Conserve

A Country Treasure

LIZ HARFULL, AUTHOR AND COMMUNITY HISTORIAN

Heritage-listed Cooma Cottage was the residence of famous Australian-born explorer Hamilton Hume and his wife, Elizabeth, for more than 30 years. The National Trust is launching an appeal to breathe new life into one of the oldest surviving rural homesteads in New South Wales.

“It was one of the most difficult restoration projects I have done, but it was a pleasure”

Clive Lucas was a young architecture student when he first set eyes on Cooma Cottage. After making the unfortunate but understandable error of thinking it was located near the town of Cooma, he made his way to Yass, where he discovered a higgledypiggledy building with a front verandah drowning in wisteria, a rusty iron-tiled roof, collapsed ceilings and chickens inhabiting the south-west wing. Despite its dreadful state when he visited in the mid-1960s, the young restoration architect found Cooma Cottage intriguing. Not only is the original part of the house an archetypal example of colonial architecture, but it is linked to one of Australia’s best-known explorers.

Born in Sydney, Hume was part of the expedition that first took an overland route from Sydney to Port Phillip in 1824. He is said to have fallen in love with the site while camping there on his epic journey with William Hovell. The house is set on a low rise overlooking the Yass River and fertile lands traditionally occupied by the Ngunnawal and Wiradjuri peoples. While Hume was successful in acquiring other extensive grants in the area for the next phase of his life as a pastoralist, he missed out on the land he apparently wanted most, which was granted to Henry O’Brien in 1829. The original timber bungalow was built between 1830 and 1837 for O’Brien’s brother Cornelius and his wife, Rebecca. Diminutive in scale, it had a verandah and two light and elegant rooms at the front, facing north towards the river.

Hume eventually purchased the property and its accompanying 100 acres of land in 1839 for £601. He and Elizabeth lived there until he died in 1873. Despite having no children, they expanded the house considerably over the years, Hume adding his own version of Palladian-style wings and a Greek Revival portico as well as a handsome coach house and stables. The end result was “a conglomerate mess” of some 30 rooms. After Elizabeth died in 1886, the property passed on to a nephew. In the late 1890s, the house was used as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, and in the 1920s the property became home to the Humedale horse stud.

A current National Trust (NSW) board director with a longstanding love of colonial architecture, Dr Clive Lucas OBE returned to the house in 1970 as an associate of Fisher Jackson and Hudson. By then it had been acquired by the Trust with assistance from Mary Griffiths, a Canberra resident who was given life tenancy. Unphased by its terrible state, Dr Lucas worked first as associate to John Fisher to save the building and its relatively intact complex of rural buildings. “It was one of the most difficult restoration projects I have done, but it was a pleasure. People said we couldn’t do anything with it, but that was part of the challenge and the thrill of it,” Dr Lucas said. Deciding it was important to take a sensitive approach and save as much original material as possible, the restoration team aimed for an “invisible mend”.

Left The impressive coach house and stables at Cooma Cottage (photo by SGR Photo).

From left The drawing room in the original cottage, decorated with a reproduction of wallpaper found in the room, and a gaming table and chairs that belonged to Hume (photo by SGR Photo); a bedroom at Cooma Cottage (photo by SGR Photo).

Oppostie from top An aerial view of Cooma Cottage showing its position overlooking the Yass River (photo by GS Aerial Imaging); exterior of Cooma Cottage (photo by SGR photo); Clydesdale horses and sheep are kept at the property, helping to bring the rural colonial experience to life for visitors (photo by SGR Photo).

Help us conserve Hamilton Hume’s historic home

Historic Cooma Cottage in Yass, home of explorer Hamilton Hume for over 30 years, is in urgent need of ongoing conservation. Donate today and help us give one of the oldest surviving homesteads in the State the attention it deserves. A donation of just $150 will help us maintain this heritage property for future generations.

We need your help to:

• Repair and limewash historic walls

• Repair external timber shutters

• Repair Hamilton Hume’s original furniture

• Upgrade lighting and security systems

Please donate to the Cooma Cottage 2022 Appeal at nationaltrust.org.au/donate-nsw

The restoration effort initially focussed on “putting up the umbrella” – repairing the roof with reproductions of its imported English Morewood & Rogers patent iron tiles to make the house dry. The front of the original cottage had sunk so much it was impossible to open the doors and the floors sloped, so builders dug a trench and jacked up the front of the house. Work continued gradually over a period of about sixteen years as funding became available. After a final push the house was officially opened to the public as part of Australia’s Bicentenary celebrations in 1988.

The 2022 appeal aims to raise $120,000 for urgently-needed conservation work and maintenance to continue looking after this important property for future generations. Among the priorities are repairing and limewashing historic walls, repairing external timber shutters, and upgrading the property’s security and lighting systems. The National Trust also plans to conserve and maintain furniture on display in the house that belonged to Hamilton Hume and is keen to explore the potential to purchase more original pieces from the period that will help bring the house to life. Collections in the kitchen and pantry will also be assessed to create more authentic displays. Appropriate artworks will be purchased and original works reinstated to help decorate key rooms.

Support Cooma Cottage

We urgently need to raise $120,000 for the ongoing maintenance of Cooma Cottage for future generations to enjoy. Donate at: nationaltrust.org.au/donate-nsw

Plan your visit

Cooma Cottage sits on extensive grounds and is perfect for weddings, family picnics and lazy afternoons. Book your tickets now. Visit nationaltrust.org.au/nsw