LW014_DOSSIER_VILLA WEBBER by LandWorks

LANDWORKS Sardinia presents

VILLA WEBBER

“...a man who valued his own honesty, son of the celebrated General Webber, like Byron’s Harold he loved solitude, loved this island, in his beautiful dwelling he established a library of which any town could be proud...”

LW Sardinia 2014

BIOGRAPHY

J. P. WEBBER James Phillips Webber was born in Wales in 1797. His Anglo-Irish father Edward was a Lieutenant-General in the British army and his Dutch-American mother Charlotte was the daughter of the once immensely wealthy Frederick Philipse III of New York, a British loyalist who fled to England at the end of the American war of independence. In 1821, at the age of 23, James Phillips Webber applied to Lord Bathurst at the Colonial Office in London for a grant of land in New South Wales, declaring he had £3,000 in cash and credit at this disposal to develop his grant. This equates to over $500,000 in equivalent purchasing power in today’s dollars. Bathurst granted Webber’s request within 24 hours of receiving it, and Webber set sail, arriving in New South Wales on the Minstrel on 11 January 1822. He immediately began to arrange for his grant of land. On 21 January 1822 Webber and another new arrival, William Dun, were permitted to travel by government ship to the Newcastle penal settlement. Newcastle was still a closed port and shipping movements there were strictly controlled by government. It was almost certainly on this trip that Webber and Dun selected their land. Evidently the two men travelled together to Newcastle and then onwards to inspect land on the Paterson River at Patersons Plains. Webber’s land was immediately across the river from Dun’s. On 1 March 1822 Dangar was instructed to survey the lower Hunter prior to large scale settlement and to accommodate James Webber and William Dun who had already picked out their land. Webber occupied his grant from March 1822 and it was set at

1,500 acres on the condition he maintain 15 convicts off the government stores. Within months he amended his request to 2,000 acres and undertook to support 20 convicts. Webber initially named his land ‘Markham’ and later reverted to using its Aboriginal name, ‘Tocal’, which means ‘plenty’ or ‘bountiful’. In 1825 he purchased adjoining land to the west, bringing his Tocal estate to 3,300 acres. In 1830 with support from his first cousin Lord Strangford who was a high-ranking British diplomat, Webber was granted a further 2,560 acres of land on the upper Paterson River, which he named ‘Emral’. In July 1822 James Webber and William Dun became foundation members of the Agricultural Society of New South Wales, their names appearing on the first membership role alongside high-profile colonials such as Piper, Wollstonecraft, Blaxland and Oxley. In January 1825, at the age of 27, James Webber was appointed Justice of the Peace (Honorary Magistrate) at Patersons Plains, the first to undertake the role there. His principal duty as magistrate was to preside on the Patersons Plains Bench to hear charges brought against convicts by their masters and overseers and to dispense summary justice, usually in the form of a flogging, to those found guilty. A scourger (flogger) was also appointed to Patersons Plains in 1825 so settlers could now have their convicts sentenced and flogged locally. By 1828 there were 34 convicts assigned to Webber at Tocal and only two free workers, so his estate was developed and operated with a nearly all-convict workforce. Webber and his convicts ran sheep and cattle and grew large quantities of tobacco along with

wheat and other crops. He was also a pioneer on the wine industry in the colony. In 1833 Webber purchased 1,380 acres of land in the upper Hunter between present day Cassilis and Merriwa, and he named this land ‘Munmurra Station’. In 1833 James Webber became embroiled in a public and bitter conflict with the Governor of New South Wales, Richard Bourke. Writing under the pseudonym of ‘OPQ’, Webber launched a stinging attack on Bourke’s administration of the convict system in the inaugural issue of the New South Wales Magazine in August 1833. Webber was later exposed as the feisty and notorious OPQ by the Sydney Gazette and Australian newspapers. Webber fuelled the conflict by leading a colonial petition against Bourke in 1833 and when that had little effect he marshalled the support of fellow Hunter Valley settlers and magistrates to directly petition the King of England to repeal Bourke’s controversial 1832 Summary Jurisdiction Act which, much to Webber’s disgust, had reduced the power of magistrates to flog convicts and send them to iron gangs. The petition became widely known in the colonial newspapers as the Hole-and-Corner Petition because its protagonists, according to their opponents, secretly drew up the document and crept about like rats in the dark rather than invite public scrutiny of the document. Webber was branded as one of the ‘exclusives’ by those who championed the emancipist cause and sought improved rights for convicts and ex-convicts. Bourke and the emancipists soon became Webber’s nemesis. Webber advises his intention to leave

