Chimney Cottage

Item details


Name of item:	Chimney Cottage
Other name/s:	Log Cabin
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Residential buildings (private)
Category:	Cottage
Primary address:	9-13 Waterfall Road, Mount Wilson, NSW 2786
Local govt. area:	Blue Mountains

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
9-13 Waterfall Road	Mount Wilson	Blue Mountains			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Criterion (a) Historical The close association with the second and third generation of the Gregson family is significant at the local level. The design of the original log-cabin is an earnest of the Americanisation of Mrs Gregson's English-born father, Charles Jefferson, who was an important figure in the changing utilities in Mount Wilson in the 1930s. As the first successful tea-room in what was becoming a tourist destination, Chimney Cottage also has local significance. Criterion (c) Aesthetic Chimney Cottage is a rare example of an early twentieth-century kiosk built in a rustic log-cabin style. The substantial rubble stone chimney is a suitable complement to the timber logs. Criterion (f) Rarity There are few early twentieth-century kiosks in the state built with the rustic simplicity of Chimney Cottage. That it retains evidence of its original function gives this building a special quality.
	Date significance updated: 27 Jul 21
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Charles Jefferson
Builder/Maker:	Kirk Brothers
Construction years:	1932-1932
Physical description:	Chimney Cottage is a large grouping of inter-connected gabled pavilions, mostly of log cabin construction. At the core of the group and facing Waterfall Road is the original pavilion from which the development takes its name. It is distinguished from the additions by dark stained timber logs and a substantial chimney of rubble stone. A stable door on the east side of the building with a footrest and bootscraper suggests the location of a counter or entry to the kiosk. On the south side is evidence of a fold down servery. The main development around the original cottage has gabled roofs of corrugated steel and casement windows. To the south of the group is a 1 ½ storey barn style building clad with splayed weatherboards. Like the later development around Chimney Cottage, this dates from the late C20th.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Good
	Date condition updated:22 Jul 04
Modifications and dates:	Extensions 1935-6
Further information:	The Blue Mountains Local Government Area is within the Country of the Darug and Gundungurra peoples and Blue Mountains City Council respects their cultural heritage and deep ongoing connection to this Country. This inventory sheet documents the European occupation of the site only, and the heritage significance of the place in this context (assessed against the heritage criteria set by the NSW Heritage Council). This does not therefore, represent a complete history of the place, or represent the perspectives of Darug and Gundungurra Traditional Owners in relation to the colonial impacts on this site. Consultation with Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal stakeholders is required, before Aboriginal Cultural Heritage that may be associated with this place, can be recorded.


Current use:	Bed and Breakfast
Former use:	Tea-room and Bed and Breakfast

History

Historical notes:

Chimney Cottage is a significant part of the Gregson story. After the death in 1919 of Jesse Gregson, who had built Yengo (MW 027), his son Edward succeeded to Yengo, married an American, Margaret Jefferson, in 1920 and then built Wyndham (MW 033) to which the couple moved in 1923. Although Yengo had been sold, the family retained some of the land and, when the Gregson apple orchards at Wyndham began to fail just after 1930, Margaret Gregson had an American-style log-cabin, designed by her father, Charles Jefferson, built by the Kirk brothers on land above Waterfall Creek with a view to opening a tea-room. (Warliker, A Mount Wilson Childhood, 38)

The simple log hut was open for business by 1933, with fold-down windows facing Queens Avenue and the Waterfall Reserve where tourist cars and holiday charabancs could park, their occupants panting for tea. This fold-down window is still evident on the building today Mrs Gregson worked hard, serving teas, making chocolate fudge and progressing to lunches, while Edward her husband, no longer full-time on his orchard or farm, did the washing-up, helped by the children when they were available. Mrs Gregson's father and his companion Emma, who had settled in Mount Wilson in 1930, were also enlisted. This was a full-scale Gregson family tea-room.(Warliker, 13, 38-9)

The original single room was expanded to become a substantial weatherboard cottage and in 1936 the Gregsons moved out of Wyndham, which was then occupied by Mr Jefferson and Emma.. Soon a separate cottage was added behind the Gregsons' own home and bed and breakfast was added to their business. In 1940, however, Margaret Gregson's health deteriorated and the family moved back to Wyndham and leased the tea-room to Cliff O'Rourke of Bell. O'Rourke gave up in 1941 and the Gregsons moved back to Chimney Cottage, complete with grand piano. (Warliker, 39)

In 1943, however, Margaret Gregson died of cancer, and Emma, her father's companion, also died. Chimney Cottage remained home for Edward and his three girls until the end of the war, but was sold in 1946, when they moved into a converted apple-shed on their property (christened Applecot, in 2004 the victim of arson).(Warliker, 39)

Chimney Cottage was sold to Duncan Lumsden, who retained it for a longish period, and since then it has been owned successively by Ted Avery from Mount Victoria, Carstairs (a Katoomba hotel-keeper) and the present proprietors, Margaret Wickins and Bruce Knott. Over this period it reverted to being a bed and breakfast, new buildings were added and accommodation was much expanded. (Information from Elizabeth Raines and Margaret Wickins)

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The close association with the second and third generation of the Gregson family is significant at the local level. The design of the original log-cabin is an earnest of the Americanisation of Mrs Gregson's English-born father, Charles Jefferson, who was an important figure in the changing utilities in Mount Wilson in the 1930s. As the first successful tea-room in what was becoming a tourist destination, Chimney Cottage also has local significance.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Chimney Cottage is a rare example of an early twentieth-century kiosk built in a rustic log-cabin style. The substantial rubble stone chimney is a suitable complement to the timber logs.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	There are few early twentieth-century kiosks in the state built with the rustic simplicity of Chimney Cottage. That it retains evidence of its original function gives this building a special quality.
Integrity/Intactness:	Reasonable.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number
Local Environmental Plan	Blue Mountains Local Environmental Plan 2015	MW028	21 Dec 15	829
Local Environmental Plan - Lapsed	LEP1991	MW028	27 Dec 91	183
Heritage study		MW028

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Blue Mountains Heritage Study	1983	MW028	Croft & Associates Pty Ltd & Meredith Walker		Yes
Heritage Study Review, Blue Mountains	1992	MW028	Tropman and Tropman		Yes
Blue Mountains Heritage Review	2003	MW028	Jack, Hubert, Lavelle, Morris	RIJ, PH, CM	Yes
Technical Audit BM Heritage Register	2008	MW028	Blue Mountains City Council	City Planning Branch	No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Oral History	Elizabeth Raines	2004	Interview with Ian Jack, 7 January
Written	Helen Warliker	1990	A Mount Wilson Childhood
Oral History	Margaret Wickens, owner	2004	Interview with Ian Jack, 7 January

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1170601

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