| Physical description: | Lansdowne is a precinct that contains:
*landscape elements of Aboriginal cultural value, including the ridge, which is a traditional camping and gathering place, and area around, and to the east of, the dam, which is an identified historic and traditional burial place
*a homestead complex of buildings (homestead, ballroom, servants quarters and outhouse, waterclosets, former stables, former coach house, former greenhouse, brick cottage with shed, former gaol, brick and weatherboard cottage, former church, garage and summer house) and associated landscape features such as the coach road, tree plantings, historic garden, and dam. Of these, the former church and garage do not contribute to the significance of the precinct
*relics and works associated with the occupation of the Lansdowne homestead complex.
ABORIGINAL CULTURAL HERITAGE VALUES
The location of Lansdowne in relation to traditional Aboriginal Country is disputed within the Aboriginal community. Both the Ngunnawal and Gundungurra identify as the traditional owners of the Goulburn area and hold a strong cultural connection to this land that stretches from time immemorial to the present day (Aboriginal community consultation 2024).
Tradition within the local Aboriginal community identifies Lansdowne, and the ridge it is located on, as a camping, gathering, and burial place used by their ancestors before the British invasion and into the early period of settlement. Historical accounts and archaeological evidence support this tradition. Community have identified the area surrounding and to the west of the present dam, and the bench it is located on, as being the location of the burial ground. Tradition and archaeological evidence indicates that the camping and gathering place was on the lower slopes to the north of the ridge, where there was ready access to food resources on the adjacent Mulwaree Plains. Traditionally the camping and gathering place also included the toe of the ridge on which Lansdowne homestead complex is now located, These places formed part of the the Aboriginal cultural landscape of the Goulburn area and are interconnected with a variety of camping and ceremonial places in the surrounding landscape (Aboriginal community consultation 2024; Heritage NSW 2023).
HOMESTEAD COMPLEX
The Lansdowne homestead complex is prominently located on the toe of an east-west trending ridge stemming from the Rocky Hill ridgeline. From this position the homestead complex sits directly above the Mulwarree River and its associated floodplain, which separates it from Goulburn.
The homestead complex comprises 15 extant buildings that date from the 1820s-1830s to 1980s (numbering system after Graham 2017:3; dating after EMAA 2023:18-19):
1.Homestead (1820s-1830s).
2.Billiard Room / Ball Room (c.1836-1882).
3.Servants Quarters (c.1850-1880).
4.Servants Quarters - Outhouse (Unknown).
5.WCs (former laundry, store, and slaughter house).
6.Former Stables (c. 1830s).
7.Former Carriage Shed (c. 1830s).
8.Octagonal sheltered horse ring (non-significant).
9.Former greenhouse with attached non-significant carport (c.1836-1882, carport post-c.1990).
10.Brick cottage with shed (c. 1836-1882, more likely closer to 1880s).
11.Former gaol, now machinery shed (c. 1850, rebuilt c. 1990).
12.Brick and weatherboard cottage (stone section c. 1850s, main part c. 1890s, timber section c. 1950s).
13.Former church, now weatherboard cottage (1920s; converted to a residence c.1950s) (non-significant).
14.Garage building (non-significant).
15.Summer house (c.1854, potentially converted to a synagogue c.1868).
There are two drives to the homestead complex from Bungonia Road and Memorial Drive. The original coach road, which leads to the front (west) side of the homestead is now disused following recent road work on Lansdowne Bridge and its approaches. The service road, which runs from the intersection of Bungonia Road and Memorial Drive is now the main access road to the property.
Surrounding the homestead complex are several paddocks (to the north and east), a vineyard (to the north), a former garden (to the south), a semi-circular dam which dates to at least the 1880s (to the east), and a variety of landscape plantings.
The homestead complex (and in particularly the homestead) has a wide visual catchment to the west, southwest, south and northwest, depending on the particular location of the vantage point within the complex. Most of the views are to the west, over the Mulwaree River, and towards Goulburn. From this position the north-south stretch of Goulburn, and its position in the low valley formed by the confluence of the Mulwarree and Wollondilly Rivers is readily appreciable. In this direction there is also a strong sightline between the homestead and the nearby Goulburn brewery, which was established by William Bradley as well.