the colony (Sydney Herald 29 October 1835 p.1). Webber and his alter ego OPQ were frequently criticised and sometimes lampooned by the Sydney Gazette and the Australian. By mid 1834 Webber had endured enough. James Webber was one of the pioneers of the wine industry in Australia, and the mounds of his vineyard can still be seen at Tocal. In 1834 he sent vine cuttings from Tocal to George Wyndham’s vineyard at Dalwood, which in the 20th century became the well-known Wyndham Estate winery.In August he sold his magnificent Tocal estate to Sydney merchants Caleb and Felix Wilson and left the colony in late 1835 after selling all his other land holdings including Munmurra Station and Emral. In 1845 James Webber again became a landholder in New South Wales when his brother John died suddenly of smallpox in London and ownership of John’s 10,270 acre property ‘Guygallon’ on the upper Paterson River passed to James. James owned Guygallon until his death in 1877 even though, to the best of our knowledge, he never returned to Australia and did not set foot on it while he owned it. Little is known of Webber’s movements after he left NSW in November 1835 except that he became an international merchant and probably lived on the continent, with a secondary residence in London. For the first year after his return to London he toured Europe, and his letter written from Rome in December 1836 is shown at the very bottom of this web page. He arrived back in London in mid 1837 and departed for New York two months later.

LW Sardinia 2014

AUSTRALIA

TOCAL NSW

picture by Amanda Moore

Webber at TOCAL The Tocal area is the traditional land of the Gringai clan of the Wonnarua people, a group of indigenous people of Australia. Within the area are Aboriginal stone grindings indicating thousands of years of human activity. In 1822 land of the area was granted by the colonial government to James Phillips Webber. Approximately 150 convict men and boys were living and working at Tocal between 1822 and 1840. They cleared the land, planted crops andbuilt fences - transforming the area into a circumscribed farm. Some of the crops planted included tobacco, hops and grapes; there were also beef and dairy cattle, horses and merino sheep. In 1834, Tocal was sold to Caleb and Felix Wilson, father and son. Four years later Caleb died, andin 1841 Felix built a homestead on the property which is still standing today. In 1844 Charles Reynolds began to lease the property from the Wilsons. During the period 1844 to 1926 the Reynolds family ran the property as a stud, breeding Hereford, Devon and thoroughbred studs - some of the best cattle and horses for the time. In 1865 Felix Wilson died and Tocal waswilled by entail to his unborn grandson, David Wilson KC, who wasn’t born until 1879. It was not until 1907 that Wilson sold Tocal to Charles Reynolds son, Frank. In 1926 Tocal was sold to Jean Alexander, who lived there with her sister Isabella and brothers Robert and Charles Boyd Alexander. Alexander’s family had been blacksmiths and farmers at Nhill, owning 5000 acresin the area before moving to Tocal. Charles siblings Margaret and John had married, and hence been estranged from the family. Jean died in 1938 and left the property to Charles, the youngest. The following year Margaret’s daughters

Myrtle and Marguerita Curtis came to live with Charles at Tocal. CB Alexander updated the property with new technology and mechanisation. He paradoxically indulged in the purchase of three Rolls Royce vehicles, despite his continual frugality in general. Realising his family line was at its end, he looked toward leaving the entire estate toward developing numerous agricultural colleges; As his estate still held land at 5 areas in NSW, he suggested numerous colleges - multiple at each area. He died in 1947, leaving a complex will. The will was mostly disregarded as unworkable, but was implemented in spirit by eventually providing for the establishment of the CB Alexander Agricultural College, Tocal, under the Presbyterian Churh. Work began on the College in 1963 and it was opened by the Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies in 1965. In 1970 the College was run by the NSW Department of Agriculture. The Curtis sisters continued to live at the homestead until their deaths in 1985, when management of Tocal Homestead passed to the CB Alexander Foundation.

