|
 |
Historical Background
The Fagans
Peter Fagan arrived in Sydney in 1821 from Ireland. In 1830 he
took up a land grant of 40.47ha at Point Clare. In 1836 he
purchased 24.28ha of land at West Gosford. On this farm he built
the Red Cow Inn, which became known a short time later as
Cooranbean. This building is known today as Henry Kendall
Cottage.
The Fagan family made a significant contribution to the local
area through their farming, citrus orchard, mail contracts,
timber business, and breeding of cattle and champion race
horses. They were one of the first to grow oranges in the Gosford area.
Between 1873-1875 the Fagan family cared for and provided
employment for the Australian poet Henry Kendall.
henry kendall
Henry Kendall was born at "Kirmington",
Ulladulla, on 18 April 1839. He married Charlotte Rutter
in 1868. He arrived in Gosford in poor health in 1873 and
was befriended by the Fagan family.
Henry lived and worked with the Fagans while at
Gosford. During this time he wrote some of his 300+ poems,
including:
- The Last of his Tribe
- Narrara
- Song of the Shingle Splitters
- Names Upon a Stone
The Adcocks
Members of the Fagan family lived at the cottage until
1920-1921, when Colonel Garnet Adcock purchased it from Mr. Joe
Fagan, the last surviving son of Peter Fagan.
The property had not been farmed for some years. Garnet Adcock
cleared the land and established a corn or maize crop and a
substantial vegetable patch.
Garnet Adcock experimented in the production of perfumes, and he
used citrus oil as a base for his perfumes. At first he
purchased fruit from the growers and extracted the oil, throwing
the fruit away. He later established a company called Fruit and
Vegetable By-Products, which became known in 1924 as Jusfrute.
By 1929, the perfumery was forgotten. Garnet Adcock was one of
the first in the world to make an emulsion out of oil from the
skin of the fruit to use as a flavour for soft drinks. This
company was successful for a period of time, but was closed in
1982 due to a lack of fruit in the Gosford district.
The caretaker of Jusfrute lived in the cottage until 1959, when
it was purchased by the Brisbane Water Historical Society.
The Cottage
The cottage was built by Peter Fagan, using convict labour, in
1836-1840. The sandstone was hand hewn from the local area. The
sandstone blocks are of various shapes and sizes and are held
together with a rough mortar of lime, sand and shells. The walls
are about 450mm thick. The roof was originally made of oak
shingles. The floor was originally compressed soil and covered
an area of 79sq m.
The cottage was described by Garnet Adcock as:
...no 'squares, levels or perpendiculars' in the place. The
walls are two feet thick, but largely rubble and lime-mortar
filled. Only the outside walls were roughly dressed stone.
A separate building on the western side consisted of a kitchen,
dining room and three bedrooms. The exterior walls were made of
stone and the interior of cedar. However, this building burnt
down circa 1901.
Changes
The compressed soil floor was cement rendered over a layer of
ashes. Timber floor boards were put down on the floor of the
main bedroom and hallway. The data for these changes are
officially unknown. However, it is believed to have occurred
soon after the purchase of the cottage by Garnet Adcock.
When the Society purchased the cottage it was extremely run down
and featured an iron roof. Initially the Society erected three
buttresses to prop the southern wall. In 1967 two more
buttresses were added to the southern wall and in 1976 two
buttresses were erected to support part of the western wall.
Since the Society's occupation, the joints have been re-pointed
a number of times to halt further erosion of the original mortar.
The iron roof was replaced with shingles in 1976 and again in
1991.
The cottage includes a loft which was used by past inhabitants.
Access to this loft is possible, however it is closed to the
public.
The Museum
When the Society purchased the cottage and surrounding grounds,
the cottage housed the Society's collection. However, this space
became too small and the need for a larger museum became
evident. In 1982 Gosford City Council subsidised the erection of
a new building to $50,000, or the cost whichever was the lesser.
With the assistance of local businesses and individuals, the
Historical Museum was officially opened on 25 September 1983.
Significance of the Site
For educational purposes, this site is important due to its
historical significance to the local area. It was on this site
that rural industry and production took place. Also associated
with this site are individuals such as Fagan, Adcock and
Kendall, who contributed to industry and culture in the local
area and Australia.
The cottage has regional historical significance as it is one of
the oldest homes in the area associated with the first
settlement of West Gosford. The cottage is relatively intact and
is an example of early construction from local stone which was
hand hewn.
The cottage is listed (as Heritage Plaque No. 47) under the
Gosford City Council Local Environmental Plan No. 183
(Heritage). It is also registered with the National Trust (NSW)
and Bi-Centennial Heritage Inventory.
|
