Glenfield Farm
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| Glenfield Farm | |
|---|---|
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| Location | 88 Leacocks Lane, Casula, City of Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°57′30″S 150°54′25″E / 33.9584°S 150.9070°E |
| Built | 1810–1817 |
| Owner | Private owners |
| Official name | Glenfield Farm |
| Type | state heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 25 |
| Type | Homestead Complex |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Builders | Convict labour |
  Location of Glenfield Farm in New South Wales  Glenfield Farm (Australia) | |
Glenfield Farm is a heritage-listed homestead at 88 Leacocks Lane, Casula, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was built from 1810 to 1817 by convict labour. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]
Charles Throsby arrived in New South Wales in 1802 as a surgeon on the transport Coromandel. He took the post of acting surgeon and magistrate at Castle Hill and was transferred to Newcastle in 1804, where he became commandant for four years.[1]
In 1809 Throsby resigned from the positions of Assistant Colonial Surgeon and Magistrate. During this period he had established grazing in the Newcastle area. On 22 May 1811 Throsby was granted 950 acres of land (at Casula) which he named "Glenfield" after his birthplace, Glenfield, Leicestershire in England. The farmhouse was built in about 1817.[2][1]
From March to April 1818, he travelled on a tour of discovery to Jervis Bay. Throsby's exploration included the discovery of the Wollondilly River, exploration of the country around Goulburn, the first visit of white men to the Federal Capital area and the cross country trek between Goulburn and Bathurst. The discovery of the headwaters of the Shoalhaven River and another route between the tableland of the Shoalhaven River and a possible route between the tableland and the coast of Jervis Bay are also attributed to Throsby.[1]
In April and May 1819 Throsby undertook his tour to Bathurst through the Cow Pastures and in May 1819, Governor Macquarie offered him a grant of land as remuneration for services rendered in making important discoveries. So impressed was Macquarie with Throsby's explorations, that he offered him public tribute his zealous perseverance - and granted him 1000 acres of land in the Moss Vale area.[1]
Throsby's nephew, also named Charles Throsby, arrived in New South Wales on the "Mangles" on 7 August 1820. He joined his uncle and took charge of Throsby Park on the Wingecarribee River (near present day Moss Vale).[1]
On 19 August 1820, Joseph Wild (of Throsby's party and under his direction) discovered Lake George, and in 1821 Throsby made the first mention of the possibility of the Murrumbidgee River of which he had heard from Aboriginal people. In April 1821, Charles Throsby reached the Murrumbidgee somewhere in what is now the Australian Capital Territory.[1]
Governor Macquarie made Throsby a magistrate of the territory in March 1821, with main jurisdiction over the new County of Argyle. He was also a member of the committee for the first Agricultural Society in Sydney. During this time, Throsby had been involved in financial troubles brought on by a 5,000 pound surety he had taken on behalf of Graham Blaxcell. Blaxcell absconded from the colony in 1817 and died on board ship, leaving Throsby at the mercy of the creditors.[1]
Ten years' litigation ended in an adverse verdict for Throsby, who by 1828 was also affected by the drought and falling wool prices. In April 1825, Charles Throsby committed suicide at Glenfield Farm, aged 51.[1]
Upon Throsby's death, nephew Charles inherited Glenfield, Throsby Park and other scattered parts of his uncle's properties. After Charles' death Glenfield Farm was passed down successive heirs in the Throsby-Broughton family.[1]
In 1920 James Leacock purchased Glenfield Farm. In 1924 he married a Broughton and in 1930 they moved into Glenfield Farm after modifying the homestead to serve as a dual residence, accommodating himself and his wife in one half and his sister and mother in the other. This dual dwelling arrangement began in 1932.[1]
James Leacock brought dairy farming to the Liverpool district. He formed the Hygienic Dairies Ltd at Concord in 1909 to supply Sydney with its first bottled milk. His idealism embraced many interests, ranging from organic farming to Aboriginal rights. He undertook many activities on the farm property which made Glenfield a meeting place for groups concerned for Australian and international justice and many humanitarian issues,[1] including a place of work for conscientious objectors during the Vietnam war.[citation needed]
Leacock pursued the establishment of communal living, discussion centres and co-operative farming. The first serious co-operative was the Rural Homes (Glenfield) Co-operative Ltd, formed in 1951. In 1960 the co-operative went into insolvency. In 1970 the Glenfield Goodwill Co-operative Society was registered.[1]
A decline in the co-operative spirit was brought to a head at the 1976 annual general meeting, when it was decided that the Co-operative should be terminated. However, the Co-operative adopted a more realistic landlord role and increased rents to near market levels. After the venture failed Leacock bought back the farm and approximately 14 acres on which he resided until his death in 1974. The residents at Glenfield Farm continued farming activities.[1]
A 1977 student report by Mark Bullen & Ian McGilvray indicated that the vegetation associated with the estate was mostly confined to the ridge with cleared land used for grazing and market gardening to the east.[1]
The Heritage Council of NSW commissioned Howard Tanner and Associates to carry out a measured survey and report, providing staged recommendations and proposals for the place's future use. Glenfield was found to be in an advanced stage of dilapidation, and following completion of the study a grant from the Heritage Conservation Fund enabled the first stage of repair works to be carried out. Architects Howard Tanner and Tim Throsby supervised the first stage of roof repairs which was completed in September 1983.[1]
During repairs, photographic documentation was carried out and evidence was uncovered that confirmed the original sequence of construction. The original timber shingles had been overlaid during the 19th century by patent Morewood and Rogers galvanised iron sheets for tiles. These were either repaired or replaced and correct flashing details reintroduced. In the 1980s, the Glenfield Cooperative regularly opened the house for public inspection while drawing income from its farm activities.[1]
The remaining estate was subsequently incorporated into a residential subdivision, with Leacock's Lane (named after the family of a previous owner, Jim Leacock) as its main circulation ring road (off the Hume Highway). A draft plan of management for Leacock Regional Park was commissioned in 1996.[3][1]
In 2002-03, a federal heritage grant of $46,393 was awarded for urgent works. In 2003, the property was purchased by the NSW Department of Planning, and Mayne-Wilson & Associates prepared a conservation management plan for it.[1]
The property was transferred to the NSW Historic Houses Trust in 2006, the first to be included in the then-new Endangered Houses Fund program. At that time, most of the site (5.518ha) was transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for incorporation into the adjoining Leacock Regional Park, while 1.173ha was retained as part of the property.[1]
The house was then restored by the Historic Houses Trust, including restoring and reconstructing original details, reconstructing the garden, improving water tanks and installing new wet areas and conveniences. The restoration won an AIA (Heritage) Architecture Award in 2008.[1]
It was subsequently sold back to private ownership as a residence.[4] In 2015, the new owners expressed public concern that the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal would impact the property, potentially making the house unlivable due to train noise.[5]
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