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Tag: historical

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Tocal Homestead New South Wales

Tocal Homestead

Tocal Homestead New South Wales

Located in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, the Tocal Homestead is a historic house and associated buildings originally established in 1822 by J. P. Webber. In 1834 the property was sold to Caleb and Felix Wilson, who commissioned the homestead as a country retreat from their Sydney business.

Subsequently the farm was leased to the Reynolds family who occupied it for two generations adding many of the wooden buildings to the farm. In 1926, four siblings of the Alexander family purchased the property. The last, C.B. Alexander died in 1947, leaving all of his properties tied in a complex will which stipulated that it was to be used for destitute and homeless children. Eventually this became the Tocal Agricultural College, now run by the NSW Department of Agriculture. The college is located not far from the homestead and is now an important educator in the agricultural industry.

An additional stipulation of the will was the allowance of his two nieces Myrtle and Marguerita Curtiss be allowed to live out their lives at the homestead. This they did until 1985 when they died within five days of each other.

Getting There

Located a 15-minute drive from Maitland, the homestead is well sign posted and easy to find. During our visit, it was only open on Sundays from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, but check their website for updated times and dates.

Tocal Homestead

The tour of the homestead is self-guided, with a map and personal audio player provided at reception. This allows you to self-pace around the property, taking your time at places of interest and moving on from others. The descriptions of each room, their uses and furnishings were excellent.

Tocal Homestead
Tocal Homestead
Main entrance
Main entrance
Book collection
Book collection
Lounge room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Lounge room
Family room
Family room
Family room
Family room
Family dining room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Dining room
kitchen
Kitchen
Looking down the staircase
Looking down the staircase
One of he Curtiss sisters' rooms
One of he Curtiss sisters’ rooms

Alexander was keen to use new technology, installing electricity in the homestead. Not only did he purchase a generator, but also sufficient battery storage in case the generator failed.

Lister engine and generator
Lister engine and generator
Battery storage for the generator Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Battery storage for the generator

Internal Lift

Another innovation Alexander adopted was the internal lift so that the upper floor could be accessed as he aged. Unfortunately, on one night while alone in the house, one of the Curtiss sisters was trapped in the lift. She had to wait until the staff arrived in the morning to let her out.

Internal lift Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Internal lift

Farm Buildings and Equipment

Designed by architect James Blackett the largest barn has amazing internal framework for the roof is a work of art. As you walk around, you get to meet some of the animals as you walk past the pig stye and chicken run.

Near the homestead is a garage with a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom in immaculate condition, along with the first tractor used at Tocal, a Twin City 17-28 imported from Minneapolis USA.

Bull barn Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Bull barn
Barn
The Blackett Barn
Inside the barn
Inside The Blackett Barn
Horse stables
Horse stables
Webber's cottage
Webber’s cottage
Webber's cottage
Webber’s cottage
Garage Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Garage
Pigs Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Pigs
Tocal's first tractor a Twin City 17-28
Tocal’s first tractor a Twin City 17-28
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom Tocal Homestead New South Wales
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom

Wedding Venue

The homestead is a popular wedding venue, with its wonderfully decorated rooms and gardens.

Fig tree in the homestead garden
Fig tree in the homestead garden. A favorite spot for wedding photos.

Visitors’ Centre and Cafe

At the end of the tour, we went back to reception where we ordered a Devonshire Tea. The little cafe overlooks the surrounding farmland and was very relaxing.

Devonshire Tea
Devonshire Tea
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Old Government House and Parramatta Park Australia

Government House

Old Government House Parramatta Australia

Located on the banks of the Parramatta River, Old Government House is the oldest surviving public building in Australia. Additionally it is an important UNESCO World Heritage listed site, and one of 11 recognised convict sites that tell the story of Australia’s forced convict migration.

History of Old Government House

Built between 1799 and 1818 by convict labour, the house and Barracks buildings are the oldest surviving public buildings in Australia.

The Georgian house was the country residence for the first ten governors of New South Wales. The ten Governors used Old Government House as either their primary or secondary residence.

Governor Denison officially handed over the house to the care of the Parramatta Park Trust in 1855. Parramatta Park Trust leased the building for private use, and over the next 100 years it was run variously as a boarding house, school and private home.

In 1967 the House transferred to the National Trust by an act of Parliament. The house features a collection of Australian colonial furniture, displayed as it would have been when Governor Macquarie was in residence.

Current Use of Old Government House

Today, Old Government House is operated as a museum and managed by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). Only open Thursday to Sunday

Government House
Government House
Old Government House Parramatta
Government House

Parramatta Park

Covering 85 hectares, the surrounding grounds of Old Government House, known as Parramatta Park, provide a picturesque setting for walks and recreational activities.

Originally used for farming and grazing by the early settlers in the late 19th century, it was transformed into a public park by Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned for his work on New York City’s Central Park.

Main Entrance
Main Entrance

Historical Landmarks and Memorials

Parramatta Park is home to several historical landmarks and memorials that pay tribute to significant events, influential figures, and important moments in Australian history.

Boer War Memorial

Erected in 1904, this memorial commemorates the soldiers from New South Wales who served in the Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa.

Boer War Memorial Old Government House Parramatta
Boer War Memorial

Governor Brisbane’s Bathhouse

Built in the early 19h century for Governor Brisbane, the Trustees converted it to a pavilion in 1886.

Bath House
Bath House

Observatory

Governor Brisbane built an observatory in the Park in 1821, in keeping with the spirit of discovery of the time. Used by explorer Thomas Mitchell’s first trigonometric survey of Australia in 1828, the transit stones, which originally supported a transit telescope, are all that remains of the observatory.

Site of the observatory
Site of the observatory
Transit stones from the observatory
Transit stones from the observatory

For more information about Parramatta Park and its memorials, you can visit the official website: Parramatta Park.

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To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Power Station Pump House Balmain

Interior of Power Station A Pump House Balmain

Power Station A Pump House Balmain

Located on the shore of the Parramatta River, the Power Station Pump House previously housed the pumps used to pump cooling water to the Balmain Power Station. Ceasing operations in 1976 and demolished in 1998 this old coal-fired power station made way for an apartment complex.

This heritage listed building is in very good condition despite the removal of its interior machinery. Built in 1934, the building is an interesting reminder that power stations previously operated within the inner-Sydney suburbs.

Some confusion often arises, as old copper lettering spelling out “Power Station” have been placed on one of its interior walls. However, these were salvaged from the actual power station and have no relationship to this building.

Locked gates prevent entry, however, the they have widely spaced bars, so it is possible to get a good view of the interior. On one exterior wall, an information board provides a history of the pumphouse.

Getting There

We travelled by bus from the Sydney CBD, getting off at the Rozelle Bridge and walking 10 minutes to the old building. The walk along the river is nice, with well maintained paths. Also in the area, on the other side of Iron Cove Bridge is a monument to the indigenous inhabitants of the area. Consisting of a sculpture of the fish traps used before white settlers displaced the Aboriginal occupants, it’s also worth the short walk to have a look at.

Exterior of Power Station A Pump House Balmain
Exterior of the Pump House Balmain
Power Station A Pump House Balmain
Pump House on the Parramatta River
Interior of a building
Interior of the Pump House
Interior of a building
Interior of the building

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To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.