped) fanlight window above it. There are also four windows with shutters. The verandah, which goes around three sides of the house, has wooden columns and a sandstone floor.
Above the doors and windows, there are soft red brick lintels (support beams) that stand out against the main brick walls. The verandah is under the same roof as the house, making it look very grand. The inside of the house also has features typical of its time period.
The original entrance door was very wide, about 3 feet 5 inches (1 meter) across, with a detailed fanlight. However, the doorway has been changed over time, and part of the side verandah has been enclosed.
The Garden
Roseneath Cottage is on a corner block, where O'Connell Street and Ross Street meet. The main front of the house faces O'Connell Street. The front garden has a path leading to the front door. On either side of the path are lawns with plants like jade plants, roses, and lobster plants near the verandah posts.
To the south-west, there are several trees and shrubs. A large jacaranda tree grows near Ross Street, with rock lilies on its trunk. There's also a tall Californian desert palm, a sweet bay laurel, and a camellia. Near the southern fence, you can see a kurrajong/Illawarra flame tree covered in ivy. Other plants include frangipani, Chinese hibiscus, cumquat, horned holly, and a tree tulip.
To the south-east, there are heavenly bamboo, sweet pittosporum, and hydrangeas. A small brick path leads from the back door to a side gate on Ross Street. The back fence is covered with creeping fig and ivy.
To the north-west, there's another jacaranda tree, bird-of-paradise flowers, river lilies, a tree gardenia, and a Chinese wisteria vine. A simple drain with brick edging runs from the north side of the house towards O'Connell Street.
Along the northern fence, behind the house, there's a line of shrubs and plants growing over a trellis. These include Mickey Mouse plant, port wine magnolia, poinsettia bushes, New Zealand pittosporum, and a grapefruit tree. There's also a lawn area behind the house on the north-east side.
Why Roseneath Cottage is Special
Roseneath Cottage was built in 1837 for Janet Templeton. It is important because of its connection to her. She was a pioneer in the Australian wool industry and is believed to have brought merino sheep to Victoria.
The cottage is also beautiful to look at. It's a simple yet elegant house made of sandstock bricks. Its balanced front, with the central doorway, fanlight, and shuttered windows, makes it very charming. It is considered one of the best examples of an old colonial town cottage in the County of Cumberland.
People recognized the house's importance early on. In 1960, it was declared a "place of historic interest." It was also one of the first 50 places in New South Wales to be listed under the Heritage Act in 1977.
Roseneath Cottage was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
