Simmons Hardware Store

Item details


Name of item:	Simmons Hardware Store
Other name/s:	Peter O'Hara's General Store, Simmons Store
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Retail and Wholesale
Category:	Shop
Location:	Lat: -33.6077257476 Long: 150.8195928520
Primary address:	226 George Street, Windsor, NSW 2756
Parish:	St Matthew
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Hawkesbury
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Deerubbin

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	12		DP	1159754

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
226 George Street	Windsor	Hawkesbury	St Matthew	Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private

Description


Physical description:	Early Victorian two storey commercial streetscape building constructed of sandstock brick in the mid-19th century. Gable end walls leading to prominent chimneys, symmetrical at front with a single storey street verandah/awning supported by cantilevered steel pipe brackets off the wall and with timber posts (probably non-load-bearing). Below this verandah the walls have been cement-rendered, with ashlar markings, providing a marked change in appearance, together with two timber framed shopfront picture windows and central doorway. The remainder of the street facade has three 12-pane windows along its second storey (Graham Edds & Associates, 2015, 2-3). To the rear is an attached 'L' shaped skillion roof building linked to the ground floor rooms. The ground floor has a side entrance leading to the first floor staircase and office accommodation. The resultant external character of the original sandstock brick building has been changed by it being painted entirely (ibid, 2015, 3). Rebuilt in 1874 after the great fire that ravaged Windsor during 1874. Evidence of painted historic advertising signage is readily evident within the upper south-facing gable wall with the word 'Castrol' showing through the painted layers in a curved format (ibid, 2015, 3). Although the detail of the building has undergone fabric manipulation and change over the 140 years it remains externally a surviving example of an early Victorian shop in an evolving streetscape (ibid, 2015, 3).
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Although the detail of the building has undergone fabric manipulation and change over the 140 years it remains externally a surviving example of an early Victorian shop in an evolving streetscape (Graham Edds & Associates, 2014, 1, 3).
	Date condition updated:02 Apr 15
Modifications and dates:	1874 burnt and shortly after reconstructed - all but the brick walls had gone.


Current use:	Residential and Commercial Precinct
Former use:	Residential and Commercial Precinct

History

Historical notes:

INDIGENOUS OCCUPATION
The lower Hawkesbury was home to the Dharug people. The proximity to the Nepean River and South Creek qualifies it as a key area for food resources for indigenous groups (Proudfoot, 1987).
The Dharug and Darkinjung people called the river Deerubbin and it was a vital source of food and transport (Nichols, 2010).

NON-INDIGENOUS OCCUPATION
Governor Arthur Phillip explored the local area in search of suitable agricultural land in 1789 and discovered and named the Hawkesbury River after Baron Hawkesbury. This region played a significant role in the early development of the colony with European settlers established here by 1794. Situated on fertile floodplains and well known for its abundant agriculture, Green Hills (as it was originally called) supported the colony through desperate times. However, frequent flooding meant that the farmers along the riverbanks were often ruined.

1794: The study area covering allotments at 23 through to 39 North Street, Windsor, is located on land first alienated for European purposes in a grant made by Francis Grose of thirty acres to Samuel Wilcox, who named it Wilcox Farm. It is likely that land clearance and agricultural activities as well as some building works took place during this period and during the subsequent of occupation;

In the early 19th century: Former Wilcox Farm was incorporated into a larger holding of 1500 acres known as Peninsula Farm.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie replaced Governor Bligh, taking up duty on 1/1/1810. Under his influence the colony propsered. His vision was for a free community, working in conjunction with the penal colony. He implemented an unrivalled public works program, completing 265 public buildings, establishing new public amenities and improving existing services such as roads. Under his leadership Hawkesbury district thrived. He visited the district on his first tour and recorded in his journal on 6/12/1810: 'After dinner I chrestened the new townships...I gave the name of Windsor to the town intended to be erected in the district of the Green Hills...the township in the Richmond district I have named Richmond...' the district reminded Macquarie of those towns in England, whilst Castlereagh, Pitt Town and Wilberforce were named after English statesmen. These are often referred to as Macquarie's Five Towns. Their localities, chiefly Windsor and Richmond, became more permanent with streets, town square and public buildings.

