Wyoming Cottage

Item details

Name of item: Wyoming Cottage
Type of item: Built
Group/Collection: Residential buildings (private)
Category: Cottage
Location: Lat: -33.4019617419 Long: 151.3499464830
Primary address: Pacific Highway, Wyoming, NSW 2250
Parish: Gosford
County: Northumberland
Local govt. area: Central Coast
Local Aboriginal Land Council: Darkinjung
Property description
Lot/Volume CodeLot/Volume NumberSection NumberPlan/Folio CodePlan/Folio Number
LOT1 DP20870
All addresses
Street AddressSuburb/townLGAParishCountyType
Pacific HighwayWyomingCentral CoastGosfordNorthumberlandPrimary Address
Wyoming RoadWyomingCentral CoastGosfordNorthumberlandAlternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation NameOwner CategoryDate Ownership Updated
 Private30 Mar 99

Statement of significance:

Wyoming Cottage is one of the relatively few remaining buildings known to have been designed by the eminent architect, John Verge. It was the country residence designed for Frederick Augustus Hely, Principal Superintendent of Convicts for the Colony of New South Wales, an important man in the early history of the colony and a pioneer in the Gosford district. It has survived as an example of the house of a wealthy early settler of the district. (Branch Managers Report to the Heritage Council 2/11/1981)
Date significance updated: 03 Oct 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: John Verge
Construction years: 1832-1837
Physical description: Site:
The house stands on a corner site on the Pacific Highway from which it is visible, it is enhanced by mature trees including two magnificent mature Bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii), one mature hoop pine (A.cunninghamii) and a mature Norfolk Island (A.heterophylla) pine, jacaranda (J.mimosifolia) and Moreton Bay fig (Ficus marcophylla) (Branch Managers Report to the Heritage Council 2/11/1981).

House:
The original section of this Colonial bungalow is of sandstock bricks finished with stucco. Timber extensions (c1900) have pressed metal ceilings and incorporate a side entrance with barrel vaulted roof in corrugated iron. As tone entrance at the rear is of more recent date but the stone extension blocks are from demolished building(s) on the Hely property. A galvanised roof has replaced the original shingles. The original section has an impressive archway in the entrance hall. An enclosure on the western side verandah is unsympathetic (ibid, 1981)
Current use: Residence
Former use: Aboriginal land, farm, country residence

History

Historical notes: Frederick Augustus Hely was Principal Superintendent of Convicts from 1823 until his death in 1836. He was appointed by the Earl of Bathurst in January 1823 and arrived in the Colony later that year with his wife and three children. As head of the Convict Department he was stationed in Sydney but hoped to settle at Brisbane Water where he obtained a large grant of land. He had a land grant at 'Narara', Brisbane Waters and built a house called 'Wyoming' there as well as timber-getting, as (red) cedar was exported in large quantities to Europe, he developed a citrus orchard in an area still famous for its orange groves (Crittenden, 1992, 97).

Wyoming Farm and 'The Grange':
Part of an elaborate farm complex designed on the property of the Superintendent of Convicts, Frederick Augustus Hely. The complex consisted of a homestead "Wyoming", stables and a guard house which no longer remains (LEP, 2014).

By 1825 Hely had established a farm called Wyoming in the Narara Valley. Hely was one of the first land owners in the district and by far the largest. With the advantages of wealth and position, his life style and work provide an important contrast to that of the small settler of which the district abounded (ibid, 1992, 97).

Hely engaged Architect John Verge to design Wyoming Cottage in 1832 but the house was not built until after Helys death in 1837 (AHC, 2010) and was finally completed in 1843 (ibid, 1992, 97).

'Wyoming' was a country house on a working property which was not very suitable for grazing. It never became a grand residence. In Sydney (Paddington) in contrast, Hely built 'Eaglehurst' (Engehurst) in Paddington, designed by John Verge, the drawings of which have survived, together with a drawing of a garden pavilion and a stable block (ibid, 1992, 97). What remains of Engehurst is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register as a surviving example of the work of Verge.

