Woolmers Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Woolmers Estate |
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The front entrance of the Woolmers main house.
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Address | Woolmers Lane, Longford TAS 7301 |
| Town or city | Longford, Tasmania |
| Country | Australia |
| Construction started | 1819 |
| Completed | 1843 |
| Owner | Woolmers Foundation Inc. |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Archer |
| Type: | Cultural |
| Criteria: | iv, vi |
| Designated: | 2010 (34th session) |
| Part of: | Australian Convict Sites |
| Reference #: | 1306 |
| Region: | Asia-Pacific |
Woolmers Estate is a really old farm in Longford, Tasmania, Australia. It was started in 1817 by a man named Thomas Archer. He was a big farmer and also a member of parliament, which means he helped make laws.
This huge property is about 82 hectares (that's like 200 football fields!). It has a large main house, a coach house (where horse-drawn carriages were kept), a special National Rose Garden, and many other old buildings. There are even small cottages where convicts used to live.
The main house has two parts. The first part was built in 1819 from wood. Later, a bigger, fancy part was added between 1842 and 1843. This new part was designed by William Archer in a style called Italianate. The Archer family lived here from 1819 all the way until 1994!
Woolmers Estate is very important to Australia's history. It's listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register. In 2007, it was added to the Australian National Heritage List. This is because it shows how convicts were used to help build the country. In 2010, Woolmers Estate became a World Heritage site, along with Brickendon Estate. This means it's recognized as one of the best examples in the world of how convicts were transported and used for labor.
What's in a Name?
Many places owned by the Archer family were named after places in England. Woolmers Estate got its name from Woolmer's Park, a place in Hertfordshire, England.
The National Rose Garden
One of the most beautiful parts of Woolmers Estate is the National Rose Garden. People started creating this garden in 1999. Money for the garden was raised by donations from the public.
Today, the garden has 460 different kinds of roses! There are more than 5,000 individual rose plants growing there. It's a wonderful place to see many types of roses.
A Look Back: History of Woolmers
The story of Woolmers Estate begins with Thomas Archer. In 1812, he arrived in Australia on a ship called the Guilford. He had a special letter from an important person in England, which helped him get started.
Thomas Archer worked as a public servant, which means he worked for the government. He started as a clerk and quickly got promoted to higher positions. In 1813, he moved to a place called Port Dalrymple, which is now George Town. He became a magistrate in 1814 and a coroner in 1816. A coroner investigates deaths.
In 1816, he married his wife, Susan Hortle. Thomas Archer kept getting promotions, but he decided to retire in 1821. He wanted to focus on his farm.
In 1817, he was given 800 acres of land. This land became the very first part of Woolmers Estate. By 1819, the first section of the main house was being built. It was made from wood that came right from the property.
