Denfield Homestead

Item details


Name of item:	Denfield Homestead
Other name/s:	Denfield
Type of item:	Complex / Group
Group/Collection:	Farming and Grazing
Category:	Homestead Complex
Location:	Lat: 150.80158297 Long: -34.10525974
Primary address:	Appin Road, St Helens Park, NSW 2560
Parish:	Menangle
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Campbelltown

Boundary:

Current property boundary including recent expansion - see attached plan.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Appin Road	St Helens Park	Campbelltown	Menangle	Cumberland	Primary Address
Denfield Circuit	St Helens Park	Campbelltown			Alternate Address

Statement of significance:


	Denfield has State heritage significance. Denfield, built 1835-1837, is of State historical significance as one of the earliest intact collections of buildings of its kind in the Campbelltown and Appin areas, particularly since it has retained a significant setting and garden. Denfield is associated with early farming identities John Farley ( infamous for reporting the first sighting of Fisher's Ghost in Campbelltown), and John Bray who, along with his family, owned and farmed the property from 1840 until well into the 1900's. Denfield played an important part in the early settlement of Campbelltown/Appin area, having been a focus of farming in the area since the 1830's. It has a strong connection with the development and history of the area through social interactions and contributions by its owners and residents to the private, public and farming life of Campbelltown and Appin. Denfield is of aesthetic significance as the early (c1830s) buildings form part of a highly significant group of surviving early Colonial farmhouse buildings with a visually intact garden and setting. The early buildings are a very fine and rare example of the Colonial farmhouse style of architecture, even though altered a number of times, and are of very high aesthetic value in the broader context of NSW. The buildings demonstrate many of the core Colonial design principles. The surviving early fabric is of technical significance as it demonstrates the basic principles of colonial design, detailing and finishes, materials and methods of construction and building forms and their adaptation over their life with a variety of materials. It should be noted also that the significance of the property is not limited to the buildings, but includes its relationship to the surrounding landscape, including views and vistas over and from the property. These should also be preserved through the planning process. Denfield is considered likely to also have historical archaeological significance. Note: This inventory sheet is not intended to be a definitive study of the heritage Item, and the information it provides may not be complete. Further research is recommended as part of the preparation of development proposals affecting the Item.
	Date significance updated: 28 Sep 09
	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