"The Grange", the second oldest building of the Central Coast, was built by assigned servants under the direction of stonemasons W & A Sidebottom, the stables display(ing) masterful masonry skills. The stone construction is dry and the pit sawn cedar is mortised. The building was originally 100 meters long with four rooms and 7-10 stables of which only 3 survive. It is believed that dungeons were built below (ibid, 2014).

Hely's assigned convict servants, William and Abraham Sidebottom, were the masons who constructed the stables. Their mark is inscribed on a stone set into the walls. Assigned servants were important to landowners such as Frederick Hely in the early colony. A source of cheap and skilled labour, the assigned servants on the Wyoming Estate at the time of the 1837 General return of Convicts numbered at least 27 persons. The average age of assigned servants on the property was 31 years (ibid, 2014).

The term 'villa' was first used in England in the 17th century, partly from the Latin and Italian 'country house, farm', perhaps derived from the stem of vicus (village). The villa was a country mansion or residence, together with a farm, farm-buildings, or other house attached, built or occupied by a person of some position and wealth. It was taken to include a country seat or estate and later a residence in the country or in the neighbourhood of a town, usually standing in its own grounds. From this is was appropriated by the middleof the 18th century to mean a residence of a superior type, in the suburbs of a town or in a residential district, such as that occupied by a person of the middle class, and also a small, better-class dwelling house, usually detached or semi-detached. The term 'villa garden' was used in the context of Hobart and Sydney residences in the 1830s, and if near the coast or harbour, the appellation 'marine villa' was often applied. Australian origins probably date from the grant conditions applied to Sydney's Woolloomooloo Hill (1827, under Governor Darling), which obligated the construction of villas fulfilling certain conditions... 'with garden like domain, and external offices for stables and domestic economy' (John Buonarotti Papworth, 1825, quoted in James Broadbent's 1997 book, 'The Australian Colonial House'). Many gardens of 19th century villas followed Gardenesque conventions, with garden ornaments often complementing the architecture of the house. The term had acquired such widespread usage by the 1850s that when Jane Loudon issued a new editiion of her husband (John Claudius Loudon)'s 'Suburban Gardener and Villa Companion' (1838) she merely entitled the revised work 'The Villa Gardener' (1850). This coincided with a growing period of suburbanisation in Australia with consequent fostering of the nursery trade... By the 1880s, descriptions of Australian villas implied sufficient room for a lawn on two or three fronts of the residence...(Aitken, 2002, 619-20).

Wyoming remained the residence of Hely family members until January 1869 and except for a brief period as a private hospital has been used as a residence since that time.

By 1841, Hovenden Hely (son of Frederick and Georgina), was managing his late father's estate at Brisbane Water. After a period in the 1840s during which he was involved in one of Ludwig Leichhardt's expeditions, Hovenden returned in 1849 to administer "Wyoming" and act as magistrate on the bench at Brisbane Water.

During the 1850s Hovenden moved into politics. He represented the Hunter River District in the first Legislative Assembly in the years 1856 and 1857.

Hovenden married in England in the late 1850s, and later returned to Brisbane Water. Financial problems began to afflict Hovenden, and eventually he was dismissed from the Bench. In 1865 he was declared bankrupt. Hovenden died at Waverton, Sydney, in 1872. His mother, Georgina Hely died in Brisbane, in 1866.

Descriptions of Wyoming in this period appear to be scarce. Timber, in the form of logs, would be cut at Wyoming, or further north along the Narara Valley, and brought by Bullock Wagon to Narara Creek. There was at least one small sawmill operating in Wyoming in this period.

The Coming of the Railway: the 1880s:
Real estate speculation was rife in the district during the 1880s. Across the Gosford District, large numbers of town and farm estates were promoted vigorously. The "Wyoming Estate" was no exception. The high level of interest in the District was driven largely by the construction of the railway line through Gosford.

The roads locally were terrible, either dustbowls in the dry or quagmires in the wet. Transport of timber by Bullock Wagon and produce by Dray was terribly slow. Railways provided faster transport for goods and people to major centres such as Newcastle and Sydney.

