Building, outbuildings, grounds, trees (under consideration: amendment)

Item details


Name of item:	Building, outbuildings, grounds, trees (under consideration: amendment)
Type of item:	Complex / Group
Group/Collection:	Residential buildings (private)
Category:	Other - Residential Buildings (private)
Location:	Lat: -33.5975866887 Long: 150.7462007160
Primary address:	49 - 51 Bosworth Street, Richmond, NSW 2753
Parish:	Ham Common
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
PART LOT	B		DP	153561

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
49 - 51 Bosworth Street	Richmond	Hawkesbury	Ham Common	Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private

Statement of significance:


	The New Inn building may have State historic, associative, aesthetic, research potential, rarity and representative values. It is a reasonably intact example of a 'brick nog' town residence built for letting prior to 1827 in a time of prosperity, and used over time as a hotel, store and dwelling. It is one of few surviving examples of this type of construction from the early colonial period. It represents a more substantial construction than the crude dwellings initially built in the town. Its historic associations with Isaac Cornwell, Richmond citizen and entrepreneur, builder and brick maker, who represents the relative 1820s and 1830s success sometimes achieved by native-born children of convicts. It passed through several generations of his family until 1945. The New Inn building may have State aesthetic and representative significance as demonstrating the characteristics of a modest but substantial colonial Georgian town residence from the early 19th century, including its 'brick nog' construction, several mature trees and its setting on the western approach into historic Richmond. The building and its site may have State significant archaeological potential and rarity values associated with its long history, evidence of design, construction techniques and materials. It is a rare surviving example of brick nog construction and of early residences built by emancipists, free settlers and their families in the Hawkesbury district, a type now almost unique to its Macquarie towns.
	Date significance updated: 13 Oct 10
	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


Construction years:	1827-1927
Physical description:	Early nineteenth century building now used as motel manager's residence (Mottram, 2002) c1927 oldest part (Graham Edds, pers.comm., 20/12/2010)
Modifications and dates:	The house dates from the 1830s and was built in a number of stages. Initially a four room structure with a front verandah, it was expanded in the 1830s to include an additional three rooms to the south and a rear kitchen. Later unsympathetic additions to the south and rear of the main dwelling have since been removed. The building has been used as a hotel, store and private dwelling. The property was adapted for use as a motel in 1995. It is currently used as a manger's residence for the motel at the rear of the property. (Mottram, 2002)

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.

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).

49-51 Bosworth Street:
The earliest plan layout of this building conforms to Governor Macquarie's criteria for early housing in the Macquarie Towns (above the level of, and because of, the Hawkesbury River's irregular floods)(Edds, pers.comm., 23/12/2010).

The house dates from the 1830s and was built in a number of stages. Initially a four room structure with a front verandah, it was expanded in the 1830s to include an additional three rooms to the south and a rear kitchen. Later unsympathetic additions to the south and rear of the main dwelling have since been removed.

The building has been used as a hotel, store and private dwelling. The property was adapted for use as a motel in 1995. It is currently used as a manger's residence for the motel at the rear of the property (Mottram 2002).

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	Innkeeping-
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)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The New Inn building at 49-51 Bosworth Street Richmond may have State historic significance as a reasonably intact, early 'brick nog' building, one of few surviving examples of this style of historic building construction. It appears to have been built prior to 1827, making it a rare surviving building of any kind from the early colonial period in NSW. The New Inn shows evidence of aspects of Georgian design and construction techniques including: Early sandstock bricks with clay mortar; Original split hardwood rafters and joists; Original shingle clad hip roof within roof space. It is a modest building constructed with robust materials which have withstood the test of time, evidencing the prosperity which could be experienced by second generation children of convicts in the early 19th century. Its intact street presentation contributes to the historic character of the Hawkesbury district - one of the earliest sites of British colonisation in Australia.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	The New Inn at 49-51 Bosworth Street Richmond may have State historical significance for its associations with Isaac Cornwell, an early citizen of Richmond, who in 1840 was formally granted the land on which he had already constructed this building. The association with Cornwell is significant for representing the relative success sometimes enjoyed by native-born children of migrant convicts. Cornwell was known as a builder and maker of bricks in the district and was responsible for the construction of multiple dwellings and commercial premises throughout Richmond during the colonial era. The property passed through three or four generations of Cornwell’s family before being sold in 1945. Its many similarities to Bowman Cottage at 368-370 Windsor Street Richmond [SHR 00468] gives it potential further significance for historical associations with comparable designers and builders.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The New Inn at 49-51 Bosworth Street Richmond may have State aesthetic significance as it reflects an authentic demonstration of the characteristics of a modest, colonial, Georgian house, dating from the early 19th century. These include a (nearly) symmetrical façade with a “low brow” over its front verandah, rare surviving vernacular “brick nog” building construction and several mature trees. It was built with little decoration but with sturdy materials which have withstood nearly two hundred years of occupation. The New Inn building it retains its original appearance of simplicity and functionality as well as its landmark setting on the western approach into the historic town of Richmond.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The New Inn at 49-51 Bosworth Street Richmond may have State significance for the archaeological potential associated with its long colonial history. Its many similarities to Bowman Cottage at 368-370 Windsor Street Richmond (SHR 00468) increases its potential for providing evidence of design and construction techniques utilised within a small network of very early colonial structures in NSW. It also has state level research potential for providing information about brick nog construction techniques, of which only a small number of known examples remain in NSW.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The New Inn at 49-51 Bosworth Street Richmond may have State significance as a rare surviving example of 'brick nog' construction and of Georgian vernacular design and building fabric dating from the early 19th century. As a vernacular colonial building the New Inn building provides physical evidence that enhances the very limited descriptions in the records and makes it important for its contribution to the knowledge of variability and construction details. It is also rare as a surviving example of the early residences built by emancipists, free settlers and their families in the Hawkesbury district, as a type which is now almost unique to the Macquarie towns of the district.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The New Inn at 49-51 Bosworth Street Richmond may have State representative significance as it demonstrates the characteristic elements of early 19th century town buildings, construction techniques and building materials in NSW. As a later example of the same architectural style as Bowman Cottage at 368-370 Windsor Street Richmond (SHR 00468), it offers a valuable and meaningful comparison, demonstrating both the evolution and continuation of building techniques.
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.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): (a) the change of use of any building on the site; (b) the maintenance of any building or item on the site, where maintenance means the continuous protective care of the existing fabric, but excluding renovation, major repairs, restoration or repainting; (c)conservation and restoration works carried out in accordance with a conservation plan approved by the Heritage Council of New South Wales; (d) garden maintenance, but not extensive lopping of trees.	Apr 7 1992
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	00753	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former	00753	07 Apr 92	44	2554
Heritage Act - s.130 Order - Lapsed		09 Apr 81
Heritage Act - s.130 Order - Revoked		30 Mar 90	44
Local Environmental Plan		18 Dec 89

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	Edds, Graham (personal communication, 23/12/2010)	2010	NSW's earliest houses - email string via NSW Heritage Advisers
Written	Graham Edds & Associates	1990	Building at 49 - 51 Bosworth Street Richmond, Conservation Management Plan
Written	Hawkesbury City Council	2001	Statement of Heritage Impact - The New Inn Motel
Written	Mottram, Gillian	2002	Delegated Decision for Principal Heritage Officer's Signature
Written	Nichols, Michelle (Local Studies Librarian)	2010	Macquarie & the Hawkesbury District (in Calendar)

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:	5045534
File number:	S91/01010/001

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