Stannix Park House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stannix Park House |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Heritage boundaries
|
|
| Location | Stannix Park Lane, off Stannix Park Road, Wilberforce, City of Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1839 |
| Official name: Stannix Park House, cattle tanks and site | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 598 |
| Type | Homestead Complex |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Stannix Park House is a very old and important home in Wilberforce, New South Wales, Australia. It was built way back in 1839. This house is so special that it's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it is protected as an important historical place.
Contents
The Story of Stannix Park House
First People of the Land
The land around the lower Hawkesbury River was originally home to the Dharug people. This area was very important for them. The nearby Nepean River and South Creek provided lots of food.
The Dharug and Darkinjung people called the river "Deerubbin." It was a vital source of food and a way to travel.
European Settlement
Governor Arthur Phillip explored this area in 1789. He was looking for good land to farm. He found and named the Hawkesbury River after Baron Hawkesbury.
European settlers started living here by 1794. This region was very important for the early colony. It had fertile land and helped feed the settlers during tough times. However, the river often flooded, which could ruin the farmers.
Governor Macquarie's Influence
Governor Lachlan Macquarie became governor in 1810. Under his leadership, the colony grew stronger. He wanted to create a free community for white settlers. He also started many building projects, creating 265 public buildings.
He improved roads and other services. The Hawkesbury district really grew under his care. In 1810, he visited the area and named new towns. He called the Green Hills area Windsor. He named the Richmond district Richmond.
Other towns like Castlereagh, Pitt Town, and Wilberforce were named after English leaders. These five towns are often called "Macquarie's Five Towns." They became more permanent places with streets and public buildings.
Governor Macquarie also chose local people to be in charge. In 1810, settlers wrote to him, thanking him for his leadership. He was very happy with their letter. He promised that the Hawkesbury would always be important to him.
The governors were told by London to create towns. This was part of extending British ways to Australia.
Stannix Park's History
Stannix Park is in the Dharug region. There is a lot of proof that Aboriginal people lived here for a long time. You can see many axe and spear marks on the rocks. Experts believe the site was used for about 2000 years.
Old tools and items are often found here. A stone axe was found near the house in 1986. There's even a "canoe" tree about 100 meters from the house. This tree was used by Aboriginal people to make canoes.
Building the House
Stannix Park House was built in 1839. It was on a large piece of land given to William Hall in 1837. William Hall first came to Australia in 1810. He was a missionary helper but went to New Zealand.
He returned to Australia in 1825 because of his health. He wanted land for his growing cattle herd. At first, his requests for land were refused. This was because there was another William Hall living nearby.
The problem was solved, and Hall got the land in 1829. He was in charge of an Aboriginal school at Blacktown. By 1831, he was very successful. He owned a big house in Sydney and another in Blacktown. He also had 161 cattle.
He planned to hire someone to look after the land. But by 1839, when the house was finished, he gave the land to his son, Henry Hall. Henry Hall's initials, H.H., and the date 1839 are carved above the coach house door.
Later Owners
In the 1840s, the house had many debts. After William Hall died in 1844, the property was sold.
By 1851, Matthew Everingham III owned it. His father was born in the colony in 1795. Matthew's wife, Sophia Arndell, was related to an early surgeon. Everingham owned the property until 1867. During a big flood that year, his father had to be rescued from the first floor by boat. Records show the water was 4.69 meters deep inside the house during that flood!
The next owner was Peter De Rome. He was a young man who made a lot of money at the Araluen gold field. After he died in 1899, his wife, Amelia, lived there until 1906. Then, the property was divided into smaller lots and sold.
Many owners lived far away from the house after that. The house slowly fell apart. In 1978, Mr. R. Bennet bought it. He put on a new roof but then gave up the property.
Restoration Work
Max and Lorna Hatherly bought the house and land in August 1983. The house was a ruin. No one had lived in it for 40 years, and it was in very bad shape. Only the main structure was left.
