Oaklands

Item details


Name of item:	Oaklands
Other name/s:	Pamboola Station (c1833-1842)
Type of item:	Landscape
Group/Collection:	Farming and Grazing
Category:	Farm
Location:	Lat: -36.9332264450 Long: 149.8631944660
Primary address:	Princes Highway, Pambula, NSW 2549
Parish:	Pambula
County:	Auckland
Local govt. area:	Bega Valley
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Eden

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	381		DP	1027113
LOT	382		DP	1027113

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Princes Highway	Pambula	Bega Valley	Pambula	Auckland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private	20 Mar 14

Statement of significance:


	Oaklands is of state significance as a rare surviving intact colonial homestead in its curtilage from the late Georgian period. The house was originally sited on a rise to avoid flooding and to overlook the pastoral landscape and its own landholdings. The main homestead, together with its associated out-buildings and immediate garden, is one of the oldest buildings in the Bega Valley and one of the earliest surviving colonial houses on the NSW South Coast. The house, built in 1842, demonstrates the early colonial settlement of the South Coast and the later development of the dairy industry as one of the major pastoral activities in the region. The homestead features fine cedar joinery, including a highly unusual set of finely glazed entrance doors with corresponding antechamber doors, original fire surrounds, floorboards, plasterwork and french doors with fine glazing bars. The house retains a high degree of integrity and intactness and is considered to have one of the finest Georgian colonial interiors on the South Coast. Further research on its joinery may provide evidence of cultural and trade ties between NSW and Tasmania in this period. The estate was developed as a dairy farm in the late nineteenth century. The olive trees (Olea sp.) and oak trees (Quercus sp.), after which the house was named, were planted in c1860s. The immediate garden also includes surviving post and rail fencing, and the house is sited to overlook the valley and to take advantage of pastoral views, thus forming an aesthetically distinctive landmark within the landscape of the South Coast.
	Date significance updated: 06 Aug 03
	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:	Messrs Robertson, Hall and Rogers
Construction years:	1842-
Physical description:	GROUNDS 14,000 sq.m. of gardens (1.4ha)(SMH, 4-5/3/2006). The major garden features are two large oak trees (Quercus sp.), with girths of 6.4 metres (21') and some mature olive trees, (Olea sp.) probably dating from the 1870s. These trees are mentioned as notable trees in the 1894 report in The Voice newspaper. HOMESTEAD The original building comprised four main rooms with verandahs on all sides, several stores and pantries, and two ancillary rooms in the corners of the rear verandah. Adjoining were a conservatory, offices, servants quarters and kitchen. According to the Bega Valley heritage adviser, the house was constructed by convicts. The walls of hand made sun dried bricks, with identification frogs in the form of a thumb mark, are set on stone foundations. Four chimneys indicate the presence of extant fireplaces. The roof, originally shingled and now clad with corrugated iron, has hips on four sides. Verandahs are 2.75m (9') wide with rectangular posts with small mouldings and stop chamfers. At the sides and rear the verandahs are partly enclosed to form the two ancilliary rooms. The front door is a fine example of Georgian design and comprises a pair of cedar doors with side lights with diaper pattern glazing bars, surmounted by a fanlight. This is repeated halfway along the hallway. All the main rooms have cedar French doors onto the verandah with fine margin glazing and transom lights above. The interior is distinguished by high-quality cedar joinery, 6-panel doors, 12-pane windows, skirting boards (some 30cm, some 45cm) and architraves. The cedar fire surrounds demonstrate simple Georgian taste with plain corner blocks and semi-circular moulded pilasters and lintels. The floors are 20cm (8") pit-sawn boards. Walls are hardset plaster with moulded cornices and ceilings are lathe and plaster with simple ceiling rosettes. (of such homesteads as this) They were usuall modest and modified versions of Georgian houses - basically four-roomed structures around a central passageway and all built on properties that were squatting runs or stations (Cantlon, 1981, 12) The homestead has two bedrooms, the main bedroom with ensuite, formal living and dining rooms, and a north-facing sunroom. (SMH, 4-5/3/2006). Comparable colonial homesteads in the region include: The Grange, South Pambula (1840-1845, verandahs added 1890s): two-storey house; exterior appears intact; interior intactness not known. The Retreat, Pambula (c1857): townhouse; low degree of intactness, now a restaurant. Kameruka, via Candelo (c1835), built by the Imlay brothers and later owned by the Walker brothers who built Oaklands. A large complex of buildings with extensive late Victorian additions and a moderate degree of intactness although joinery not as refiined. Yarranung, off Angledale Road (1851): substantial single-storey homestead. Intactness not known. Tarraganda House, Tarraganda, via Bega (c1842): substantial single-story homestead. Intactness not known.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The building is in very good condition. There is some archaeological potential relating to demolished outbuildings.
	Date condition updated:28 Mar 03
Modifications and dates:	According to the previous owner, Mrs J Bennett, the servants quarters, kitchen and conservatory were demolished in 1958 as they were in very poor condition. In 1986 the present owners restored the remaining building and installed two bathrooms in what were storerooms. This has had little or no impact on the architectural integrity of the place. Following subdivision in 2000, Oaklands is now cadastrally alienated from its farmland surroundings but it continues to overlook its former farmlands
Further information:	If building works which disturb the site were ever undertaken, there should be appropriate archaeological investigation.


