Yobarnie Keyline Farm facts for kids

Yobarnie Keyline Farm is a historic farm in North Richmond, Australia. It was once an experimental farm. Here, a special way of managing land and water, called the Keyline System, was developed. This system helps improve soil, control erosion, and manage water.

The farm was designed and built by PA Yeomans between 1943 and 1964. It is also known as Redbank and Belmont Park. Today, it is owned by Regent Property Group Buildev Development Pty Ltd. Yobarnie Keyline Farm was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on March 8, 2013. This means it is a very important historical site.

History of the Land

The land around the Hawkesbury district was originally home to the Dharug people. They were the first inhabitants of this area. They called the Hawkesbury River Deerubbin or Venrubbin.

North Richmond's Past

North Richmond was first called the village of Enfield. Its name was changed later to avoid confusion with another Enfield near Sydney. This town in the Hawkesbury area has changed a lot over the last 100 years.

After Europeans settled in Australia in 1788, Governor Phillip explored the Hawkesbury River. He also climbed Richmond Hill. From 1794, European settlers were given farms in nearby Windsor. The first land grants in Richmond were around 1795.

In 1795, a fierce battle happened on this land. It was between the Dharug people and soldiers from the colonial government.

Land grants in North Richmond along the river began in 1796. In the early 1800s, larger areas of land were given to families like the Rouses, Bells, and Bowmans. The land that became Yobarnie was given to Archibald Bell.

The Belmont Estate

Governor Macquarie, an early governor of New South Wales, visited the area in 1810. He rode to Richmond Hill and visited "Belmont," the home of Archibald Bell. He wrote in his journal about the beautiful view from the hill.

A few days later, in December 1810, Governor Macquarie officially named several towns. These included Windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh, Wilberforce, and Pitt Town.

In 1813, explorers Wentworth, Blaxland, and Lawson successfully crossed the Blue Mountains. Ten years later, in 1823, Archibald Bell (Junior) found another route over the mountains. This route is now known as Bells Line of Road. This discovery led to more land being settled in the west. It also brought a lot of traffic through North Richmond towards Sydney.

By 1813, a schoolhouse was built in the area. It was also used as a temporary church. A Methodist Church was built in 1857. St Phillip's Church of England started in 1859, with a schoolhouse finished in 1861. Public education began in North Richmond when the Public School opened in 1871. The Bell family has their own burial vault at Belmont Park.

The first house on the Belmont estate was built by Archibald Bell. He lived there from 1810 to 1849. Today, only the foundations of this house remain.

A grand mansion was built on the property in 1892. It was designed for Phillip Charley, a director of BHP. This mansion had one storey and cellars. A unique curved terracotta staircase led down to a lower terrace. This terrace featured an octagonal conservatory built around 1910.

The Charley family loved to entertain. They even had theatrical performances in the courtyard. A long avenue of Canary Island date palms leads to the house. It is about half a mile long and starts at a fancy sandstone gatehouse built around 1910.

The property is now a psychiatric hospital. It is known as a place for healing. The mansion, gatehouse, palm avenue, and gardens are still there. They overlook the Hawkesbury River. The site also has an Aboriginal Memorial Garden. This garden is a peaceful place for reflection and reconciliation. It remembers the battle between the Dharug people and soldiers in 1795.

The Yobarnie Farm Story

Yobarnie, along with the nearby St. John of God Hospital, was part of the original Belmont estate. Archibald Bell started developing this estate around 1804.

In 1943, Percival (P. A.) Yeomans bought two properties, Nevallan and Yobarnie. Yeomans was a retired mining engineer. He started doing experiments on Yobarnie. He wanted to find better ways to protect soil, stop erosion, and manage water. Yobarnie was already mostly cleared, which helped his early experiments.

A contour map from P.A. Yeomans’ speech in 1976, showing how the Keyline System works.

In 1944, the Geography Department of the University of Sydney used Yobarnie for student mapping. They created a detailed contour map. This map helped guide the development of the Keyline System. By 1948, Yeomans worked full-time on his experiments.

