SPRING 2019
HISTORIC HOUSES ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
EVENTS
TOURS
TALKS
WALKS
Historic Houses Association of Australia Ltd 1A Carthona Ave, Darling Point, NSW, 2027 www.hha.net.au
02 9252 5554
Front Cover Image: Leuralla, Leura
ABOUT HHA The Historic Houses Association of Australia Ltd. (HHA) is a registered charity and volunteer organisation that supports owners and promotes public interest in historic houses and properties throughout Australia.
HOW TO BOOK Booking for HHA events is essential. Tickets can be booked online through our website: www.hha.net.au/events or you can book over the phone on 02 9252 5554.
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FROM THE CHAIR Once again you can see that the team has been busy organising the next exciting program of events. For those interested in the Arts and Crafts Movement, Dr James Broadbent will be having a coffee conversation to talk about the 2020 International Tour highlights that includes the work of CFA Voysey, Philip Webb, Gertrude Jeykll, Edwin Lutyens and William Morris. James’s scholarship and research will provide a fascinating insight into the lives of these great designers and the changes they made to the world prior to the Great War.
I would also like to report the significant progress on Tulkiyan. The volunteers have now completed the cleaning work on the house and we are preparing for the next stages, this includes the preparation of the Conservation Management Plan and digitising of the collection catalogue. We look forward to being able to show our members a special preview of the house in the very near future. I look forward to seeing as many of you as are able to come to the AGM on the 22 October at 6pm. Kind regards, Tim Duddy
FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER Welcome to the Spring edition of the HHA Newsletter. Last month we were delighted to host hundreds of visitors at our Living Heritage Festival at Tempe House bringing together heritage trades, craft guilds, with pop-up history talks and the 'Reading the Landscape' symposium. Coming up in October we invite members and guests to the magnificent Abbotsford House – a survivor from the period of the grand suburban estates in Sydney. Other fascinating houses visited this quarter include Edwardian period home Leuralla and the iconic split
level Mark II, Pettit and Sevitt house. New walks take in Central Station ‘Trains, Tunnels and Tombstones’' with Beatrice Sheepers and 'Lindfield Heritage Houses and Gardens' with Jennifer Farrer. Hear from Professor Lyndall Ryan on her pioneering work developing a digital map of massacre sites across the Australian frontier and Dr James Broadbent on the Arts and Crafts Movement. We look forward to seeing you at the HHA Christmas Party. With thanks, Dr Bernadette Flynn
HHA NEWS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The HHA AGM will be held on Tuesday 22Â October from 6.00pm to 8.30pm in the Annie Wyatt Room, National Trust Centre, peaceful Christmas and New Year. Upper Fort Street, Observatory Hill, Millers Point. LINDESAY CHRISTMAS FAIR The National Trust Lindesay CHRISTMAS PARTY: SAVE THE Christmas Fair is on from 14 - 16 DATE We're delighted to announce that November. The HHA office will be closed during this time. the HHA Christmas party will be held on 14 December. Further details to follow. CHRISTMAS OFFICE CLOSURE The HHA office will be closed from 4pm on 20 December and will reopen at 9am on 6 January. We wish all our members and friends a happy, healthy and
GETTING TO OUR EVENTS For our events listed in the newsletter we are adding transport symbols to show the options for getting to the meeting point. The transport symbols are displayed next to the ticketing details.
THE LIVING HERITAGE FESTIVAL Welcomed by Uncle Allen Madden and opened by mayor Bill Saravinovski, the HHA Living Heritage Festival on 4 August attracted hundreds of people to Tempe House, St Magdalene's Chapel and throughout Discovery Point Park. Weaving together different histories of the site were public historians, landscape archaeologists and heritage and costume experts – from Stephen Gapps on Aboriginal resistance fighter Pemulway’s tactics against the British on the Cooks River to Hilary Davidson talk on what the colonial fashionistas of the day wore. Hilary also proved to be the perfect judge for our hysterical 'Ruff Parade'.
THE LIVING HERITAGE FESTIVAL Local historians Laurel and Bob Horton from the St Peters Cooks River History Group rose to the challenge by wearing costumes from the 1840s to tell stories of Brodie Spark’s ‘country residence’ and his convict servants. Stand outs included the examples of friezes and colour schemes from beautiful heritage interiors brought by Helen Davies and Robert Harris playing the viola in the breezeway. Other highlights were Heritage Stoneworks, the State Government stonemasons demonstrating chipping and chiseling along with stone waratahs, a bust and a decorative ceiling boss used in State Government heritage buildings.