Current use:	homestead on remnant of former dairy farm
Former use:	Aboriginal land, dairy farm

History

Historical notes:

The original occupants of the area around Pambula and the Bega Valley were the Aboriginal group, the Djiringani (Heritage Office, 1996, 164-166). The first recorded European sighting of Aboriginals near Pambula was by the surgeon, George Bass in his journal on 18 December 1797 when he sailed into the Pambula River to shelter from a southerly gale. The first recorded contact between Europeans and Aboriginals on the South Coast was a meeting at Snug Cove in Twofold Bay in October 1798, between Matthew Flinders, on his voyage of exploration with George Bass, and a middle-aged Aboriginal man.

Displacement of Aboriginal people from their traditional lands began as cattlemen brought their herds south in the late 1820s. Permanent settlements were established in the 1830s and 1840s. Many Aboriginal people were killed by introduced diseases, and the 1844 census revealed an Aboriginal population on the South Coast of 535 with a high concentration in the Bega Valley. European settlement was slow due to the area's rugged topography and distance from Sydney. In 1846 the County of Auckland was proclaimed and the population of the area was estimated to be 1000 people. In 1848 there were only 17 Aboriginals in the Pambula area. Little evidence of pre-contact occupation survives except for middens of oyster shells on the banks of rivers and lakes.

The first major industry in the region was whaling which was begun by Thomas Raine in 1828 when he established the first whaling station at Twofold Bay. Shortly after, in 1834, the Imlay Brothers (Alexander, George and Peter) from Tasmania set up a large whaling station at Twofold Bay and extended their business interests to include coastal shipping and large-scale pastoral interests involving extensive leaseholds along the South Coast.

The Imlay Brothers were probably the first settlers in the Pambula area. Their estate, which was originally known as Pamboola Station, was first leased in 1833. In 1835 they built a substantial homestead at Kameruka, near Candelo, which has many features similar to the Oaklands homestead, built several years later.

In 1839 the Commissioner of Lands, John Lambie, recorded Pambula Station as an area of 28 square kilometres with 61 hectares of wheat and barley under cultivation, four slab huts and a stockyard.

The Imlays' pastoral and whaling interests were not successful and they became heavily indebted to Messrs William, Edward and James Walker, from Scotland. The Walker brothers, who also came to the South Coast via Tasmania, were the third largest shareholders in the Bank of NSW. They took over Pamboola Station in the early 1840s and erected the homestead in 1842 with convict labour and bricks. In 1844 the Walkers also took over Kameruka.

In January 1843, the Government Surveyor Thomas Townsend, who was laying out the proposed township of Pambula, met with local pastoralist Benjamin Boyd and his employee, Oswald Waters Brierly, and Aboriginal guide, Toby. Brierly recorded, "You may conceive our pleasure when we came in sight of this beautiful spot and saw the bark huts of the station Here the Imlays have a pretty cottage.". The proposed town layout that Townsend surveyed extended to the Pambula River and included the land on which Oaklands now stands which became Lot 12a, comprising 65 hectares.