LW Sardinia 2014

SARDINIA

VILLA WEBBER

picture from www.sardegnaabbandonata.it

VILLA WEBBER About 1850 James Phillips Webber arrived on the isolated island of La Maddalena off the north coast of Sardinia and over the next few years began to purchase land there. About this time he adopted an Italian son, Luigi Russo, who became Luigi Russo Webber. In 1855 James Webber constructed a magnificent villa on La Maddalena, and Villa Webber gained the reputation as one of the finest in Sardinia. The villa was constructed like a fortress, surrounded by three sets of massive stone walls, some of which are seven meters high. The walls formed courtyards containing extensive gardens, and the villa was surrounded by a vast pine forest planted by Webber at about the same time the villa was built. Webber was an acqaintance and neighbour of Giuseppe Garibaldi who lived on the nearby island of Caprera and later became an Italian national hero. James Webber served as British Vice-Consul for northern Sardinia from November 1857 to September 1858 and controversy dogged him there just as it had hounded him in Australia. He argued bitterly with the British Consul for Sardinia over Webber’s handling of support for a British ship’s captain who had been imprisoned because of a customs incident. Webber resigned his post in protest against the Consul’s criticisms. James Phillips Webber died in Pisa, Italy, in 1877 at the age of 80. In 1896 the Municipal Council of La Maddalena decided to name a street Via Villa Webber in memory of James Webber. The Council minutes describe him as “...a man who valued his own honesty, son of the celebrated General Webber, like

Byron’s Harold he loved solitude, loved this island, in his beautiful dwelling he established a library of which any town could be proud...”. Today two street names, Via Villa Webberin Sardinia and Webber’s Creek Road in New South Wales, link the townships of La Maddalena and Paterson in the memory of James Phillips Webber.

LW Sardinia 2014

PARCO NAZIONALE DELL’ARCIPELAGO DI LA MADDALENA VILLA WEBBER

SARDINIA

PARCO NAZIONALE DELL’ARCIPELAGO DI LA MADDALENA

1 W 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

LA MADDALENA CAPRERA SANTO STEFANO SPARGI BUDELLI SANTA MARIA RAZZOLI PALAU

2 3

W VILLA WEBBER 09

LW Sardinia 2014

PARCO NAZIONALE DELLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ARCIPELAGO DI LA MADDALENA NATURE

vegetation < 1 m

vegetation < 4 m

vegetation > 4 m

anthropogenic vegetation

aquatic vegetation

MACCHIA MEDITERRANEA

LW Sardinia 2014

PARCO NAZIONALE DELL’ARCIPELAGO DI LA MADDALENA GARIGA

FOREST

LW Sardinia 2014

World Wars / today

End of the regime of Sardinia 1796/1887 Period of Savoy 1720

Mean age 1200

Roman period 238 a.c.

PARCO NAZIONALE DELLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ARCIPELAGO DI LA MADDALENA HISTORY

- expansion of the commercial port of palau - renewal of the fortifications - construction of the NATO base (1973)

- the granite mines - the construction of the first naval bases of the Italian navy - the arrival of Garibaldi - the construction of the fortifications

with the agreement of London Sardinia was annexed to the kingdom of Savoy. Napoleon lost the battle of the madeleine

the monks built the churches of Santa Maria and Cala Chiesa, destroyed by the Turks

the Romans conquered the islands, Palau is the first city

Neolithic 2000 a.c.