Builder/Maker:	John Farley (main house and cottage)
Construction years:	1835-1837
Physical description:	Site Denfield is on the top of a hill with access from Appin Road to its west, and the site extends to Denfield Circuit to the east. With the increasing width and traffic on Appin Road the RTA has provided separate access. The site is well landscaped, including major trees and shrubs, with what remains of its original 'home' garden. It classically occupies a prominent position on level ground on the top of a raised section of land, where Appin Road and surrounding land drops away on each side to the north, west and south. (Pearson Smith & Associates, 2005). There is a dam/swimming pool and a small orchard adjoining the house. The boundary of the whole property is defined by trees and shrubs. A number of other buildings and structures also exist including a slab shed, timber structure, workshop, carport, swimming pool, cricket pitch, water tanks, and two silos. Buildings: Main House: The main house is of rendered masonry, imitation ashlar rendered, with a gabled, corrugated steel clad roof and verandah to three sides supported on stop chamfered timber posts. The roof, which changes in pitch to extend over the verandahs, has three rendered brickwork chimneys with terracotta chimney pots. Windows are 12 paned timber framed double hung with timber louvred shutters and doors are timber six-panel. There is a simple semi-circular Georgian fanlight to the panelled (fielded) front door. Sandstone is used for architraves to main openings and paving to the verandah. The verandah is open full length on the western (Appin Road) side, return verandah across the northern end has been filled in with sympathetic painted timber and glazed panels and doors. The verandah is decorated with a fine scalloped timber valance. There is an existing roofed but open sided walkway running off the rear door of the house linking it to an original external single-storey kitchen structure. In addition, there are two more recent pavilion style single storey additions with light weight links to the main house, one to the south and the other to the northeast, at the rear of the house. Each pavilion has a corrugated steel hipped roof. Quite separate from the house and kitchen is an in-ground swimming pool, wood shed, workshop and carport. (Pearson Smith & Associates, 2005). The grounds of the main house are fenced with a white painted timber picket fence. There is a steel security fence along the rear boundary to Denfield Circuit. Interior: Fireplaces have Victorian Georgian style chimney pieces. Slab hut: Circa 1840 timber slab hut used as a museum for old implements. Outbuildings: There is also a dam/swimming pool and a timber structure used as a garage, workshop and toolshed. (Rathgeber, 1990).
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Some new fibrous plaster ceilings and cornices, some original timber boarded ceilings and cornices, original cedar joinery, original galvanized corrugated iron roof and water tank sheeting, ogee gutters and round downpipes in parts and intrusive gutters with square downpipes elsewhere, painted timber linings, joinery and decorative timberwork, stone flagging and timber tank stands. (Pearson Smith & Associates, 2005).
	Date condition updated:11 Oct 06
Modifications and dates:	1964: Denfield was carefully restored in 1964 by architect S.C Palmer (Kingston, 1990). In a December 1965 article in 'Building Ideas' the 1964 renovation was showcased: the "sensitive restoration and renovation, installation of electrical service and plumbing which have made Denfield a house for modern living while still preserving its early colonial character." The article noted that the original detached kitchen had become a bedroom, with bathroom and laundry added. Where possible original materials were reused, eg: sandstock brocks for rebuilding the southern wall and the 6" wide blackbutt boards for flooring drawing room, study and dining rooms. New verandah columns were designed in the spirit of the original period to replace the then existing mid-or late-Victorian columns. The graceful valance board was cut from a template of the original valance, still in position, but deteriorated. All walls were stripped and re-plastered, ceilings replaced with Gyprock sheets and plaster cornices. 1991: subdivision to excise some 2/3 of land of property, to allow for future residential development. The proposed subdivision was at the time not considered to adversely affect the significance of the house and outbuildings, but has resulted in a tightly described setting for the house. Recent purchase of the adjacent land to the south of the constrained curtilage has allowed the house to once again read as a 'balanced' composition of house and outbuildings in its setting.


Current use:	residence
Former use:	Inn, residence, farm homestead

History

Historical notes:

The original inhabitants of the Campbelltown area were mostly people of the Dharawal (sometimes referred to as Tharawal) language group, who ranged from the coast to the east, the Georges River in the west, north to Botany Bay and south to Nowra. However, Campbelltown was a meeting point with the Dharug language group (whose area extended across the Blue Mountains), and early history of the area includes references to both peoples. (Liston, Carol: Campbelltown: The Bicentennial History, 1988; www.abc.net.au/indigenous). Mount Annan, to the south-west of the Campbelltown City Centre, was known as Yandel’ora to its original owners, the Dharawal people and was an important meeting place for Aboriginal people from as far away as northern Queensland and southern Victoria. (http://www.daff.gov.au/natural-resources/landcare/publications/making_a_difference_a_celebration_ of_landcare/section_6_-_indigenous_landcare)
With the establishment of the convict colony in Sydney Harbour in 1788, the displacement of Aboriginal people began. A smallpox epidemic decimated many of the coastal clans, but was less destructive amongst the inland peoples.

Escaped cattle from the settlement moved south and bred in the Campbelltown/Camden area and after their discovery in 1795, the area became known as The Cow Pastures (or Cowpasture). In 1805, John Macarthur obtained a grant of 5,000 acres (later expanded to 10,000 acres) in the area, some of the best grazing land then known in the colony.

By 1809, 34 settlers had received grants in the newly named Minto district (named after Lord Minto, the Governor-General of India) in the northern portion of Campbelltown. Many of these early settlers were Irish, including surveyor James Meehan, who allocated himself a generous portion (now Macquarie Fields). Prominent settlers included surgeon Charles Throsby, who was allocated 600 acres (now Glenfield), Dr William Redfern (Campbellfield), Dr Robert Townson (Varroville) and Richard Brooks (Denham Court).