The real estate promoters began to get excited in 1880, when Parliament passed the 'Public Works Loans Act 1880', by which approval was granted to construct the 'Homebush to Waratah Railway' in four stages. The contract for the construction of the Gosford to Waratah section was awarded in August 1882 to Messrs Amos and Company.

Navvies lived in tent camps along the right of way the built. The main implements used to build the line were picks, shovels and horse-drawn tip drays.

The Railway opened from Newcastle to Gosford in 1887. A small station, the closest to "Wyoming", opened at Narara at this time, and consisted of a platform, and a loop goods siding. The duplication of the railway line from Gosford to Niagara Park opened in 1911.

On 21st September 1881, Hardie and Gorman held an auction of Wyoming Estate at their rooms in Pitt Street, Sydney. The advertisement published a few days before stated " This property is situated close to the proposed route of the Northern Railway, which will open up all the splendid country around Gosford." It was also anticipated that "Purchasers at Gosford may fairly anticipate the same rise in the value of the land on completion of the sanctioned railway to Newcastle, just as experience has proved in other similarly situated localities where improved communication has followed."

The subdivision map almost told the truth when it was said that Wyoming had "water and rail communication with Sydney". Narara Creek was shown with some small wharves in the vicinity of today's Wollong and Kirrawee Streets. An inscription on the map stated that the Creek was "navigable for vessels of 150 tons burthen", right up to the wharves.
This was probably correct in 1881, however when the railway causeway was built across Fagan Bay (the entrance to Narara Creek), masted vessels could not make their way into the creek. The exception to this was the small schooner "Venus", which ingeniously used a hinged mast to clear the railway bridge. Other small flat-bottomed scows were probably dragged up the Creek by a small steam launch.

The pre-causeway scene was well described in the Town and Country Journal on 23rd April 1881, (a few months prior to the auction of Wyoming):
"Here a wharf is built close to the crossing, and the stranger, riding from Gosford along this road, over several hills and valleys, is not a little surprised when he suddenly comes to a sharp turn, and sees a bowsprit of one of these vessels projecting across the road, the hull and masts hidden by the dense forest which lines the banks of the creek. To one unacquainted with the geography of Narara Creek, the sight of a vessel in such a position makes him fancy he is labouring under some ludicrous hallucination".4

Over many years Narara Creek became unsuitable for navigation, and gradually silted up.
Wyoming Estate was sold in 1887. The census of 1901 listed 12 families living in and around Wyoming. Names found at that time included Pateman, Sotzenbach, Doak, Battista, Olsen and Harris. One lady listed, Charlotte Ashby of Wyoming Bush, was a descendant of the Walkeloa Clan of the Wannugine Nation of the Guringai tribe. She was also the daughter of James Webb, first white settler of Brisbane Water. The Guringai tribe lived in the area before the coming of white settlers.

Mary Anne "Granny" Pateman was very highly regarded as a midwife. She attended births throughout the district, and she was driven around in a horse and buggy after age forced her off her horse. Mary Anne Pateman was the eldest daughter of another district midwife, Catherine Medhurst. Catherine, at her death in August 1894, was mentioned in newspaper articles as "The Oldest Sydney Native". Born on New Years Day 1799 in Backrows, Dawes Point, Sydney, Mrs Medhurst lived in the Gosford District and Wyoming for 60 years, and had 11 children.

In March 1913, a steam boiler explosion caused great destruction at Charles Tilbury Parson's sawmill, which was located near the corner of Cary Street and Henry Parry Drive. In the explosion Samuel Pateman and Ernest Higgs, both aged 20 years, died.

World War I left its mark on Wyoming, with the reported deaths of three enlistees. Irvine Fleming (Flem) Campbell was killed in action at Gallipoli in June 1915. Henry Albert Campbell died of wounds in Belgium in November 1917. Frank Goldsmith was killed in action in October 1917.

The Campbell family owned the former Hely Homestead during this period. Hugh Campbell was a former policeman turned storekeeper and publican who owned the Royal Hotel in Mann Street Gosford in the early 1880s. He died in 1915.

