Mungerie House

Item details


Name of item:	Mungerie House
Other name/s:	Mungerie Park
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Farming and Grazing
Category:	Homestead Complex
Primary address:	RMB 73 Windsor Road, Rouse Hill, NSW 2155
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	The Hills

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	15		DP	833071

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
RMB 73 Windsor Road	Rouse Hill	The Hills		Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Department of Planning and Environment	State Government

Statement of significance:


	Evidence of late 19th century farming. The place is also significant for its association with and evidence of the Pearce family as major graziers, orchardists, and land dealers in this part of the Shire.
	Date significance updated: 25 Feb 99
	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:	Not Known
Builder/Maker:	Not Known
Construction years:	1890-
Physical description:	The house is a 14 room U-shaped cottage constructed of weatherboard in late Georgian/early Victorian style. It has a hipped corrugated iron roof, with a separate bullnose corrugated iron roofed verandah to three sides. There is a kitchen wing and several additions to the rear with iron roof and chimney. The house has two symmetrically placed chimneys. There was a post and rail fence to Windsor Road, which has been recently replaced.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The remains of the outbuildings need to be carefully assessed, and their locations interpreted. The site has some archaeological potential. The house is in generally poor condition and in need of maintenance.
	Date condition updated:04 Mar 99
Modifications and dates:	With no documentary evidence, it is difficult to assess: 1890's-1940s: five roomed residence (four main rooms and attached kitchen wing). Some outbuildings 1890s. 1940s-1980s: a series of additions in a substantial manner to modernise the house. Some outbuildings demolished. 1980s-present: remainder of the outbuildings demolished.
Further information:	Graham Edds & Associates' Heritage Assessment notes that : "The cultural significance of 'Mungerie House' is difficult to assess as nearly all of the evidence of the property's use has been destroyed with the removal of farm outbuildings and other associated evidence."


Current use:	Vacant
Former use:	Farm/Residential

History

Historical notes:

The area that Mungerie house is sited on forms part of the land that was granted to Edward Robinson on 18 October 1809 (Portion 85 - 32ha/80 acres). When Robinson died in 1820, his 15 year old son, Edward, inherted the property.

After Edward Jnr's marriage in 1827, he sold the property in 1828 to Jonas Bradley, who had already acquired portions 83 and 84, as well as Merrivale on the south side of Windsor Road. H.F. White's 1827 survey map of Windsor Road showed no house on portion 85, therefore it is thought up to that time the property was solely used for grazing.

Prior to 1852, Bradley also acquired portion 82, completing a regular estate. He sold the estate in 1852 to Elias Pearson Laycock, who sold the estate to Robert Pearce in 1866. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Pearce family were prominent landholders and orchardists in the area. Pearce's son bought the property in 1895, and sold it in 1914 to Paul Gore Ormsby, who held onto it for two days before conveying it to William Cope. In 1915 the property was sold to Charles Baker. As Baker has been described as a grazier, it is assumed that any orchards on the site did not survive past his occupancy.

There is no clear evidence for the existence of the house prior to Baker. It is assumed by Prof I Jack that it was built during the ownership of Pearce between 1866 and 1895, as this is consistent with the fabric of the house, although the style and layout of the cottage are more consistent with the 1860's and 1870's than the 1890's.

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	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Mungerie House is of historical significance as an example of a Late Georgian/ Early Victorian five room rural house. The property has further significance through its association with the Pearce Family descendancy, most likely having been built for the fourth generation son, Robert Pearce Jnr. The Pearce family were one of the more prominent families associated with the development of the Rouse Hill area. The property was initially used as a sheep breeding farm, then for orcharding and later as a grazing property, which typifies the changing patterns of land use in the area.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Mungerie House has aesthetic significance as an example of a Late Georgian/ Early Victorian rural house, located on a prominent knoll overlooking Windsor Road. This depicts what was once the typical form of development along Windsor Road in the Rouse Hill area.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Mungerie House has social significance as a remnant of an unpretentious simple farming complex established by a little known fourth generation Pearce family member. It has further significance for its association with the broader Pearce family who were major landholders in the area.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	Mungerie House has technical/research significance as a relatively intact Late Georgian/ Early Victorian farming house, displaying elements from all periods of development/use. The site has potential for displaying below ground artifacts.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	n/a
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The house is representative of farm houses that were once more common through out the area on the major properties.
Integrity/Intactness:	With the loss of most of its outbuildings, the integrity of the house and its property is diminished.
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:

The house needs urgent repairs and works to stabilise the fabric. A careful assessment of all its fabric is needed as part of a conservation plan. No intervention to the fabric of the site should occur until this has been done, with the exception of stabilisation and repair. The grounds are overgrown and need attention to keep vegetation away from the house. Its integration into Mungerie Park town centre needs to be carefully managed, otherwise the remaining significance of the property may be severely compromised.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register		3490011	01 Aug 99

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Baulkham Hills Heritage Study 1993-1994	1994	189	Graham Edds and Associates	G Edds	No
North West Sector Study		Not Known	NSW Department of Environment and Planning	Not Known	No
s.170 Register DUAP	1999		Paul Davies Pty Ltd		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written
Written

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:	State Government
Database number:	3490011

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