After trying different drainage methods, he created his own system. He called it the Keyline System. This system involved deep soil ripping, ploughed contours, and dams. It used the natural shape of the land. The good results at Yobarnie led him to use the system on Nevallan. Nevallan then became the main place to show how the system worked.

By the early 1950s, many people visited Nevallan to see the results. Yeomans' writings about his discoveries interested farmers worldwide. In the next ten years, farmers in many countries adopted the Keyline method. They used it on poor soils and hilly land.

In 1964, after his wife passed away, Yeomans had to sell Yobarnie and Nevallan. He needed to pay taxes. The properties were bought and used for raising beef cattle. This use continues today.

In 2009, a land development company bought most of Yobarnie. They planned to build a seniors' living facility. Local people and those interested in sustainable farming (permaculture) worried that this development would destroy evidence of Yeomans' work. In June 2009, they asked for the properties to be heritage listed.

What Yobarnie Looks Like

Yobarnie is a farming property located on the south side of the Redbank Creek valley. It clearly shows the main parts of Yeomans' Keyline System. You can see the hilly land, how water moves across it, and the effects of the system. The dams, ploughed contours, and the rich, productive topsoil are all visible. Together, these parts create a special cultural landscape.

Current Condition

Since 1964, the Keyline system at Yobarnie has not been actively maintained. However, the contours and dams of the original system are still easy to see. This is true even though they are neglected and overgrown.

Out of the original 12 dams, 10 are still there as they were built. They are neglected, but damage from cattle seems small and can be easily fixed.

Why Yobarnie is Important

Yobarnie is important because it was one of the first places where the Keyline system was developed. This system helps improve soil, store water, control erosion, and grow crops on hilly land. It was created and tested here starting in the mid-1940s.

The property is linked to Percival A Yeomans (1905-1984). He invented the Keyline system. Yeomans was one of the first modern Western farmers to think about the whole landscape. He focused on sustainable design and management. People involved in permaculture and sustainable farming highly respect this property. Yobarnie is unique because it shows the Keyline system's principles exactly where they were first developed.

Yobarnie Keyline Farm was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on March 8, 2013, for several reasons:

It shows the history of New South Wales. Yobarnie is important because the Keyline system was first developed and shown here. This system has been used by farmers all over the world. The Keyline system is also seen as a starting point for the Permaculture movement. The property continues to be used for farming, just as it was when it was part of the Belmont estate in 1804.

It is connected to important people. Yobarnie is important because of its connection to Percival A Yeomans. He invented the Keyline system. Yeomans received an international award, the Prince Philip Design Award, in 1974. A poll by Country Life magazine also named him one of the top 3 Australians who helped Australian agriculture the most.

It shows great creative or technical achievement. Yobarnie is important because it still clearly shows the techniques and systems Yeomans created. These systems improved soil, stored water, and helped farming on hilly land. Besides making the soil more fertile, the system also prevents erosion, helps with fire safety, and improves wildlife habitats. The unique landscape created by this system is also beautiful. It could be used for recreation in the future.

It is important to a community or group. Yobarnie is highly valued by the farming community in New South Wales and Australia. The Country Life magazine poll that ranked Yeomans highly shows this. People who practice and support Permaculture also say that Yeomans' Keyline experiments were very important for sustainable land use.

It can teach us about history. Yobarnie is important because it shows the main features of the Keyline system. It also shows evidence of Yeomans' early experiments that led to the system's perfection. This kind of evidence is not found on any other property.

It is rare or uncommon. Yobarnie is important because it is the original site where the Keyline system was developed and demonstrated. It is unique because it still has evidence of the early experiments. This evidence of how humans changed natural landscapes in a sustainable way is rare in New South Wales and Australia. These features can continue to play an important role in the community's culture, recreation, and economy.

It shows the main features of a type of place. Yobarnie is important because it shows how the Keyline System worked with hilly and poor soil. It turned this challenging environment into a successful farming landscape. This type of landscape is now found worldwide.