THE LIVING HERITAGE FESTIVAL We are very grateful to all those who helped make the Living Heritage Festival such a great success: The Heritage Stoneworks Team, Thorne Decorative Plasterwork, Helen Davies: Paintwrights, the Quilters' Guild of NSW, the Embroiderers' Guild of NSW, Olga Sedneva: Quilling, the Lace Guild of NSW, Hamish Clark: Leonard Joel Auction House, Stuart Read, Louise Thom: Bayside Council Heritage Advisor, Ian and Trish Smith, St George Historical Society, St Peters Cooks River History Group, Discovery Point Community Garden Group, Robert Harris, Amanda Brunskill, Asher Milgate and the Cooks River Alliance, the Cavalcade of Fashion, Stephen Gapps, Ian Tyrrell, Colleen Morris, Ross Berry, Sarah Goldman, Hilary Davidson, Paul Irish, Sally Blackwell, Robert Griffin, Jane Britten and James Robertson.
A special thank you goes to our volunteers who worked so hard, both leading up to the event and on the day - we couldn't have done it without you.
DAY TOUR Leuralla & The Majestic Blue Mountains Saturday 19 October, 10.00am - 6.00pm
Join the HHA coach tour to Leuralla, one of the last remaining gems from the grand age of the Blue Mountains. Explore this imposing early 20th Century house with the owner and wander through the stunning cool climate gardens, at their peak in the Spring. We have also arranged a visit to an exceptional house, modified and upgraded by Rick Lepastrier, one of Australia’s leading architects. The house is rarely visited and this is a special opportunity given by the owner who is a distinguished conservationist. This tour includes a light lunch at Lindsay's Cafe at the Norman Lindsay Gallery and a Devonshire tea in the Salon du Thé at the famous Hydro Majestic. Ticket Cost: $180 (HHA Members receive 10% discount)
DAY TOUR Sydney Harbour in the Lady Hopetoun Sunday 27 October, 11.45am - 3.15pm
Voyage around the heritage sites of Sydney Harbour on board the Lady Hopetoun. Enjoy hearing about the varied history of this 1902 Steam Launch – from its days as a school boat for the children who lived on Denison Island to transport vessel for King George VI. Learn about the sites of Goat Island, Garden Island, Mort’s Dock, Woolwich Dock, Spectacle, Snapper and Cockatoo Islands Presented by historians of the Sydney Heritage Fleet. Morning tea and lunch provided on board. Ticket Cost: SOLD OUT
DAY TOUR Cockatoo Island: convict, maritime, industrial Saturday 2 November 10.00am - 3.00pm
Accompanied by an experienced guide from the Sydney Harbour Trust we explore the island’s heritage buildings and distinctive terrain to gain insights into the complex history of this former convict penal establishment. The island also has strong continuous ties to the First Nations, having served as a meeting place for the Eora People prior to colonisation. Drawing on many fascinating stories, your guide will paint a vivid picture of the island’s maritime, and industrial past - from being a naval ship dockyard, industrial school for girls and reformatory to the rehabilitation of the site and adaptive reuse of the historic buildings. Afterwards we will enjoy a light lunch at the Marina Café and Bar. Ticket Cost: $65 (HHA Members receive 10% discount)
OPEN HOUSE Abbotsford House, Abbotsford Sunday 13 October 10.00am - 12.00pm
Join the current owners of Abbotsford House for a tour of one of Sydney’s most magnificent two-storied Victorian Mansions. Built in 1877-78 for Arthur Renwick doctor, politician and philanthropist, the house was named in honour of Sir Walter Scott’s baronial mansion Abbotsford in Scotland. It later passed through various owners including Albert Edward Grace (one of the founders of Grace Brothers) and the Nestle company. Let the owners tell you how they have restored this significant part of Sydney’s heritage. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
OPEN HOUSE Pettit + SEVITT MkII, St Ives Sunday 1 December 10.00am - 12.00pm
On 15 May 1964, Robert Askin officially opened the new Pettit+Sevitt display centre in St Ives, along Mona Vale Road and Richmond Avenue. Brian Pettit described the project as 'An absolute spectacular success. In fact, so successful that the local government authority brought in laws that meant exhibition centres could no longer be built on main roads because of the incredible traffic jams we used to cause on Sunday afternoons on Mona Vale Road.' Join us to walk through the iconic Split Level Mark II, one of the original four houses of the display centre that literally changed the rule book. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
WALKS Trains, Tunnels & Tombstones Saturday 5, 12 or 26 October, 10:00am 12:00pm
For more than 164 years, Sydney’s Central Station precinct has been a prime arrivals and departures point for the living. In earlier times, however, it fulfilled a similar purpose for the deceased: Devonshire Street Cemetery was the arrival point for coffins, and the departure point for the afterlife. The construction and various extensions of the current station complex was an enormous undertaking, requiring a largescale refashioning of the landscape and the demolition of a great number of historic buildings. Join Beatrice Scheepers for an exploration of the many stories - some old, some new, and some surprising - associated with one of Sydney’s grandest public buildings.
Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
WALKS Randwick Ramble Saturday 23 November, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Randwick: racecourse, hospital, university – yes - but also the product of the vision of one man determined to reinvent his English birthplace (Randwick in Gloucestershire, England) with himself now at the top of its social order. Simeon Henry Pearce (18211886), six times Mayor of Randwick, succeeded in enticing the more affluent members of society to his leafy suburb and, what was previously home to modest market garden plots, became the site of bustling boulevards and some of the grandest houses of the Victorian era. Join Graham Spindler to explore Randwick’s unique story through its streets, churches, fine houses and public buildings.
Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
WALKS Literary Lindfield - Heritage Houses & Gardens Saturday 7 December, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Join Jennifer Farrer on a walking tour through the leafy streets of Lindfield to enjoy beautiful gardens, historic houses and natural bushland. The walk views distinctly Federation era houses for which this suburb is famous. One of the houses was the residence of Billy Hughes for much of his Federal parliamentary career. We visit Seven Little Australians Park inspired by Ethel Turner’s most famous children’s story and Swain Gardens, a little paradise created over many years by Sydney bookseller Mick Swain. The walk takes in State heritage listed Woodlands, the home where Ethel Turner wrote Seven Little Australians. We will also see the home of the family who inspired the story. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
TALKS Coffee Conversation: All Thanks to the Diarists! Tuesday 1 October 10.30am - 12.00pm
What was life like in the colonies in the 1830s? Barbara Appleton has published a biography of Rev. Thomas Sharpe, a colonial chaplain whose life stretched from the time of assignment of convict servants to the relative prosperity after the Gold Rush. Barbara researched a range of colonial diaries to unveil the histories of men and women of the time and reveal their personal lives and experiences. Hear about the diaries of the Rev. Thomas Sharpe and his contemporaries and gain insights into European perspectives on life in the early colony. Her recently published book, 'Tracking Mr Sharpe: Hawkesbury to Bathurst in a changing colony' will be on sale at the talk. Held at History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney. Ticket Cost: $20 (HHA Members receive 25% discount
TALKS Massacre Mapping with Lyndall Ryan Wednesday 16 October 5.30pm 7.00pm
Professor Lyndall Ryan AM FAHA is best known as an historian of the Australian colonial frontier. As a new way of making Australia’s frontier history visible, she has developed a digital map of massacre sites across the Australian frontier to 1960 underpinned by a rigorous methodology to investigate and verify the evidence. In her talk, Lyndall will draw on examples of frontier massacres in New South Wales to show how the criteria operates for their inclusion on the map. This talk is held at History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney and is in partnership with the Royal Australian Historical Society. Ticket Cost: $35 General, $25 for HHA/RAHS Members
TALKS Coffee Conversation: The English Arts & Crafts Movement Tuesday 5 November 10.30am - 12.00pm
Dr James Broadbent will discuss what, arguably, is Britain’s most original contribution to European art. Arising from the polemics of men like John Ruskin and William Morris, the movement takes its name from the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society founded in 1886 by a group of progressive artists, architects and craftsmen. It influenced greatly the decorative arts and architecture of Europe, America and the British colonies, profoundly influenced the Modern Movement and continues its influence into the twenty first century. James will lead the HHA 2020 UK tour 'English Arts and Crafts Houses, Gardens and Collections'. Held at History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney. Ticket Cost: $20 (HHA Members receive 25% discount)
TALKS Coffee Conversation: Dharawal, the First Contact People Tuesday 3 December 10.30am - 12.00pm
In 1770 the first encounter between British and Aboriginal people on the east coast of Australia occurred at Botany Bay. For the British it heralded the beginning of endless possibility for Empire. For Aboriginal people it marked the beginning of the decimation of an ancient culture. The traditional country of these people, the Dharawal were the coastal lands from Botany Bay to the Shoalhaven district and some distance inland. Local historian Bruce Watt offers an interpretation of the first contact between the Dharawal people and the white settlers including the area now known as Sutherland Shire. Held at History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney. Ticket Cost: $20 (HHA Members receive 25% discount)
UPCOMING The Waratah on Sydney Harbour Sunday 30 August 2020 12.00pm - 3.00pm
The HHA are once again voyaging around the heritage sites of Sydney Harbour – this time aboard the Waratah. Lovingly restored by Sydney Heritage Fleet, the Waratah is a 117 year-old coal burning steam tug, the oldest working tug in working order in Australia. Harking back to the age of steam enjoy the gentle 'phut phut' of the coal fired vessel as you cruise past important and interesting heritage sites with a commentary provided by an historian of the Sydney Heritage Fleet. Along the way chat to one of the engineers about the principles of the vessel and the history of the tug’s restoration. Lunch provided on board. Ticket Cost: $95 (HHA Members receive 10% discount)
REGIONAL Open Hobart – Secret Places and New Museums Friday 8 – Sunday 10 November 2019
Join us for a three-day, two night exclusive behind-the-scenes exploration of this fascinating Southern city. The tour will take in innovative sites such as David Walsh’s MONA and rarely visited historical places that tell the story of how Hobart has been shaped and re-shaped. Join guide Scott Carlin, Manager of the Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery’s house museum for a specially curated navigation of secret places and new museums. The full details of Open Hobart are yet to be released but will include museums and gardens, historic places of worship, convict heritage, modernist dwellings and some of the best examples of adaptive re-use. Register your interest online or call the office on 02 9252 5554.
