Travellers Rest Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Travellers Rest Inn |
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Travellers Rest Inn Group consists of the three buildings in the right foreground. The buildings stand in stark contrast to the modern towers in the background.
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| Location | 12, 14, 16 O'Connell Street, Parramatta, City of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia |
| Official name: Travellers Rest Inn Group | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 748 |
| Type | Inn/Tavern |
| Category | Commercial |
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The Travellers Rest Inn is a very old group of buildings in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. It used to be an inn where people could stay, and also homes. Today, these buildings are offices. They are considered very important because they show us what buildings looked like a long time ago. That's why they are listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register since 1999.
Contents
A Look Back: History of Travellers Rest Inn
The Travellers Rest Inn is actually a group of three buildings. These include two smaller houses at numbers 12 and 14 O'Connell Street, and the main Travellers Inn building at number 16.
Early Days and Owners
Maps from the early 1800s show that this land was used by different people. In 1823, Patrick Kirk and Samuel Larkin lived on parts of this land. Later, a man named William H. Bennett gained ownership of the entire area between Hunter and Macquarie Streets.
After Bennett passed away, records from the 1860s show that John Champley Rutter owned three of the cottages. He was a well-known doctor in Parramatta for over 50 years.
What the Buildings Were Used For
In the 1880s and 1890s, the buildings had many different tenants. The records show people like dressmakers, builders, stonemasons, photographers, bakers, gardeners, and blacksmiths lived or worked there.
By 1898, the building on the corner of O'Connell and Hunter Streets was known as the Travellers Rest. It was managed by D. Watsford. Next door, there was a place called The Wardley Home, run by Miss Mary Brown.
A Place for Help and Homes
Around 1901, when the aged pension started in New South Wales, the Travellers Rest changed its role. It was no longer needed as a hostel for everyone. For a while, it only opened during the winter months. One of the cottages next to the inn was also used to house widows and later a charity worker. This service stopped in 1910.
Two elderly women continued to live in the inn for many years. People thought they owned the property. However, when one of them passed away in 1955, it was discovered that the Benevolent Society still owned the buildings.
In 1955, Kevin Orchard bought the property. He used it for storage and offices until the mid-1980s. Sadly, the house was damaged by fire in 1986.
What the Buildings Look Like
The Travellers Rest Inn group is built in an old style called Old Colonial Georgian. These buildings are single-story and made of brick, sitting on a stone base.
They have sloped iron roofs, which originally covered wooden shingles on the houses at numbers 12 and 14. The main inn (No. 16) has a newer corrugated roof. You can still see the original brick chimneys on the house at number 14.
The main inn building also has its original verandah (a covered porch) at the front, facing O'Connell Street. It has two rooms at the front and two rooms behind them. Part of the verandah has been enclosed with a material called fibro, but it still has the simple wooden posts typical of its old style.
Why Travellers Rest Inn is Important
The Travellers Rest Inn group is very special and has been listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it's protected because of its historical and architectural value.
A Glimpse into the Past
These buildings are important because they show us how towns developed in early Parramatta. They are the oldest and most complete group of cottages in the whole area. They help us understand what life was like a long time ago in New South Wales.
Rare and Unique Style
The buildings are a great example of the Georgian style of architecture. This style is quite rare in Australia and can mostly be found in the very first colonies like New South Wales and Tasmania. The Travellers Rest Inn also represents the many inns that existed in the region during that time, even though most of them are now gone.
Meeting Heritage Standards
The Travellers Rest Inn was added to the heritage list in 1999 because it met certain important standards:
- It shows the history of New South Wales: The buildings are important because they demonstrate how history unfolded in the state.
- It is rare: This group of buildings is uncommon and special.
- It represents a type of place: It shows the main features of similar historical places in New South Wales.