The 1920s-1940s:
The property ('The Grange' & 'Wyoming') was named by Catherine Sarah Granger, an owner between 1925 and 1939. The building is at present used as a house and has undergone substantial modification (ibid, 2014).

William F. Appleton, of Wyoming Street appears to have owned the first telephone in Wyoming in 1922. His phone number was 87. By 1930, the Gosford network had a grand total of six telephone subscribers in Wyoming.
The subscribers were: J.F. Dodd #87 (he owned Mr Appleton's former property); R.M. Dodington #76; A.E. Goodwin #126; T.S. McDonald, Dairyman, #102; W.H. Murray of "Hartlepool", #195; and finally A.E. Wimble of Jarrett Street, #201.

Mrs Nancy Gillies Brown (nee Haynes) was born at "Lynhales" citrus orchard in 1927. Her father, Jesse Haynes came to the valley in 1920. He purchased around 32 hectares on which he planted 4 different varieties of oranges, grapefruit, lemons and mandarins. Jesse also grew stone fruit such as peaches and plums, and a few apple and pear trees. Other crops were grown for domestic use, and a few larger ones were grown for sale at market at Gosford every Thursday. These included peas, potatoes, beans and watermelons.

Draft horses were used to pull a variety of farm vehicles and implements. Ploughs broke the earth. Pesticides were sprayed from carts equipped with spray equipment. Ripe fruit was picked and collected in tip drays. Poultry were kept as a means to fertilise the citrus trees and raise extra money. "There was very little capital from citrus" recalls Nancy.
Families recalled by Nancy Brown (nee Haynes) included the Neils' (who owned "The Grange"), Murrays' (on the corner of Renwick and Day Streets), Walshes', McSweeney, Morgan, Smalls', Whites', Griggs', McDonalds' and Sonters. "The Sonters had an apple orchard and they were the most beautiful eating apples, called "Sonter's brilliance". Mr Sonter used to sell his produce every day at Gosford. Every day he would make the journey by horse and cart.

Children had a great life in the Wyoming Valley. Cricket was a popular pastime. Picnics were common. Family sing-songs around the piano were popular. Many Wyoming children attended Narara Public School and later Gosford High School.

The valley "was a tranquil green haven", Nancy recalls. "Of late afternoon and early morning, spirals of wood smoke could be seen slowly coming from chimneys of the homes, tucked away amidst the orange trees".

Electricity did not come to Wyoming until the late 1930s. A "Gloria" petrol pressure lamp was used in the Dining Room. Other rooms relied on kerosene lamps and candlepower. Windows and doors were never locked when you went out. Few cars were seen. Most transport was by pony, or sulky and "Shanks' pony" (walking). Ruth Joyce (nee Haynes) recalls the small black bus run by the Compton family between Gosford and Ourimbah.

In the 1930s Renwick, Day and Government roads were all dirt. The Pacific Highway was redirected through Wyoming in this period.

The Depression saw many men passing through the area "humping bluey" while looking for employment.
World War II saw many local men join the forces. One Wyoming resident, Ronald Haynes, lost his life during the Fall of Singapore on 8th February 1942, on the day that 23,000 Japanese soldiers attacked.

The 1950s-60s
Wyoming Progress Association was very active during the 1950s. Local issues tackled by the Association included the poor state of local roads, kerbing and guttering, provision of playgrounds, and the lack of a public telephone at Wyoming. The telephone request was refused by the PMG because there was a public phone at Gosford, only 1 and a half miles distant.

Alan Davidson Park
One of the major needs recognised for the Wyoming area was a sports and recreation area. In 1958 Gosford Shire Council commenced negotiations with S.J. Mounser of Renwick Street to acquire land for this purpose. A local committee was appointed to oversee development of the recreation area.

By Xmas 1958 Bulldozing began on the former Mounser farm. In January 1959 a working bee of Gosford District Cricket Association members, supported by local firms, transported a large amount of Wamberal Soil to the sportsground. Playground equipment was installed, and the Narara Cricket Club constructed a shed with a council grant of Fifty Pounds.
In the late 1960s major redevelopment of the "Alan Davidson Park" took place, comprising a main sports oval (cricket & football); a secondary sports oval; a football and hockey field, amenities and car parking.

