Virginia, Mayfield facts for kids

Virginia is a historic homestead and old farm located in Mayfield, Australia. It was built between 1830 and 1925. This special place is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register because of its important history.

Exploring Virginia's Past

Virginia is a homestead with a long and interesting story. It shows us how people lived and farmed in New South Wales a long time ago.

Early Settlers and the Roberts Family

The Roberts family arrived in the Braidwood area in the mid-1830s. They were connected to other large farms like Mayfield and Ooranook.

John Cocking, born in England in 1791, married Anna Maria Whitmore. They had eight children. At some point, they changed their last name to Roberts. In 1834, Anna Maria Roberts and her children sailed to Sydney, Australia. Her brother-in-law, Robert Roberts, and his wife also came with them. It's thought that John Roberts might have come to Australia earlier. He may have been looking for good land for his family.

After arriving, the two Roberts families lived in Sydney. But by November 1835, they moved to the Braidwood area. John Roberts was given permission to buy 100 acres of land. He wanted to build a place for travelers and work as a vet.

The Star and Garter Inn

John Roberts built an inn called the Star and Garter Inn around 1835. This inn was on land that is now part of the Mayfield estate. John Roberts ran the inn in 1836 and 1837. His brother Robert also worked there.

In March 1836, John Roberts bought another 200 acres of land. This land later became the start of the Mayfield property. This area was near a place called "Bora." This name likely gave the Boro River its name.

How Virginia Got Its Name

Another man, Charles James Bullivant, was promised 640 acres of land in 1825. This land was a "cattle station" run by Mr. Faithful. Bullivant sold this land to John Roberts around 1836. John Roberts named this property "Virginia Waters." He was officially given this land in 1840. By then, he had left Australia to live in New Zealand.

Life at Virginia Homestead

Peter Roberts, born in England in 1823, was one of John and Anna Maria Roberts' children. He married Jane Oakenden in Goulburn in 1862. Peter and Jane Roberts continued to live at Virginia. Peter worked as a farmer on the property. They had nine children.

In 1870, a flood forced Peter and Jane to leave their home. Peter decided to build a new house on higher ground. Peter Roberts passed away at Virginia in 1890. Jane died in 1916. Both were buried at the Larbert Cemetery.

A School on the Property

A part-time school operated at Virginia for a few years. Children from nearby farms like Durran Durra and Manar also attended.

The main house at Virginia was rebuilt between 1915 and 1925. It was likely rebuilt by Peter Roberts Jnr. He lived at Virginia until he retired. His son, Oscar Roberts, then lived there. This meant four generations of the Roberts family lived at Virginia. Oscar Roberts later sold Virginia to Denzil Sturgiss.

Virginia and the Shoalhaven Scheme

In 1968, a plan called the Shoalhaven Scheme was proposed. This plan aimed to supply water to Sydney and the South Coast. The Welcome Reef Dam was to be part of this plan.

Because of this dam project, the government bought many private farms in the area. Virginia was one of these properties. The government bought it for the proposed dam and its surrounding water collection area.

Today, the Virginia estate mostly includes bushland. Only the area near Boro Creek has been cleared.

What Virginia Looks Like

Virginia was one of the biggest landholdings in the area. The homestead complex sits on a small hill. It looks out over open fields towards the Shoalhaven River. Behind the house, the land rises into natural bushland. Large Monterey pines surround the homestead.

Here are some of the buildings you can find at Virginia:

• Homestead (around the 1920s)
• Laundry (mid-1800s)
• Old slab shed (mid-1800s)
• Garage (late 1800s)
• Staff cottage (around the 1920s-1930s)
• Other small buildings (like chicken sheds and a slaughterhouse)
• Shearing Shed and yards (mid to late 1800s)
• School house (mid to late 1800s)

The Main Homestead Building

The main house is made of timber and weatherboard. It was built around the 1920s. It has a hipped and gable roof covered with corrugated iron. There are two brick chimneys. Small verandahs are at the corners. They have interesting timber balustrades and friezes. The windows are a mix of styles. The base of the house is made of rough stone.

