Messenger's Cottage For Fort Phillip Signal Station

Item details


Name of item:	Messenger's Cottage For Fort Phillip Signal Station
Other name/s:	Messenger's Quarters No 2
Primary address:	3B Upper Fort Street, Millers Point, NSW 2000
Local govt. area:	Sydney

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
3B Upper Fort Street	Millers Point	Sydney			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	The Messenger's Cottage for Fort Phillip (c1869) is a single storey brick building constructed in the Victorian Regency style. It was built as an addition to the Signal Station on Observatory Hill as a result of the implementation of the electric telegraph, and is historically significant for the part it played in the Harbour communication network and by its association with prominent persons and organisations such as the Harbour Master's department and Maritime Services Board. The building is significant for its association with the Colonial Architects office and as a design of the prominent Australian architect James Barnet. It has aesthetic significance as a fine and largely intact example of a brick building decorated with a pattern of bitumen impregnated bricks, uncommon in Sydney. The building is significant as a rare example of its type in the city. (SHI)
	Date significance updated: 15 Mar 07
	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:	Messenger's Cottage No 2 c1868 by James Barnet
Construction years:	1868-1868
Physical description:	Former Messenger's Cottage for Fort Phillip-built 1868 The single storied, rendered brick symmetrical cottage with hipped slate roof and corrugated iron roofed verandah was the second of the residences built on the Hill as "messengers quarters" associated with the signal station. Externaly the building retains much of its original form and fabric, components ranging from fair to good condition. Extant original elements include roof slating complete with lead dressed ridging, rendered ornament to brick chimneys and eaves (including corbel bracketing and dentil friezes), sash windows, panelled front door with fanlight and timber framed front verandah. Alterations to original fabric include re-roofing and infilling of the front verandah. Internally the cottage has been considerably altered with the removal and/or modification of original/early layout, fittings and finishes. The original four room layout with central passageway and separate kitchen is intact. Plaster work and joinery replaced by a modern fitout. The four original fireplace surrounds and mantle and the front and back doors survived this work, but no early moveable contents were retained. In 1990 Musuem of Applied Arts and Sciences secured control and title to Fort Phillip precinct and Messenger's Cottage. In 1994 the Cottage was restored as an office for staff thereby releasing space for the exhibition in the Observtory and residence. Work included the introduction of air conditioning and both the removal of the verandah enclosure and the paint from three of the exterior walls to reveal the structural polychrome brickwork. The brickwork was then sealed. The southern wall was left in its painted state to co-ordinated with the motley array of painted outbuildings. As well as brick kitchen and WC, these included a post World War II bathroom attached to the covered way. The outbuildings are original fabric.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Good
	Date condition updated:18 Oct 06
Modifications and dates:	Messenger's Cottage for Fort Phillip-built 1868 1970s interior was extensively renovated and plaster work and joinery replaced by a modern fitout. The four original fireplace surrounds and mantle and the front and back doors survived this work, but no early moveable contents were retained. 1994- The Cottage was restored as an office for staff. Work included the introduction of air conditioning and both the removal of the verandah enclosure and the paint from three of the exterior walls to reveal the structural polychrome brickwork. The brickwork was then sealed. The southern wall was left in its painted.
Further information:	The Messenger's Quarters have been used largely for residential accommodation and have generally shown a deterioration/modification of early fabric. Recent restoration and refurbishment of Quarters as offices for staff of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences is however a notable departure from this trend.


Current use:	Offices
Former use:	Residence/ offices for the administration of the complex by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

History

Historical notes:

In 1858 an electric telegraph line commenced operating from South Head to the city and on to Liverpool. As a result the station master became responsible for morse reception and transmission as well as manual signalling. The increased responsibilities eventually meant that the Signalmaster was required help in the operation of the Signal Station.
In 1868 tenders were called for the erection of a second Messenger's cottage immediately to the north west of the signal station. Designed by the colonial architect James Barnet it was completed by 1871. After this no major additions were made to the signal station complex. The Messenger's Cottage remained in use and was occupied by retired Maritime Services Board staff until the early 1990s when it was fitted out as offices for the administration of the complex by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Science-Activities associated with systematic observations, experiments and processes for the explanation of observable phenomena	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Technology-Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied sciences	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The Messenger's Cottage for Fort Phillip served as an addition to the Signal Station facility and played a significant role in the early communications system around the harbour.It was constructed as a result of the addition of the electric telegraph to the Harbour's communications network and is representative of the growth and development of the network. Messenger Cottage No 2 is associated with the office of colonial architect James Barnett and with organisations such as the Sydney Harbour Trust and Maritime Services Board. It has historic significance at a State level.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Messenger's Cottage for Fort Phillip is significant as a design of the colonial architect James Barnet.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The Messenger's cottage No 2 is a fine example of a Victorian cottage with rare polychromatic brick detailing. Its overall form, fine detailing and prominent siting contributes to the visual and contextual quality of Observatory Hill.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Messenger's Cottage for Fort Phillip is a rare surviving example of the simple decorative use of bitumen impregnated bricks in a Sydney residence.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Messenger's Cottage for Fort Phillip is representative of the Victorian Regency style as used in a residence and as part of the complex built up as a Signal Station Complex.
Integrity/Intactness:	The building has a high level of integrity and intactness
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	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Sydney LEP 2005 Sydney Observatory	393
Heritage study

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Millers Point & Walsh Bay Heritage Review	2006		Paul Davies Pty Ltd		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	James Semple Kerr	2002	Sydney Observatory A Conservation Plan for the site and its structures
Written	Travis Partners	1987	Observatory Hill Conservation Management Plan

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:	2426294

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