Alan Davidson, for whom the Park is named, is a famous Australian Test Cricketer. Growing up at Lisarow and Niagara Park, Alan was a Bank Clerk in Gosford when in 1948 he was invited to play cricket in Sydney. He went on to a very successful test career. In 44 Tests from 1953-1962 he took 186 wickets and made 1,358 runs.

Australian Reptile Park
Around 1950, Eric Worrell opened the Ocean Beach Aquarium at Umina. Snakes were a big attraction there, and in 1950 Worrell received a request to produce snake-venoms for the Commonwealth Serum laboratories in Melbourne.

The Umina site proved to be too small to cope with demand. In 1958, a much larger site was developed on former farmland beside the Pacific Highway at Wyoming. The Australian Reptile Park continued to develop its venom production for use in antivenins. Later, the Park began milking other venomous animals, including the funnel-web spider.
Between the 1960s and 1990s the Park grew to be arguably the most famous Central Coast tourist attraction. At its height, the Wyoming site boasted numerous reptile displays, native animals, picnic areas, walks, a steam ride-on railway, souvenir shop and restaurant.

In the mid-1990s, a decision was made to relocate the Australian Reptile Park to Somersby. Crocodiles, turtles lizards and snakes were carefully transported from Wyoming to Somersby.

"Dino" the Diplodocus (later known as "Ploddy")
A life-size Diplodocus (now known as "Ploddy) was constructed in early 1963. "Dino", built of concrete and steel, is probably the oldest "big thing" beside a road anywhere in Australia. By comparison, The "Big Banana" at Coffs Harbour was not opened until December 1964. "Dino's" name apparently derives from "Dino", the pet dinosaur in the 1960s cartoon series "The Flintstones".

When the Australian Reptile Park relocated to Somersby in 1996, "Dino" became the star of a parade through the streets of Gosford. At the time of the move to Somersby, "Dino" acquired the new name through wide publicity as "Ploddy". Craned onto the back of a truck (without its feet, which reportedly caused distress to Wyoming schoolchildren!), the 30-tonne dinosaur very slowly made the journey up Kariong Hill to his new home. "Ploddy" is seen daily by thousands of F3 Freeway users, and is heritage-listed.

Wyoming changes during the 1960s-1990s
In the early 1960s, subdivision of orchards close to the Pacific Highway gathered pace. One such subdivision was the "Sunland Estate", which was formerly the orchard of Len Sonter. This Estate was opposite the Alan Davidson Park, off Renwick Street. Local businessman George Joyce had purchased the land to breed and run cattle, and build a "ranch-style" home. The land was sold in turn to developer C.H. Degotardi. This company subdivided the land into 182 building lots and constructed new roads. A company spokesman stated "This is one of the few remaining areas within travelling distance of Sydney where excellent home sites can still be purchased for as little as 350 pounds per block".

Pockets of the old citrus orchards were still worked in Wyoming up until the 1970s. "Warrawilla" was a farm run by John (Jack) Moore, in Maiden's Brush Road. The property grew Navel and Valencia Oranges, Grapefruit and Lemons. As subdivision of Wyoming proceeded in the 1960s, pressure to sell the remaining orchard land grew. In the 1970s Landcom purchased the Moore property for a new housing development.

For a long time, Wyoming residents had to venture into Gosford for shopping. In 1972, Wyoming Village Shopping Centre, a complex of 30 shops opened. Costing $1 million dollars, the development boasted air-conditioning, a supermarket, specialty shops, C.B.A. Bank, and later, a T.A.B. This initial complex was extensively remodelled in recent times.

A small village shopping centre opened in Maiden's Brush Road in 1982, and was designed to cater for rapidly growing Landcom residential development (400 blocks had just been released in the immediate vicinity), and Adelene Retirement Village. Adelene Retirement Village opened in May 1979. Henry Kendall Retirement Village opened in 1985 (LEP, 2014).

