Tenterfield Post Office & Quarters

Item details


Name of item:	Tenterfield Post Office & Quarters
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Postal and Telecommunications
Category:	Post Office
Location:	Lat: -29.0552421121 Long: 152.0191176320
Primary address:	225 Rouse Street, Tenterfield, NSW 2372
Parish:	Tenterfield
County:	Clive
Local govt. area:	Tenterfield
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Moombahlene

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	1		DP	776480

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
225 Rouse Street	Tenterfield	Tenterfield	Tenterfield	Clive	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private

Statement of significance:


	The Tenterfield Post Office and Quarters is important at the State level as a substanital Italianate public building with corner tower, representative of the work of the Colonial Architect's Office under the direction of James Barnet. Its picturesque massing and French Second Empire influence are important elements the, design of the tower roof comparing with Forbes (1881). It is one of the grandest and most prominent buildings in Tenterfield and an intrinsic part of the towns social history. It forms part of a group which includes the School of Arts, a hotel and several shops (Australia Post Historic Properties Survey - NSW.)
	Date significance updated: 10 Dec 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:	NSW Colonial Architect's Office under James Barnet
Builder/Maker:	T & J McGuaran, later TA Lewis.
Construction years:	1881-
Physical description:	A two-storey stuccoed Italianate post office with single-storey parapeted colonnade and three-storey clock tower with French Second Empire mansard roof. The colonnade has arched openings with drip moulds and rendered keystones, and the parapet has a deep entablature with detil moulding. A front extension continues the theme of the colonnade, but in a more austere manner. The upper floor windows are segmentally arched, with a deep string course, and there are paired brackets to the eaves of the hipped corrugated iron roof. The clock tower has Tuscan corner pilasters to the third level and features clock faces to all sides. The steep mansard roof has a widow's walk with cast iron balustrade, and large ocular vents to each face. The Quarters are entered from the side street through a skillion-roofed timber verandah with paired posts. (Australia Post Historic Properties Survey - NSW.)
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Physical condition is good.
	Date condition updated:01 Dec 99
Modifications and dates:	Extensive repars were carried out in 1894-1895. The date of the addition to the Rouse Street facade is not known.


Current use:	Post Office
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot

History

Historical notes:

The first official postal in Tenterfield was established on 1 January 1849, and has been operated by numerous people in a variety of premises since that time. The significance of Tenterfield in the post and telegraph system was limited, however, until 1861 when it was established as the last repeating station between Sydney and Brisbane. In 1876 tenders were called for construction of a new building adjacent to the then Post and Telegraph Office. However, this appears to have been abandoned and the present site purchased instead, with fresh tenders called in 1878. The building was not opened until 1881 and the clock was completed in 1891-92 (Tenterfield Main Street Heritage Study).

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).

Extensive repairs were carried out in 1894-1895. (Tenterfield Main Street Heritage Study.)

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	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	Post Office-
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	Communication-Activities relating to the creation and conveyance of information	Communicating by telegraph-
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-
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-
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-
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-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Significant as the last repeating station in the post and telegraph system between Sydney and Brisbane (established in 1861). Representative of the work of James Barnet, Colonial Architect.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The Tenterfield Post Office and Quarters is a substantial Victorian Italianate building with some Second Empire style elements. It is one of the grandest buildings in Tenterfield. The picturesque massing and corner tower have landmark qualities. The Post Office forms part of a group, which includes the School of Arts, a hotel and several shops.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	An intrinsic part of the town's social history, the Post Office is considered to be significant to the Tenterfield community's sense of place.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The site has the potential to contain an archaeological resource, which may provide information relating to the previous use of the site, and to the use by the Post Office.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Not assessed as being rare.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The Tenterfield Post Office and Quarters is representative of the Victorian Italianate and Second Empire styles. It is also representative of the work of Colonial Architect James Barnet. Representative of the group of NSW post offices.
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:


	Preparation of a Conservation Management Plan.

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
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) OF THE HERITAGE ACT 1977 Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977. I, the Hon James Griffin MP, Minister for Environment and Heritage, pursuant to subsection 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales do by this Order, effective at the time of publication in the New South Wales Government Gazette: 1. revoke the order made on 9 November 2020 and published in the Government Gazette Number 318 of 13 November 2020; and 2. grant the exemptions from subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 that are described in the attached Schedule. The Hon James Griffin MP Minister for Environment and Heritage Signed this 2nd day of June 2022. To view the standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 click on the link below.	Jun 17 2022

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	01315	17 Dec 99	141	12048
Local Environmental Plan		03 May 96
National Trust of Australia register
Register of the National Estate		21 Mar 78

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Significant Landscapes List			Australian Institute of Landscape Archictects (NSW)		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Suters Architects	1997	Tenterfield Main Street Heritage Study

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:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5045102

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

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