Lands Board Office

Item details


Name of item:	Lands Board Office
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Government and Administration
Category:	Other - Government & Administration
Location:	Lat: -30.5141413325 Long: 151.6667709450
Primary address:	108 Faulkner Street, Armidale, NSW 2350
Parish:	Armidale
County:	Sandon
Local govt. area:	Armidale Regional
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Armidale

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
PART LOT	1		DP	1198874

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
108 Faulkner Street	Armidale	Armidale Regional	Armidale	Sandon	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Department of Planning and Environment	State Government	30 Oct 98

Statement of significance:


	The building is a superbly crafted and designed Victorian public building. It is surrounded by others of the same period of town growth such as the Armidale Folk Museum, the Imperial Hotel and the Post Office, forming part of the Armidale Conservation Area. (DLWC S170 Register)
	Date significance updated: 06 Dec 00
	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:	James Barnet
Construction years:	1887-1887
Physical description:	The building is an impressive two storey Victorian public building built of face brickwork laid in English bond. It is surrounded by an elaborate and elegant verandah with corrugated steel roofing to balcony over. The balustrading and columns are of cast iron with curved timber roof forms and trussed balcony beams. Six tall chimneys dominate the simple corrugated iron (originally slate) roof form with ridge roof vents. (DLWC S170 Register)
Modifications and dates:	The building was renovated in 1974-5. The slate roof was replaced with corrugated steel in 1975. (DLWC S170 Register)


Current use:	Department of Lands office
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot

History

Historical notes:

The Armidale Lands Office was built in 1887 to a design from the Office of Colonial Architect, James Barnet (DLWC, s.170 register).

James Johnstone Barnet (1827-1904) was made acting Colonial Architect in 1862 and appointed Colonial Architect from 1865-90. He was born in Scotland and studied in London under Charles Richardson, RIBA and William Dyce, Professor of Fine Arts at King's College, London. He was strongly influenced by Charles Robert Cockerell, leading classical theorist at the time and by the fine arts, particularly works of painters Claude Lorrain and JRM Turner. He arrived in Sydney in 1854 and worked as a self-employed builder. He served as Edmund Blacket's clerk of works on the foundations of the Randwick (Destitute Childrens') Asylum. Blacket then appointed Barnet as clerk-of-works on the Great Hall at Sydney University. By 1859 he was appointed second clerk of works at the Colonial Architect's Office and in 1861 was Acting Colonial Architect. Thus began a long career. He dominated public architecture in NSW, as the longest-serving Colonial Architect in Australian history. Until he resigned in 1890 his office undertook some 12,000 works, Barnet himself designing almost 1000. They included those edifices so vital to promoting communication, the law and safe sea arrivals in colonial Australia. Altogether there were 169 post and telegraph offices, 130 courthouses, 155 police buildings, 110 lockups and 20 lighthouses, including the present Macquarie Lighthouse on South Head, which replaced the earlier one designed by Francis Greenway. Barnet's vision for Sydney is most clearly seen in the Customs House at Circular Quay, the General Post Office in Martin Place and the Lands Department and Colonial Secretary's Office in Bridge Street. There he applied the classicism he had absorbed in London, with a theatricality which came from his knowledge of art (Le Sueur, 2016, 6).

The establishment of the Lands Office for New England district after the new Lands Act of 1884 was controversial. On the recommendation of Lands Minister, J.S. Farnell, a new Lands Office was set up in Glen Innes in January 1885. As a great proportion of the cases that the Land Board was handling were from the Armidale and Walcha districts, far from Glen Innes, petitions were presented and public meetings called to relocate the Land Office. Following a review in 1886, it was announced that the Lands Office would open in Armidale on 1 February 1887 (DLWC S170 Register)

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Changing the environment-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes of institutions - productive and ornamental-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Events-Activities and processes that mark the consequences of natural and cultural occurences	Developing local landmarks-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Victorian era offices-
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	Administering and alienating Crown lands-
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	Changing land uses - from rural to suburban-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Beautifying towns and villages-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th Century Infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Creating landmark structures and places in regional settings-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working on the land-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working in offices-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working on public infrastructure projects-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working in the public service-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	State government-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - administration of land-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - conserving cultural and natural heritage-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - building and operating public infrastructure-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with James Barnet, Colonial (Government) Architect 1862-90-

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
CMP-Endorse	Conservation Plan submitted for endorsement	Conservation Plan		Mar 19 1998
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register	00963	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - s.130 Order		28 May 82	074
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register
Local Environmental Plan		23 Sep 88
Local Environmental Plan		30 Nov 90
Local Environmental Plan	1988	20 Mar 92	038	1903
Register of the National Estate		21 Mar 78

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Land & Water Conservation Section 170 Register	1995	54049	Heritage Group: State Projects		No
Land & Water Conservation Section 170 Register	1995		Heritage Group: State Projects		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Tourism		2007	Armitage Heritage Walk	View detail
Tourism	Attraction Homepage	2007	Armidale Heritage Walk	View detail
Written	Le Sueur, Angela	2016	Colonial Architects - part 2

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:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5045068
File number:	H00/00369; S95/00332 [S170]

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