Grantham Poultry Research Station

About

The Grantham Poultry Research Station is a heritage-listed former poultry farm and research station and now heritage reserve at 71 Seven Hills Road, Seven Hills, City of Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. It includes two historic residences, Melrose and Drumtochty. The site is today known as the Grantham Heritage Park, and has previously been known as Seven Hills Agricultural Station and the Grantham State Poultry Farm. It was built from 1897 to 1939. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 7 April 2000.

This area was first settled when Matthew Pearce, a free settler who arrived on board the Surprise in 1794, was granted 160 acres in 1795. He named it Kings Langley after an English village of that name, about 30 km south of London; it is believed that Pearce was born in the manor house in that village. The grant was bounded by the present Old Windsor Road, Seven Hills Road, Chapel Lane ( Baulkham Hills ) and Toongabbie Creek. Because his family could see seven hills from their home, the area became known as Seven Hills, a title it has borne since 1800.

Pearce was interred at St. John's Cemetery, Parramatta but later his remains were removed. Today Pearce and his family lie in a private cemetery which his descendants set up at the corner of Seven Hills Road and Old Windsor Road (facing Bella Vista Farm, which belonged for much of the 19th century to the Pearce family).

In the early years of the 20th century there was a small village in the area. A tileworks was established c. 1900 and continued for about 60 years. A Department of Agriculture Poultry Research Station was established in 1939 on the site that had formerly been Grantham poultry farm before 1914. Nearby Grantham High School is on land that was also formerly part of the Pearce estate.

The earliest European record of this site (of Grantham Poultry Research Station (former)) was as part of the Cumberland Plain set aside for use as Prospect Common by Governor Phillip Gidley King in 1804. Most of this land was vegetated by Cumberland Plain Woodland eucalypt forest and at this time was occupied by the Dharug Aboriginal people. King appointed John Nichols, James Cleaver and William Kentwell as trustees of the Common, which extended over most of what is now Blacktown.

The original grants that made up what is now Grantham were made to Samuel Haynes – 50 acres and Samuel Dent – 50 acres. These two lots fronted onto Seven Hills Road, a route that still displays its early establishment as an important transport link by following the line of high ground between the Windsor Road (now Old Windsor Road) and Prospect). Lots 104 and 105 were surrounded by grants to William Hill – 80 acres; John Stephenson – 50 acres; John Leadbetter – 60 acres; and James Ridley – 50 acres.

A railway link built by 1863 from Parramatta to Penrith and including Seven Hills railway station, stimulated development of the area into a prosperous orcharding district, which, during the land boom of the 1880s, soon became intensive farmlets. The property from which the Research Station has taken its name seems to have been established c.1888 as a working farm of around 100 acres.

By 1897 the two 50-acre lots (owned by Samuel Haynes) were owned by solicitor William Chadwick, who built a substantial out of town residence called Melrose designed by architect Byera Hadley. Hadley at that time was assistant teacher of architectural drawing at Sydney Technical College. Melrose was completed by June 1897.

Hadley became one of the leading architects of his day, responsible for Wesley College at the University of Sydney ; Willoughby Town Hall and several large warehouse developments in the centre of Sydney that are recognised as architecturally significant. In 1914 he was appointed Lecturer-in-Charge of the Department of Architecture at Sydney Technical College. His interest in architectural education led to establishment of a travelling scholarship in his name that is now considered one of NSW's most prestigious architectural awards. The house is roughly symmetrical with main entrance at right angles to Seven Hills Road. Curved stairs approach the front door. The circular driveway appears to have been part of Hadley's original plan and is consistent with the place's original use as a "country residence".

Melrose became the Manager's Residence with establishment of the Grantham Poultry Stud in 1901.

Francis Martin of Martin & Co. in Meadowbank acquired the property on 30 July 1906 from John Harbone who had combined the properties in 1901 and called it Grantham Poultry Stud, using it to test agricultural machinery.

By 1912 the property was managed by James Hadlington who had an interest in poultry farming. Later that year he was appointed State Poultry Expert for the Department of Agriculture. Hadlington published a number of articles on poultry farming, including topics such as setting up a farm, feed, breeding and buildings. It would appear that he experimented with these concepts both at Grantham and Hawkesbury Agricultural College where he conducted research.

Photographs of the area dated 1912–1917 show a predominance of fruit orchards on adjoining properties. Around the same time a Foreman's Cottage was built on the peak of the hill on the western corner of the then site.

In 1917 the "Returned Soldiers Settlement Scheme" was established by the Department of Lands and involved the provision of farmlets for returned soldiers. Hadlington nominated the Seven Hills site as a property on which a state poultry farm could operate, with the surplus area subdivided into poultry farmlets for returned servicemen. The idea was accepted and the property purchased from Martin and Co. The property was subdivided into eleven 5 acre lots, 16 house lots, and the balance as the "Grantham State Poultry Farm".

The Grantham State Poultry Farm operated as a breeding farm to provide stock for returned soldiers' farms throughout New South Wales, and also arranged the bulk purchase of feed and supplies for the surrounding 11 farms.

In 1917–1918 the Bachelors Quarters, comprising 12 cubicles for trainees, accommodation for the cook, a dining room, kitchen, shower, and conveniences. was built near the top of the property. Photographs indicate that prior to this trainees slept in tents. The Bachelors Quarters have since been demolished.

A series of dirt roads led to the 11 farms. On each of the farms, weatherboard cottages wore built with a gable roof and small front verandah. Poultry sheds and yards were in close proximity to the cottages.

The farms scheme for returned soldiers proved unsuccessful; the small holdings were generally unworkable, and the soldiers were largely untrained thus finding it difficult to make a living.

In the early 1920s the Returned Soldiers Settlement Scheme was being disbanded and the various properties disposed of. In 1923 the Under Minister for Lands advised the Minister for Agriculture that Grantham Stud Poultry Farm was no longer required for the settlement of returned soldiers, and that alternatively it may be suitable as a demonstration farm operated by the department. On 4 August 1923 the property, comprising.,46 acres 3 roods and 4 perches and valued at 9000 pounds including buildings, stock and plant, was transferred to the Department of Agriculture.

In 1924 there were approximately 2,000 poultry farms within a 50-mile radius from Grantham. Hadlington noted that two-thirds of these farms were sub-standard, indicating the need for Grantham to establish itself as the model poultry farm. At this time, feed experiments were conducted on the property.