Mary Mole, wife of the Eden harbourmaster, used to stop at Pamboola Station on her way to visit Kameruka (Clark, 1986).

Crown land sales in the new Pambula township took place in 1851. However, those sections of the proposed town nearest the river were flood-prone and did not develop. A major flood in 1851 washed away the small settlement and so the township was moved onto the higher ground to the north (even though the surveyed streets continued to appear on parish maps). Oaklands, situated on a rise, was not flood-affected.

In 1853 seven Sydney businessmen formed the Twofold Bay Pastoral Company and took over the Walker holdings, controlling more than 16,000 hectares in the Bega Valley. James Manning, a partner in the company, acquired Kameruka and Pamboola Stations, changing the name of the latter to Oaklands. He established an extensive garden and planted the oak (Quercus sp.) and olive trees (Olea sp.) which survive today. According to one source, James Manning built a large aviary near the homestead and when his estate was sold, the birds were released to become the ancestors of the thrushes, wrens and other English birds which now inhabit Australia.

In 1897 the Pambula Cooperative Creamery and Dairy Company was formed, along with the establishment of dairying as a major industry along the South Coast.

After James Manning died, the property was purchased by the Hayward brothers during the 1880s who developed the property as a dairy farm. In 1893 they were awarded first prize in the National Farm competition (The Voice 30/03/1894). The Voice reported that in front of the house there were olive trees 30 feet (10m) high and oak trees 5 feet (1.5m) in diameter and that the house consisted of 13 rooms. These probably included the conservatory, offices, servants wing and kitchen.

According to former owners, the servants quarters, kitchen and conservatory were demolished in 1958.

The present owners bought the property in 1967. They undertook restoration works in 1986 and in September 2000 subdivided the property. The homestead now occupies 1.3 hectares but continues to overlook its former pastoral landholding.