Though peaceful, the Dharawal people bore the brunt of a punitive expedition led by Captain James Wallis in 1816. At least 14 Dharawal people were massacred at Appin, to the distress of sympathetic settlers such as Charles Throsby of Glenfield. The Appin massacre of 1816 was a devastating and tragic event for the Dharawal people and other local clans, and was a difficult period in terms of the relationship between Indigenous people and European settlers. Corroborees and other ceremonies continued under the protection of the Macarthurs of Camden, though numbers steadily declined, with diseases introduced by the Europeans also having a devastating effect on the Dharawal population.

As the district became more closely settled, a town was needed further south than Liverpool. Campbelltown was formally established in 1820 and named ‘Campbelltown’, in honour of Mrs Elizabeth Macquarie’s maiden name of Campbell. In 1826, the town plan was formalised.

Between 1835 and 1845, the number of Aboriginal people in the Campbelltown Police District had decreased from twenty to none. However, limited tribal life continued and corroborees were still held at Camden Park and Denham Court until at least the 1850s. During 1858, approximately 200 Aboriginal people attended the celebrations at Campbelltown that were held to mark the opening of the railway line.

The original house and a roofed but open sided link to the original kitchen block behind it, was completed between 1835-7 by a John Farley. Farley had arrived from England in 1812 and became what was described at the time as a 'sober, hard working and prosperous farmer' on approximately 200 acres. His claim to fame was that he was the first man to see 'Fisher's Ghost', the centre of a local legend involving murder and intrigue. Farley built the main house and its kitchen c. 1835-1837.

Farley sold the property to John Bray in 1840. Bray owned other properties to the south and used Denfield as a cattle fattening holding farm, closer to the Sydney markets for stock from his other more distant holdings. Bray married three times, each of his first two wives dying at Denfield. The third wife outlived him and was still in residence in the early 1900s. It is thought that for some time the building became an inn.

Following the death of the third Mrs Bray the property was rented over a number of years, substantial parcels of land were excised and Denfield fell into disrepair.

The property was purchased in the 1960s by architect Sydney Palmer and renovated in 1964 (see building description).

In 1970 Palmer sold the property to the Sefton family who operated it as a lavender farm for ten years.

In the early 1980s it was sold to Mr and Mrs Robinson. In 1987 the property was about 2ha/6 acres, zoned Special Uses, surrounded by land zoned 2(c) residential. Approximately 2.5 acres was sold to Landcom, approx. 1 acre retained by Mrs Robinson and the remaining 1.5 acres was sold to the current owners the Laws in 1992.

The Laws subsequently bought an additional acre (Lot 122) to increase the curtilage around the main house on the south side, where the house was very close to the then southern boundary. The property now comprises 1.5 hectares (2.5 acres).