Inside, the homestead is in good condition. It still has many of its original features. The walls are covered with fibre cement sheeting and timber. The ceilings are decorative plaster or fibre cement. There are large windows that open to the front verandah. A later addition at the back holds the kitchen.

Other Buildings at Virginia

The Old Laundry

This is a small timber building with a gable roof. It has a concrete floor. An old brick chimney is still there. Wombat burrows are causing problems for this building.

Landscaping

A semi-circle of large pine trees marks the homestead's location. A small fenced yard surrounds the house. There are also remains of an old, overgrown fruit orchard. A large gum tree near the school house looks like it was planted long ago.

The Slab Shed

This shed has one room and is behind the homestead. It probably dates back to the mid-1800s. Its walls are made of split vertical timber slabs. These slabs were painted with limewash inside and out. The roof is corrugated iron.

The Garage

This timber building has two garage spaces. It has a gable roof over one part and a skillion roof over the other. It has a concrete floor.

The Staff Cottage

This cottage was built around the 1920s or 1930s. It has weatherboard walls and a brick chimney. Inside, it has four rooms and a bathroom. Many original features remain.

Outbuildings

There are several smaller buildings. These include chicken sheds made of corrugated iron and timber. There's also an old slaughterhouse and another shed.

Shearing Shed and Yards

The shearing shed and stables were built in different stages. The original part was quite small. Later parts were added using rough timber poles. The whole complex is covered with corrugated iron. The shearing machinery inside is still intact. Next to the shearing shed are stables. The yards outside are made of timber posts and rails.

The School House

This small, one-room timber slab building is at the bottom of the hill. It has a lean-to on one side. The roof is corrugated iron. The floor is made of timber planks. There are remains of a brick fireplace. The walls were once lined with paper. This building is in fair condition, but parts of it are collapsing.

Condition of the Property

In 2007, the homestead was in fair to poor condition. The other buildings were in poor condition. However, the whole complex still looks very much like it did in the past. The main house still has most of its original features from the early 1900s. The old laundry is still standing, but wombats are damaging it. The shearing shed still has its original equipment. The old school building is also mostly intact, but it needs repairs.

Why Virginia is Important

Virginia is important for many reasons. It helps us understand the history of land use in New South Wales. The different buildings show how farming changed over time. The homestead, outbuildings, school house, and shearing shed together create a strong picture of rural life in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Historical Significance

Virginia is important because it was one of the earliest land grants in the Larbert area, started in 1836. It shows how land was given out and used in southern NSW. The buildings show three different periods of development: mid-1800s, late 1800s, and early 1900s.

The Limekilns Creek sluicing site is also important. It was likely one of the biggest hydraulic sluicing complexes on the Shoalhaven River. This shows the major gold mining activity in the 1870s. It might even be linked to Chinese miners who worked in the area.

Connection to People

Virginia is connected to the Roberts family. They were important early settlers in the Braidwood region. They are still a well-known family today.

Beautiful and Unique Features

Virginia offers amazing views over the Shoalhaven River. The group of buildings, including the homestead, outbuildings, school house, and shearing shed, along with the old trees, create a special historic farm scene. Because it's isolated, this historic setting has been protected. It helps us imagine what farming life was like long ago.

The timber slab school house is a great example of how buildings were made in the mid-1800s. It's also rare because it can teach us about early education on farms. This information isn't found in other written records.

Learning from the Past

Virginia has the potential to teach us more about the history of New South Wales. Old remains and items from the 1840s and 1870s homesteads could tell us about how Virginia developed. They could also show how people's lives changed on a large farm in the 1800s.

The Limekilns Creek sluicing site can also give us information about gold mining in the 1870s. It can help us understand life and technology on the goldfields.

Rare Aspects

Virginia is special because its buildings show evidence of three different periods of development. These range from the early to mid-1800s (like the school house and slab shed) to the late 1800s (like the garage) and early 1900s (like the main homestead).

The timber slab school house is a rare example of its kind. It uses building techniques from the mid-1800s. It can also provide information about early education on farms that isn't available anywhere else.

The Limekilns Creek sluicing site is possibly the largest mechanical sluicing site on the Shoalhaven River.

Demonstrating Key Characteristics

Virginia is a great example of typical rural building styles from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.