Architects Ian Stapleton and Clive Lucas made plans to fix it. Stan Hellyer, an expert in restoring old buildings, managed the building work.
Stannix Park House is one of about 20 old stone farmhouses in the Hawkesbury Valley. It's special because of its unique roof style. It also has a coach house built right into the main building. The stone for the house came from two quarries on the property. There are also three large stone water tanks, each 9 meters by 2 meters.
In 2009, Selena Mazuran bought the property. She owns a fashion college. In 2012, she added more land. She also added things like solar panels, rainwater tanks, a chapel, an outdoor chess set, and a swimming pool.
What Stannix Park House Looks Like
The house sits on 20 hectares (about 49 acres) of land. It's on a low, rocky area that people say has never flooded. This area is surrounded by the floodplains of Currency Creek and Howe's Creek. These plains flood regularly, so you can't build on them. After a flood, many water birds come to the area. You can see many kinds of birds, from eagles to small finches.
The property is at the end of a country lane. It has about 46.5 acres of good land for farming or grazing. There's a large dam and a shed/garage for two cars. It has 1.5 acres of beautiful gardens. These gardens mix European and Australian styles. They have both exotic and native trees and bushes.
In the garden, you can find a fishpond, a gazebo, and a maze made of plants. There's also a large sundial that is 15 meters long. Tall forest red gum trees stand behind the house. There is also clear evidence of Aboriginal presence on the site.
House Design and Features
Stannix Park was built as a two-story stone farmhouse. It has a usable attic and a single-story back section. The roof is very steep, with a special "jerkin head" design. The stone walls are very thick, about 64 cm. They are filled with rubble. The corners and areas around doors and windows have special dressed stones.
The back section and the upper part of the back wall fell down about 30 years ago. The stone was removed. The upper wall was rebuilt with bricks. Old photos from around 1900 show that the back section had a kitchen and an open storage area.
A 20th-century verandah was removed. But during recent cleaning, the base stones for four verandah posts were found. The original verandah was 1.8 meters wide. It will be replaced soon. The arched doorway to the old coach house has a stone above it. This stone has the initials H.H. (for Henry Hall) and the date 1839 carved into it.
In 1983, all the windows were gone. The outside doors were in very bad condition. Parts of the end walls had fallen because of termite damage. The chimney was also leaning dangerously. A new steel roof had been put on by a previous owner.
Today, the walls have been repainted. The end walls and chimney have been rebuilt. A new back section has been built on the original foundations. It has a brick wall that will be covered with stone later.
The brick wall at the back has been covered with cement. It is designed to look like the stone walls. The doors and windows have been replaced to match the original ones. Most doors are simple wooden ones with handmade hinges and locks. The windows open inwards or are double-hung windows. All the wooden parts are made of cedar.
Most of the ceilings on the ground floor are plaster. Other ceilings show the wooden beams. About 70% of these beams are original. The floors in the main house are made of boxwood. The floors in the back section are made of tallow wood.
The only old stairs were in the original coach house. These have been kept. A second set of stairs has been added on the ground floor. The old ladder to the attic has been replaced with a hidden stairway. But the original attic trap door is still there. Stonehill Restorations did most of the work.
The front verandah leads into a large lounge room with a huge fireplace. The dining room next to it still has the original hand-sawn wood and sandstone walls and floor.
Upstairs, there is another lounge room and three large bedrooms. These rooms offer great views of the whole property. The house has two bathrooms, a big kitchen, a walk-in pantry, and a sunroom with a heater. It uses solar power for electricity and has large water tanks. It also uses gas for the stove and hot water.
Why Stannix Park House is Important
Stannix Park House was built in 1839. It is a rare and important old farmhouse from the Hawkesbury River area. It's very unusual to find a farmhouse and a carriage house built together in one building. This design is thought to be unique in the area. It reminds us of old English buildings.
The house was built by an important early settler. It has been owned by families who are descendants of some of Australia's first settlers.
Stannix Park House was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