Recent times at Wyoming
In 1979 the Gosford Historical Research Association nominated Wyoming for protection under the Heritage Act. Although there was no immediate threat to the cottage the Association was concerned that future subdivision of the property for residential purposes would impact upon Wyoming Cottage.

An Interim Heritage Order was placed over Wyoming Cottage on 1 August 1980. On 27 August 1982 a Permanent Conservation Order was placed over Wyoming Cottage. It was transferred to the State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999

In March 2009 S60 approval was given to the owner for the demolition of an existing bedroom and to have it rebuilt (09/S60/005). The bedroom was constructed of sandstone salvaged from the site and the consent conditions required that any salvageable sandstone had to be used in a proposed privacy wall.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)New South Wales themeLocal 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. Gardens-
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. Parks-
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. Other open space-
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-
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. Cultural: Rivers and water bodies important to humans-
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. Cultural - Coasts and coastal features supporting human activities-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Convict labour-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Demonstrating convicts' experiences and activities-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Creating a gentleman's estate-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Working on private assignment-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent Convict-Activities relating to incarceration, transport, reform, accommodation and working during the convict period in NSW (1788-1850) - does not include activities associated with the conviction of persons in NSW that are unrelated to the imperial 'convict system': use the theme of Law & Order for such activities Administering the convict system-
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 Significant Places: How are significant places marked in the landscape of Parramatta by, or for, different groups?-Monuments and Sites
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 and countryside of rural charm-
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 and gardens of domestic accommodation-
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 Significant tree(s) providing rural amenity or character-
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 and parklands of distinctive styles-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies Health-Activities associated with preparing and providing medical assistance and/or promoting or maintaining the well being of humans Operating private and religious hospitals-
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. Country Homes-
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. Housing professional people-
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. Adapted heritage building or structure-
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 residence-
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. early settlement or worker's cottage-
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. Housing for industrial managers and owners-
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. Housing public servants and officials-
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. Country Villa-
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 1820s-1850s land grants-
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 Early land grants-
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 Surveying by Augustus Alt-
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 Early farming (Cattle grazing)-
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 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 Role of transport in 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 A quiet Rural District-
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 Country Villa-
7. Governing-Governing Law and order-Activities associated with maintaining, promoting and implementing criminal and civil law and legal processes The rule of law-
7. Governing-Governing Welfare-Activities and process associated with the provision of social services by the state or philanthropic organisations Hospital/nursing home phase-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Architectural styles and periods - colonial homestead-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Adaptation of overseas design for local use-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities. Applying architectural design to utlilitarian structures-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups (none)-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with John Verge, architect-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups Associations with Frederick Augustus Hely, Principal Superintendent of Convicts, 1823-36-

Assessment of significance

SHR Criteria a)
[Historical significance] 		Wyoming Cottage is one of the relatively few remaining buildings known to have been designed by the eminent architect, John Verge. It was the country residence designed for Frederick Augustus Hely, Principal Superintendent of Convicts for the Colony of New South Wales, an important man in the early history of the colony and a pioneer in the Gosford district. It has survived as an example of the house of a wealthy early settler of the district. (Branch Managers Report to the Heritage Council 2/11/1981)
Assessment criteria: Items are assessed against the PDF State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management CategoryDescriptionDate Updated
Recommended ManagementProduce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) 
Recommended ManagementPrepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines 
Recommended ManagementCarry out interpretation, promotion and/or education 

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of actDescriptionTitleCommentsAction date
57(2)Exemption to allow workStandard 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

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

Listings

Heritage ListingListing TitleListing NumberGazette DateGazette NumberGazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register 0021302 Apr 99 271546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former 0021327 Aug 82 113 
Register of the National Estate  15 May 90 170014
Register of the National Estate  14 May 91 1137

References, internet links & images

TypeAuthorYearTitleInternet Links
Written 1981Branch Managers Report to the Heritage Council 2/11/1981
WrittenAitken, Richard2002Villa Garden (entry) View detail
WrittenCrittenden, Victor1992A Shrub in the Landscape of Fame: Thomas Shepherd, Australian Landscape Gardener and Nurseryman

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: 5045567
File number: S90/05953 & HC 32351

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