INTERNATIONAL English Arts and Crafts Houses, Gardens and Collections Friday 19 June – Sunday 5 July 2020
17 day fully escorted tour led by Dr James Broadbent AM. Our tour encompasses the work of the Movement’s major designers – including William Morris, Philip Webb, C.F.A. Voysey, Charles Robert Ashbee, Detmar Blow, Gertrude Jekyll, Edwin Lutyens, Ernest Gimson and the Barnsley brothers – visiting major examples of their work in the Home Counties, the West Country and the Cotswolds. As with all the HHA study tours there are also visits to many important but smaller and more unusual places and to houses, gardens and collections not normally open to the public. Ticket Cost: $12,841 per person twin share (excluding flights)
PROPERTY NETWORK Introducing Our Latest Property Member Carrawobitty - Forbes, NSW
Carrawobitty was built in 1926 and is a grand two-storey concrete homestead with a 'unique' architectural style. At various points it has been used by the NSW State Government as a home for delinquent boys and an aged care home run by the Catholic Church. The house then passed into private ownership with the present owners purchasing it in 2012. The house has been lavishly restored; with most of the original features remaining and is now open as a bed and breakfast. HHA members receive a 10% discount on the usual room rate for stays of 2 nights or more. www.carrawobitty.com
PROPERTY NETWORK Spotlight on a Property Member Tarndwarncoort - Warncoort, VIC
Tarndwarncoort is one of Victoria's oldest surviving homesteads. The first part of the present Tarndwarncoort homestead was designed by Alexander Dennis and built in 1848-9. The 1877 addition is a notable example of the work of prominent Colac architect Alexander Hamilton, who designed the homesteads on many Western District properties. The property remains in the hands of the Dennis family and today you can visit 'Tarndie' to discover one of Australia's oldest family sheep farms. Open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. www.tarndie.com
PROPERTY NETWORK Join The Property Network Private owners, renovators, visitor attractions and holiday accommodation join our network of historic houses for only $50. As a member of the Property Network, HHA will endeavour to support you as custodians by offering opportunities to share knowledge, develop connections, promote your property/activities and represent your interests on a national platform. Your property will be included on our website with appropriate images and web links. You will also be featured in our promotional material, which consists of a quarterly hard copy newsletter, monthly eNews and regular social media activity should you wish it. Â We have Property Network members throughout Australia and are proactively seeking to increase our membership. www.hha.net.au/properties
OPPORTUNITIES The Open Palace Programme The Open Palace Programme offers hands-on experiences for students and emergent professionals behind the scenes in some of the UK’s finest palaces and heritage sites. Engaging directly with heritage alongside experts in their field, the program will allow participants to develop their skills as they gain experience working with those at the heart of UK heritage. Places are offered to candidates who send appropriate applications on a ‘first come, first served’ basis so it is important to apply early. Applications for the 2020 programme are being accepted now via the website: www.openpalaceprogramme.com The HHA is delighted to announce a bursary of £500 for the Open Palace Programmes. Applications for this bursary will open in 2020 and will be awarded in 2021 to an Australian applicant who is a member of the HHA.
DIARY DATES SPRING 2019
October 1
Talk: Barbara Appleton
5
Walk: Central Station
12
Walk: Central Station
13
Open House: Abbotsford
16
Talk: Lyndall Ryan
19
Tour: Leuralla & Blue Mountains
December 22
AGM
1
Open House: Pettit + Sevitt
26
Walk: Central Station
3
Talk: Bruce Watt
27
Tour: Lady Hopetoun
7
Walk: Lindfield
November 2
Tour: Cockatoo Island
5
Talk: James Broadbent
23
14
Christmas Party
Walk: Randwick
Historic Houses Association of Australia Ltd 1A Carthona Ave, Darling Point, NSW, 2027 www.hha.net.au
02 9252 5554