Restoration work has been carried out to both house and garden areas, with the assistance of Federal and Campbelltown City Council grants. (Pearson-Smith, 2008, 13).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Pastoralism - grazing sheep, cattle, goats or other animals-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Poultry production-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Innkeeping-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	Communicating by mail-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements	Coaching Inns along roads-
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	Granting Crown lands for private farming-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Denfield has State heritage significance. Denfield, built 1835-1837, is of State historical significance as one of the earliest intact collections of buildings of its kind in the Campbelltown and Appin areas, retaining a significant setting and garden. Denfield is associated with early farming identities John Farley ( infamous for reporting the first sighting of Fisher's Ghost in Campbelltown), and John Bray who, along with his family, owned and farmed the property from 1840 until well into the 1900's. Denfield played an important part in the early settlement of Campbelltown/Appin area, having been a focus of farming in the area since the 1830's. It has a strong connection with the development and history of the area through social interactions and contributions by its owners and residents to the private, public and farming life of Campbelltown and Appin.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Denfield is of aesthetic significance as the early buildings form part of a highly significant group of surviving colonial farmhouse buildings with a visually intact garden and setting. The early buildings are a very fine and rare example of the colonial farmhouse style of architecture, even though altered a number of times, and are of very high aesthetic value in the broader context of NSW. The buildings demonstrate colonial design principles. The surviving early fabric is of technical significance as it demonstrates the basic principles of colonial design, detailing and finishes, materials and methods of construction and building forms and their adaptation over their life with a variety of materials. The arrangement of the buildings on the site is also of aesthetic and historic value as it demonstrates how early outbuildings such as kitchens and laundries were built as separate structures to limit the risk of fire and then were were often linked to the main house over time through incremental small extensions.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The Liverpool - Campbelltown area is one of the few centres in Australia alongside Windsor-Richmond, Millers Point, Parramatta, Morpeth, and parts of Sydney and Tasmania where there is a rich collection of surviving Georgian and early Victorian Colonial buildings. This is an important element in the identity of Campbelltown that is important to historians, architects and other professions interested in this period throughout Australia, and makes the region one worthy of study. The site is considered likely to also have historical archaeological significance.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Denfield is considered rare in NSW, as an early colonial (1830s) collection of farm buildings.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Denfield is one of the best preserved and examples of the prosperous farmhouse complexes from early Campbelltown and remains an excellent representative example of early European settlement in the Campbelltown/Appin area and NSW.
Integrity/Intactness:	The 1964 renovation has resulted in loss of original fabric and a degree of reconstruction, both historically referenced and conjectural. The siting, fenestration, built form, configuration of house and outbuildings and the roofscape remain substantially intact however and the complex is remarkably intact for its early period of construction.
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.

Recommended management:

This item is listed on the State Heritage Register. The property should be retained and conserved. Any change should be sympathetic to the heritage significance of the item and its setting. As a general principle there should be no alterations to the façade of the building visible from the public domain other than repairs, reinstatement of original features or removal of any unsympathetic later alterations or extensions. Any new additions or alterations should be confined to the rear in areas of less significance, should not be visually prominent or overwhelm the existing building, and shall be in accordance with the relevant planning controls. Structural alterations to the interior (for example removal of a structural wall) will also require development consent. No infill development that may affect the integrity of the aesthetics of the building complex and its garden setting should be considered. It should be noted also that the significance of the property is not limited to the buildings, but includes its relationship to the surrounding landscape, including views and vistas over and from the property. These should also be preserved through the planning process. Any new works should be accompanied by a Statement of Heritage Impact or Conservation Management Plan. Development applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with Council planning staff and the NSW Heritage Branch prior to planning extensions, alterations or conservation works.

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Campbelltown Local Environmental Plan 2015	I00540	11 Mar 16
Local Environmental Plan	Urban Area Local Environmental Plan		22 Feb 02	48	1049
Heritage study			01 Jan 92

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Campbelltown City Council Heritage Review	2009		Paul Davies Pty Ltd		No
Colonial Landscapes of the Cumberland Plain and Camden, NSW	2000		Geoffrey Britton and Colleen Morris for the NSW National Trust		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	Casey & Lower P/L	2004	Archaeological Assessment of Denfield proposed pavilion addition
Written	David Sheedy	1973	National Trust (NSW) Classification Sheet - Denfield
Written	Erika Rathgeber Planning Consultant	1990	Report on the Curtilage of 'Denfield', Appin Road, Campbelltown
Written	Kingston, Daphne	1990	Early Colonial Homes of the Sydney Region 1788-1838
Other	Marlane Fairfax homepage		Tahmoor Houses NSW - an Australian Local & Family History Site
Written	Pearson Smith & Associates	2005	Heritage Impact Statement - proposed boundary adjustments and subdivision by Landcom
Written	Pearson Smith & Associates	2004	Archival black and white photographic recording of the existing fabric and condition of "Denfield" Appin Road, St. Helens Park, NSW around the area of the new works
Written	Pearson Smith & Associates	2003	Alterations & Additions to existing single residence - Heritage Impact Statement
Written	Pearson-Smith & Associates P/L Heritage Architects	2008	Heritage Impact Statement - proposed New St.Helens Park Meeting Hall on Lot 102 Denfield Circuit, St.Helens Park for the Georges River Gospel Trust

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

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1291167
File number:	S90/03441 & HC 33410

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