The Barn - Scout Hall

Item details


Name of item:	The Barn - Scout Hall
Other name/s:	Whaling Station
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Community Facilities
Category:	Hall Girl Guide/ Scout
Location:	Lat: -33.8371099925 Long: 151.2333563460
Primary address:	3a Avenue Road, Mosman, NSW 2088
Parish:	Willoughby
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Mosman
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Metropolitan

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	1		DP	929358

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
3a Avenue Road	Mosman	Mosman	Willoughby	Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
The Scout Association of Australia NSW Branch 1st Mosman 1908 Scout Troop	Community Group

Statement of significance:


	Associated with Archibald Mosman, after whom the suburb was named, "The Barn" is believed to be the oldest stone building surviving in the lower North Shore and Sydney's only remaining maritime industrial structure dating from the early Colonial period.
	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:	Archibald Mosman
Physical description:	The Barn: A two-storey building with a symmetrical front addressing Avenue Road. It has walls of narrow-coursed squared sandstone rubble with more substantial quoin stones, some window dressings and lintels, and basework. There is evidence in the hen-pecked sandstone block finish of former lime-wash finish. The lintel over the wide main doorway appears to be concrete and there is a metal-barred toplight above the transom of the timber double doors. The gabled roof is covered with slates. Windows are fairly small and have casement sashes. There is a narrow rear entrance on the eastern (rear) side, where the site has been cut into the rockface, and here there is also a narrow skillion appendage with a brick chimney, and a concrete slab. Beside the main doors there is a stone base bearing a plaque dedicated in 1981, on which the significance of the building is briefly set out. In front of the building are rare, mature African yellow wood/ plum pine trees (Afrocarpus falcatus (syn.Nageia falcata) which are fine old trees in their own right. These do, by their size and density of canopy, detract visually from an appreciation of Mosman's oldest building (Stuart Read, pers.comm., 3/9/9).
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Simplified Colonial Georgian Style
	Date condition updated:08 Mar 04
Modifications and dates:	Pre 1831: The area is also significant for 'Tarpot's Cave' an Aboriginal heritage- listed cave, directly behind the Barn in the middle of the cliff face. 1831 Erected as a storehouse, part of Mosman's grand scheme for centralising whaling ship servicing. The station was made up of a stone wharf and five strong stone buildings, including the barn, a large storehouse and quarters for the ships' officers and crew. Only one, the barn, remains today. 1925 Purchased by scouting parents for use by the first Mosman 1908 Scout Troop as their headquarters. 2002 Wild weather severely damaged its roof. The entire site was then declared dangerous due to mud and rock slides from the nearby cliff, resulting in the temporary removal of the scout group. 2007-8: Restored, cliff face stabilised, reopened to community use and Scout group (DEWHA 2008:22).


Current use:	scout hall, community facility
Former use:	whaling boat servicing facility

History

Historical notes:

Mosman Bay had been explored by Captain John Hunter as early as 1789. He mentions the bay as Careening Cove, and Charles Grimes, an early surveyor, notes it as such on his map of 1796, apparently because HMS Sirius was careened in the bay in 1789. In following years the bay's name varied. A survey by Roe in 1822 marked it as Careening Cove, but a map by Cross in 1825 called it Sirius Cove. A grant made in the area was called 'land at Great Sirius Cove' while the parish map of 1871 registers the name Great and Little Sirius Cove. It became a popular picnic area in the 1920s. Careening Cove now applies to the inlet east of Kirribilli (Pollan, 1988, 180).

The Barn was erected by Archibald Mosman in 1831 as a storehouse for his whaling business. Called "The Barn" in earlier times, it is thought to be the oldest stone building surviving in the lower North Shore and is claimed to be "the last maritime industrial structure remaining in Sydney dating from the early Colonial period".

Archibald Mosman (1799-1863) and his twin brother George arrived in Sydney in 1828. In 1831 they moved to a 4 acre grant in this area and became engaged in the shipping and whaling industries, using as headquarters a deep, sheltered bay on the north side of the harbour, which became known as Mosman's Bay. Brother George soon took up grazing, but Archibald continued with his whaling activities. (Pollan, 1988, 180).

It was part of Mosman's grand scheme for centralising whaling ship servicing. The station was made up of a stone wharf and five strong stone buildings, including the barn, a large storehouse and quarters for the ships' officers and crew.

The area is also significant for 'Tarpot's Cave' an Aboriginal heritage- listed cave, directly behind the Barn in the middle of the cliff face (DEWHA, 2008, 22).

By 1838 when Mosman owned 108 acres along the local waterfront, he decided to sell his whaling interests and retire to a country property near Glen Innes. On his death in Randwick in 1863 he was buried at St. Jude's cemetery, Randwick, in a grave now maintained by Mosman Council (Pollan, 1988, 180).

The Barn has since had a range of uses, including being the site of the first meeting that led to the formation of the Mosman Municipal Council, a roller skating rink and other uses.

The Barn was saved from property developers in 1925 when it was purchased by scouting parents for use by the first Mosman 1908 Scout Troop. It was used as their headquarters until 2002 when wild weather severely damaged its roof. The entire site was then declared dangerous due to mud and rock slides from the nearby cliff, resulting in the temporary removal of the scouts.

Recognising the historic significance of their Scout Hall, the group embarked on a successful 6 year campaign to restore and conserve the Barn. This began with a 5 year fundraising campaign that raised almost one million dollars. Godden Mackay Logan heritage consultants sponsored the project, preparing a conservation management plan to enable the Scouts to apply for heritage funding.

The major risk to the Barn was an unstable cliff behind the building which threatened to come down, possibly bringing with it a block of home units on top. Only after stabilising the cliff face and restoring the building were the Scouts able to return home. The Barn is now viewed by the local community as the heart of Mosman, a valued community facility and home to the resident Scout group. (DEWHA, 2008, 22).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
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 passive recreation-
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	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes of industrial production-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Fishing-Activities associated with gathering, producing, distributing, and consuming resources from aquatic environments useful to humans.	Facility for servicing ships-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Fishing-Activities associated with gathering, producing, distributing, and consuming resources from aquatic environments useful to humans.	Whaling and sealing for commercial gain-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working on the waterfront-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Developing local clubs and meeting places-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	Scouting movement and facilities-

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
CMP-Comment	Conservation Plan submitted for comment	The Barn, Mosman, Conservation Management Plan, prepared by Godden Mackay Logan for 1st Mosman 1908 Scout Troop, dated June 2005	CMP endorsed by the Heritage Council 8 August 2005 for a period of five years, expires 8 August 2010.	Aug 8 2005
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	00188	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former	00188	08 Jan 82	3	0053
Local Environmental Plan		03 Jan 92
Register of the National Estate		18 Sep 89

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts (DEWHA)	2008	Mosman Scouts recognised for restoration success
Written	Pollan, Francis (ed.)	1988	Mosman, suburb entry in 'The Book of Sydney Suburbs'

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:	5045118
File number:	S90/05800 & HC 32501

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