Wivenhoe, Narellan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wivenhoe |
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Wivenhoe, c. 1900
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| Etymology | Wivenhoe, Essex |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
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| Location | Narellan, near Camden, New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°01′30″S 150°41′52″E / 34.02487°S 150.69785°E |
| Client | Charles and Eliza Cowper |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Verge |
Wivenhoe is a very old and important house built in 1837. It is located in Narellan, close to Camden, in New South Wales, Australia. A famous architect named John Verge designed it. He also designed other well-known buildings like Camden Park and Elizabeth Bay House. Many important people have lived in Wivenhoe over the years.
Today, Wivenhoe is home to the Mater Dei Special School. This school helps children with intellectual disabilities learn and grow. The school is managed by Good Samaritan Education. Sometimes, the building is open for people to visit and learn about its history.
Contents
The Historic Wivenhoe House
Sir Charles and Lady Eliza Cowper's Time
Charles Cowper had Wivenhoe built in 1837. He and his family lived there for about 30 years. During this time, Charles Cowper became a very important leader. He served as the Premier of New South Wales five times between 1856 and 1870. The Premier is like the head of the government for the state.
Charles Cowper was born in 1807 in Yorkshire, England. When he was two years old, his family moved to New South Wales. His father was a chaplain, which is a type of minister. Charles went to school privately. At 18, he started working for the government's Commissariat Department.
In 1831, Charles married Eliza Sutton. Eliza's family lived in a village called Wivenhoe in Essex, England. This is why the house was named Wivenhoe. Charles and Eliza had six children together: two sons and four daughters. In 1836, Charles began building the house on land that his father had received from the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie.
Soon after the house was finished, the Cowpers started a vineyard. This was one of the first vineyards in the colony. By 1850, the wines made at Wivenhoe were becoming famous. Newspapers often wrote good things about them. In 1856, a newspaper described the wines. They made Muscat, Riesling, and a red wine that was compared to wines from the Rhine Valley. They also made a Madeira-like wine. In 1858, a famous artist named Conrad Martens drew a sketch of the house.
In 1866, Wivenhoe was put up for sale. The advertisement described the house as a "commodious family mansion." This means it was a large and comfortable home for a family. It had a wide hall, a drawing room, a dining room, a breakfast room, and a library. There were also rooms for servants and a kitchen, laundry, and ironing room. Upstairs, there were six bedrooms. The house even had strong wine cellars under the main building. These cellars were very large and built especially for storing wine.
In 1870, Charles Cowper became the Agent-General for New South Wales. This job was in London, England. He, Eliza, and their youngest daughter, Rose, moved to England in early 1871. Charles Cowper's health got worse, and he passed away in 1875 in Kensington, London. Lady Cowper and Rose then returned to Sydney. Lady Cowper died in 1884 and was buried near Wivenhoe.
Henry and Caroline Thomas's Ownership
Henry Arding Thomas was born in 1819 in India. His father was a Major in the British Army. In 1856, Henry married Caroline Frances Husband in Sydney. Caroline was born in Devon, England, in 1833. After they married, they lived in Armidale on a property called Saumarez. They had a large family with five boys and six girls.
While in Armidale, Henry Thomas was a local judge. He was also the first president of the pastoral and Agricultural Society. He was involved with the Anglican Church too. In 1874, Henry sold Saumarez. The next year, he bought Wivenhoe. In 1876, an advertisement for Wivenhoe's wines appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald. Henry passed away in 1884. His wife, Caroline, continued to live at Wivenhoe until she died in 1903.
Walter and Muriel Watt's Time
Walter Oswald Watt was born in 1878 in Bournemouth, England. His father was a merchant and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Walter's mother passed away when he was a baby. Walter spent his first ten years in Sydney. Then, he went to school in England at Clifton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned two university degrees there.
Walter Watt returned to Sydney in 1900. He joined the military as a second lieutenant in the New South Wales Scottish Rifles. In 1902, he became an aide-de-camp to the Governor of New South Wales. This means he was a personal assistant to the Governor.
In 1902, Walter married Muriel Maud Williams. Her father was a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Walter and Muriel bought Wivenhoe in 1905. That same year, their only child, James, was born. They owned the property until 1910. Then, they sold it to the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
When World War I started in 1914, Walter joined the French Foreign Legion. He received two military awards for his bravery. In 1916, he moved to the new Australian Flying Corps and served as a captain.
Wivenhoe as an Orphanage and School
When the Sisters of the Good Samaritan bought Wivenhoe in 1910, they turned it into an orphanage. An orphanage is a home for children who do not have parents or whose parents cannot care for them. They helped disadvantaged children from Sydney's inner city. The house became part of Mater Dei, an organization started by the Good Samaritan Sisters.
In 1957, the Mater Dei Special School began using Wivenhoe. It became a school for children with intellectual disabilities. The building still serves this important purpose today, helping many students.