The State significance buildings of the homestead complex are described in further detail below.
BUILDING 1: HOMESTEAD
The homestead is the oldest building on the property and was the residence of the first owner, William Bradley. It is a single storey U shaped colonial homestead, with a steeply pitched hipped roof, now of corrugated iron, but originally of shingles. The original (1820s-1830s) portion of the building (the western half - the main wing) is clad in weatherboards which reputedly cover the original slab walls. The newer portions (the eastern two wings) are of brick construction (majority built 1836-1890, with twentieth century additions and refurbishment).
Surrounding the building on its west, south, and north sides is a timber verandah with a corrugated roof at a lower pitch than the main roof. It has been infilled at its eastern ends on both the north and south sides. It features simple, stop moulded, timber posts with a double post on each side of the entrance. The valance is of timber in a curving scalloped design. Marble steps lead up to the entrance.
The front facade of the main wing is symmetrical in typical colonial style with a centrally placed door with side lights flanked by two multi-paned windows on each side. Two tall chimneys are also symmetrically placed, one at each end of the central ridge. These chimneys, as well as the five in the rear wings, are particularly important visual elements being prominent in distant views of the site
BUILDING 2: BILLARD ROOM / BALLROOM
The ballroom is a rectangular building of roughly coursed local stone with gable ends and a corrugated iron roof. There is a simple small door, double-hung windows and a timber finial and decorative bargeboard remain at the east end, though much of the other detail is lost. Inside there is a timber dance floor, ornate ceiling cornices, and an open fireplace at the east end.
BUILDINGS 3 AND 4: SERVANTS' QUARTERS AND OUTHOUSE
The servants' quarters consist of two semi-detached brick cottages with a hipped corrugated iron roof and two chimneys, one at each end (east and west). Internally the former dividing walls that were used to create separate cells or rooms have been opened up to create larger spaces.
BUILDING 5: WATERCLOSETS
Simple rectangular brick single storey building with a hipped corrugated iron roof, and concrete floor. Originally functioned as the laundry, store, and slaughterhouse, but was converted in 2017 to a cellar door and WCs.
BUILDINGS 6 AND 7: FORMER STABLES AND FORMER COACH HOUSE
These two buildings are similarly constructed and appear to have been built around the same time. They are located on the north and east sides of a former large courtyard or farmyard. These two storey roughly coursed stone building have gable ends and pitched corrugated iron roofs with additional gables centrally placed on the longest sides. They are finely detailed with carved architraves over openings in the form of pediments, fretwork to timber barge boards and pointed finials.
The stable has a cobbled stone floor, original elaborate timber house stalls, and fine interior detailing including posts with deep stop moulds forming octagonal columns. The coach house features an external side staircase on its north side, dirt floors on the ground floor, and lath and plaster ceiling.
BUILDING 9: FORMER GREENHOUSE WITH ATTACHED NON-SIGNIFICANT CARPORT
Single storey 'lean to' style building, with open porch style southern half in timber posts and iron roof, rubble stone northern half with timber infill and clear plastic sheeting roof. Former shed converted to greenhouse.
BUILDING 10: BRICK COTTAGE WITH SHED
Single storey brick cottage, with corrugated iron hipped roof, and verandah with a bull-nosed iron roof on western side. Chimney on northern side of centre and brick extension with sloping roof at the rear.
BUILDING 11: FORMER GAOL
Former ruins of a L-shaped random rubble goal which was re-roofed and reconstructed into a shed during the 1990s. Features an open stable component at its southern end and a small room at its north end. Brick caping used to support reconstructed random rubble walls.
BUILDING 12: BRICK AND WEATHERBOARD COTTAGE
Single storey brick cottage with hipped corrugated iron roof and verandah on western side and southern return. Random rubble stone, hipped corrugated iron roof, extension on northern side. Another timber extension to the north.
BUILDING 15: SUMMER HOUSE
The summer house has a rectangular plan form with a rounded northern end forming an apse. Constructed in brickwork it is rendered and in style shows a Roman influence. The north end has three pointed arched windows and a quatrefoil opening, and most unusual curved diagonally laid brickwork to form the gable. Only a small portion of the timber roof structure and none of the floor remains. This building was potentially converted into a synagogue in c.1868, however, this is unconfirmed. |