VILLA WEBBER’S PARK

LW Sardinia 2014

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PARCO NAZIONALE DELL’ARCIPELAGO DI LA MADDALENA VILLA WEBBER’S PARK

100 50

LW Sardinia 2014

VILLA WEBBER’S PARK

picture from www.sardegnaabbandonata.it

LW Sardinia 2014

VILLA WEBBER’S PARK

picture by Francesco Frascaro

LW Sardinia 2014

VILLA WEBBER’S PARK

picture by Francesco Frascaro

LW Sardinia 2014

VILLA WEBBERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PARK

picture from www.sardegnaabbandonata.it

Realizing Landscape Installations Based on our successful experiences of LW Sardinia 2011-12-13, the LANDWORKS nonprofit Cultural Association in collaboration with the Villa Webber Property the Comune di La Maddalena the Assessorato della difesa dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ambiente della Regione Sardegna the Ministero dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ambiente e della tutela del territorio e del mare and other partners, will realize a number of on-site projects to underline the significance of the landscape, the natural and cultural heritage of Villa Webber with its 100 ha Park inside La Maddalena Island. It will open new perspectives and opportunities for future developments. Together with local actors under the guidance of internationally renown guests the workshop participants will build temporary and permanent installations.

LANDWORKS Sardinia presents

with the participation of

VILLA WEBBER

May 22nd June 1st 2014 follow us

www.landworks.eu

La Maddalena, Sardinia 25

LW Scientific Director + Director MMLU@AA Stefan Tischer LW Scientific Coordinator Annacaterina Piras LW Logistic Coordinator Paola Serrittu

Coordination+Info apiras.landworks@gmail.com

LW Sardinia 2014

PROGRAM

OPERATIVE WORKSHOP TO REALIZE SITE SPECIFIC EPHEMERAL INSTALLATIONS

The LANDWORKS no profit Cultural Association will realize a number of on-site projects to underline the significance of the landscape, the natural and cultural heritage of Villa Webber’s Park. It will open new perspectives and opportunities for future development. Together with local actors under the guidance of internationally renown guests the workshop participants will build temporary and permanent installations. SCIENTIFIC DIRECTION + COORDINATION Prof. StefanTISCHER, Director of MMLU@AA, PhD. Annacaterina PIRAS, Landscape Architecture Doctorate Doctor Paola SERRITTU, Urban Planner +39 347 8054065 | apiars.landworks@gmail.com | www.landworks.eu

PARTNERS AND INSTITUTIONS Associazione Culturale LandWorks | Ministero dell’Ambiente e della tutela del Territorio e del Mare Assessorato della difesa dell’Ambiente della Regione Autonoma della Sardegna | Ente Foreste della regione Autonoma della Sardegna | Comune di La Maddalena | Marina Militare di La Maddalena | MMLU_Master in Mediterranean Landscape Urbanism | DADU,Dipartimento di Architettura, Design e Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari | ENSP_Ecole Nationale Superieure de Paysage in Versailles | School of Architecture and Design King Mongkut’s, University of Technology Thonburi | RMIT_Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology | AUB_America University of Beiruth | Goethe Institut.

Thursday | 22 MAY 2014 | LandWorks Sardinia 2014 Edition OPENING

- After dinner | Dopo cena | 9.00 pm - 11.00 pm Ferdinand LUDWIG | Baubotanik | Stuttgart “Baubotanik: Designing growth in architecture” International Landscape Architecture Seminar

- EX MAGAZZINI ILVA | CALA GAVETTA | 5.00 pm Stefan TISCHER + Annacaterina PIRAS “Sustainability by landscape architecture, LandWorks, a way to reevaluate Landscapes” International Landscape Architecture Seminar Welcome to the Landworks Participants + Workshop’s Presentation: Introduction to the International Landscape Architects | TEAM LEADERS, +Official Tutors+Photographers+Videomakers+Journalists+Performers Greetings to Administrators and Sponsors