3/2006: Put on the real estate market for the first time in 40 years (SMH, 2006).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local 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.	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 - 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	Working on private assignment-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Private farming-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	cropping river flats-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Ancillary structures - sheds, crop storage-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Cereal production-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Farming wheat and other grains-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Clearing land for farming-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Trading amongst the Australian colonies-
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	Landscapes and countryside of rural charm-
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-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Pastoralism-Activities associated with the breeding, raising, processing and distribution of livestock for human use	Dairying-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Science-Activities associated with systematic observations, experiments and processes for the explanation of observable phenomena	Archaeology-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Technology-Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied sciences	Brick-making-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Technology-Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied sciences	Working with wood-
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 farming families-
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	Post and rail fencing-
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	Naming places (toponymy)-
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 - Victorian Georgian Revival-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Domestic life-Activities associated with creating, maintaining, living in and working around houses and institutions.	Kitchens and servants-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The homestead, built in 1842, is of state significance as one of the oldest buildings in the Bega Valley and one of the earliest surviving colonial houses on the NSW South Coast. The house and its curtilage are able to demonstrate the history of European settlement in the Bega Valley and the historical phases of pastoralism and then agriculture over a period of 170 years. The original farm was until recently one of the oldest continuously-operated farms in the region. Following subdivision in 2000, Oaklands is now cadastrally alienated from its farmland surroundings but it continues to overlook its former farmlands and maintains a close association with this early pastoral landscape.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Oaklands has historical associations with the following people of note in the history of the South Coast and the pastoral and fishing history of NSW. The Imlay brothers were the first owners of the estate and early settlers in the area. The Walker brothers built Oaklands and were well-known and successful Sydney merchants and wool exporters in the nineteenth century. James Manning, who was the third owner of Oaklands, was partner in the Twofold Bay Pastoral Company.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The house is architecturally of state significance as an excellent example of colonial architecture in the style of Victorian Georgian (Apperley et al, 1994) with a high degree of refinement. This refinement is displayed in the symmetrical façade, the hipped roof, the finely glazed french doors, the front entrance door with sidelights, fanlight and corresponding interior door, the 12-pane windows, the fire surrounds and other fine interior cedar joinery. The house clearly demonstrates the high-level joinery skills of early builders and is indicative of the customs, habits, fashions and tastes of colonial life on the NSW South Coast. The house is a typical Georgian homestead with the usual features but is distinguished by its interior detailing. It may be the finest Georgian house on the South Coast. In particular, the interior hall door which replicates the front entrance door is a fine and rare example of Georgian cedar joinery. A similar arrangement of hallway joinery survives at Kameruka, built by the Imlay Brothers c1835. This joinery possibly suggests the work of tradesmen and cedar brought from Tasmania. The immediate garden features olive trees and oak trees dating from the 1860s/1870s. It retains early post and rail fencing, forming an aesthetically distinctive curtilage in the landscape of the region. The house was originally sited on a rise to avoid flooding and to overlook the pastoral landscape and its own landholdings. While now cadastrally alienated from its original farmlands, the house still enjoys views over the surrounding land, which is still used for dairying. In this, the house retains its original relationship to the surrounding farmlands and forms a distinctive local landmark. The quality and unusual features of its joinery are historically significant as indicative of the customs and habits, fashions and tastes of colonial society as well as demonstrating high-level joinery skills. The main house retains a high degree of intactness and is considered to have one of the finest Georgian colonial interiors on the South Coast. Its architectural significance has been recognised by its listing as heritage item on the Register of National Trust of Australia (NSW)
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Oaklands is of local social significance and plays a significant role in the local community's sense of place. This is demonstrated firstly by its listing as a heritage item on the Bega Valley LEP, secondly by its nomination for SHR listing by the Bega Valley Council and also by the local support offered to its nomination.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	Oaklands is unlikely to display archaeological potential in relation to Aboriginal occupation before European settlement due to the disturbance of the site over time. The house and immediate domestic garden have potential to yield further information on early colonial farming practices and lifestyles that may be of state significance. The interior fit out, particularly the cedar joinery, is able to demonstrate the tastes, material use and craftsmanship of the late Georgian era. The joinery possibly shares characteristics with that produced in Tasmania during the 1830s and 1840s. Further research may confirm this similarity and elaborate upon its significance, for example, whether this provides evidence of a trade relationship between Tasmania and NSW during this period.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Oaklands is of state significance as one of several surviving colonial 1840s homesteads in the Bega Valley district. The house is notable for its high degree of intactness and the quality of its internal finishes, particularly its cedar joinery which can be compared with other colonial homesteads in the region. The hallway joinery with its interior screen matching that of the front entrance door is particularly notable. It is highly unusual and comparatively rare. Oaklands is of state significance as a rare and intact surviving colonial homestead of the late Georgian period in NSW.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Oaklands is a typical and excellent representative example of a Victorian Georgian homestead and one of few in the Bega Valley area. It displays many typical colonial architectural features, such as external symmetry, verandas on four sides, french doors onto the verandas, a front entrance with finely glazed sidelights and fanlight, and cedar interior joinery of a high standard, including typical Georgian fire surrounds, architraves and internal doors.
Integrity/Intactness:	There is a high degree of architectural and material integrity in all the most significant aspects of the building. The facades present a very similar appearance to the original building . The interior cedar joinery appears to have little or no alterations and the original floor plan of the main house remains intact.
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.

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act - Site Specific Exemptions	Site specific exemption gazetted alongside SHR listing: Activities associated with the ongoing use of the land for pastoral and agricultural purposes, excluding any new development that may materially affect the significance of the item.	Feb 20 2004
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 Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		01686	20 Feb 04	42	785
Local Environmental Plan	Oaklands associated outbuildings and grounds		14 Jun 02	98
National Trust of Australia register
National Trust of Australia register	Oaklands	4703

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	Apperley, R, Irving, R & Reynolds, P.	1994	Identifying Australian Architecture: Styles and Terms from 1788 to the Present
Written	Cantlon, Maurice	1981	Homesteads of Southern New South Wales 1830 - 1900
Written	Heritage Office	1996	Regional histories of NSW

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:	5052982
File number:	10/6482; H03/00064

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