Macquarie also appointed local men in positions of authority. In 1810 a group of settlers sent a letter to him congratulating him on his leadership and improvements. It was published in the Sydney Gazette with his reply. He was 'much pleased with the sentiments' of the letter and assured them that the Haweksbury would 'always be an object of the greatest interest' to him (Nichols, 2010).

In marking out the towns of Windsor and Richmond in 1810, Governor Macquarie was acting on instructions from London. All of the Governors who held office between 1789 and 1822, from Phillip to Brisbane, recieved the same Letter of Instruction regarding the disposal of the 'waste lands of the Crown' that Britain claimed as her own. This included directives for the formation of towns and thus the extension of British civilisation to its Antipodean outpost (Proudfoot 1987, 7-9).

226 George Street, fmr. Simmons Store:
226 George Street was a commercial streetscape building constructed in the mid-19th century that weathered the great fire that ravaged Windsor during 1874. This engulfed the subject building (then known as Peter O'Hara's General Store) where the packing straw for O'Hara's goods of tin, earthenware and china was quickly fanned into flames, believed to have destroyed all but the brick walls. A new store, or rebuiding of the earlier store, was completed shortly after. The 1880s photograph of the O'Hara's General Store is testament to this. Although the detail of the building has undergone fabric manipulation and change over the 140 years it remains externally a surviving example of an early Victorian shop in an evolving streetscape (Graham Edds & Associates, 2015, 1-3).

Windsor Heritage Properties P/L recently purchased 226 George Street, from which to run their Windsor-based accounting business. The property was bought from the 'Arabian Horse Society of Australia' P/L in early 2015. During the Arabian Horse Society's ownership a new single storey storage outbuilding was built in the rear yard and was subject to an archaeological monitoring report by Siobhan Lavelle, c.1999-2000. Also the front facade had been changed from a suspended flat awning to a concave verandah with timber posts as recommended within the Windsor Streetscape Study 1986, prepared by Noel Bell Ridley Smith and Partners (ibid, 2015, 1).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Selling Furniture-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Developing Commercial Enterprise-
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 tourist-
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	Demonstrating Governor Macquarie's town and landscape planning-
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	Townships-
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	(none)-
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	Early Sydney Street-
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	Macquarie's town layout-
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 suburban developments-
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	Developing towns in response to topography-
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	Indicators of early town planning and the disposition of people within the emerging settlement-
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	Commercial store, shop-

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	general maintenance Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): (1) The maintenance of any building or item on the site where maintenance means the continuous protective care of existing material; and (2) Garden maintenance including cultivation, pruning, weed control, the repair and maintenance of existing fences, gates and garden walls and also including tree surgery, but not extensive lopping;	Jul 31 1987
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	See File For Schedule Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): (1) The maintenance of any building or item on the site where maintenance means the continuous protective care of existing material. (2) Garden maintenance including cultivation, pruning, weed control, the repair and maintenance of existing fences, gates and garden walls, tree surgery but not extensive lopping. (3) Development not exceeding two storeys in height and not within 17 metres of the George Street boundary of the land.	Apr 28 1989
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 Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00667	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00667	28 Apr 89	052	2573

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Tourism		2007	Thompson Square Conservation Area	View detail
Tourism	Attraction Homepage	2007	Thompson Square Conservation Area	View detail
Written	Graham Edds & Associates	2015	Statement of Heritage Impact for Repairs & Maintenance incl. External Painting & Window Signage - 226 George Street, Windsor 2756
Written	Nichols, Michelle (Local Studies Librarian)	2010	Macquarie and the Hawkesbury District

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:	5045214
File number:	EF14/4724; S90/1393; HC87 1906

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