Sunday | 25 MAY 2014 | TOUR of THE ARCHIPELAGO LANDSCAPE - TOUR OF LA MADDALENA ARCHIPELAGO LANDSCAPE VEGETATION, EXPOSURE, WINDS AND SOILS - LOCAL EXPERTS SEMINARS on SITES | 9.00 am - 11.00 am

LW Sardinia 2014

PROGRAM

- LOCAL EXPERTS SURVEYS on SITES | 11.00 am - 1.00 pm - ATELIER | Organization of materials and logistic for installations making 3.00 pm - 8.00 pm Laboratorio| Organizzazione di materiale e logistica realizzazione installazioni - After dinner | Dopo cena | 9.00 pm - 11.00 pm Lorenzo BRUSCI | MUSST | Berlin “Sound Space Design, elements for the hybrid ecology” International Landscape Architecture Seminar

Tuesday | 27 MAY 2014 | FIELD WORK | REALIZING INSTALLATIONS - WORKING onsite I Realizing Installations Cantiere : lavorazione a interventi in situ | 9.00 am - 8.00 pm

Friday | 30 MAY 2014 | FIELD WORK | REALIZING INSTALLATIONS

LANDWORK 7 | F. Ludwig LANDWORK 8 | L. Brusci + C. Coviello + Performers (SoundScapes) LANDWORK 9 | R. Zancan

- WORKING onsite I Realizing Installations Cantiere : lavorazione a interventi in situ | 9.00 am - 8.00 pm - After dinner | Dopo cena | 9.00 pm - 11.00 pm Maria Gabriella TROVATO | AUB | Beirut “Territories in transitions” International Landscape Architecture Seminar

CRITIQUES GUESTS | 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm Stefano BOERI | Polimi Karin HELMS | ENSP_Versailles Arnaldo CECCHINI | DADU, Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Design, University of Sassari LANDWORKS-SARDINIA 2014 EDITION | CONCLUSIONS CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION CEREMONY | 8.00 pm - 9.00 pm GREETINGS TO PARTICIPANTS, ADMINISTRATORS AND SPONSORS

Saturday | 31 MAY 2014 | VILLA WEBBER INSTALLATIONS FINAL TOUR + CLOSING LANDWORKS 2014 EDITION NEW INSTALLATIONS OPENING | VILLA WEBBER’S PARK | 3.00 pm - 6.00 pm

VILLA WEBBER | LA MADDALENA| BUFFET + FINAL PARTY | 9.00 pm - 11.00 pm

Sunday | 1 JUNE 2014 | DEPARTING FROM MADDALENA ISLAND DEPARTURE TO OLBIA AIRPORT | 7.00 am 1st round or 1.00 pm 2nd round

www.landwork.eu CONTACTS Scientific Director Prof. Stefan Tischer Tel. +39 332 90045877 Email: stefan.tischer@gmail.com President of LandWorks Cultural Association + Scientific Coordination Annacaterina Piras Tel. +39 347 8054065 Email: apiras.landworks@gmail.com Vice President of LandWorks Cultural Association + Logystic Coordination Paola Serrittu Tel. +39 340 1400626 Email: paolaserrittu@gmail.com

For more information please contact: apiras.landworks@gmail.com

www.landworks.eu

LANDSCAPE

AT A L G H E R O

MMLU@AA Master in Mediterranean Lanscape Urbanism Architecture at Alghero

UNIVERSITA’ DEGLI STUDI DI SASSARI

MINISTERO DELL’AMBIENTE e della tutela del territorio e del mare

ASSESSORATO DELLA DIFESA DELL’AMBIENTE della REGIONE SARDEGNA

COMUNE DI LA MADDALENA

Sardegna Foreste

FORESTE E PARCHI DELLA SARDEGNA

MARINA MILITARE LA MADDALENA

GOETHE INSTITUT

1866

AUB

American University of Beirut

RMIT UNIVERSITY MELBOURNE