Morpeth House and Closebourne House

About

Morpeth House and Closebourne House is a heritage-listed precinct containing two associated residences built by Edward Charles Close at 365 Morpeth Road, Morpeth, City of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. It includes Morpeth House (variously a private residence, bishop's residence, and theological college) and Closebourne House (variously a private residence, boys' home, grammar school and conference centre). The houses were built from 1829 to 1849 and were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Aboriginal occupation - pre- and post- European colonialism

According to Horton (1994), the band that would be of interest to this area, would be the family groupings of the Wonnaruah, although early accounts mention the Gringai who it appears may have been a family grouping of the Wonnaruah. They probably had various base camps along tributaries of the Hunter River. The camps would have been near reliable watercourses. The pathways to other bands or to food, shelter or ceremonial resources were generally along creeks and associated watercourses or ridgelines. The Wonnaruah had extensive relationships with the Awabakal, Gringai, Darkinjung and Worimi.

The section of the Hunter River at Morpeth was called Coonanbarra. The landing place for the first European contact at Morpeth was immediately west of the subject site. The landing place would have been chosen as it was probably the landing place and access to the river by the Aboriginal people. The Hunter River was known as Coquon.

The site under study would have been ideally located for a camp, being close to the river, flood plains and swamps as food sources, but removed far enough to give some protection from mosquitoes, with commanding surveillance of surrounding areas.

The area that now contains Morpeth House (later known as St John's College) was part of a grant of 2600 acres, given in 3 lots (1030, 1020 and later 560 acres), given by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in about 1821 to Lieutenant Edward Close who had been appointed Engineer of Public Works in Newcastle.

Lieutenant Close came to NSW with the 48th Regiment of Foot in 1817. After three years of service, he resigned his commission and was appointed Engineer of Public Works to Newcastle by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. As a retired officer, he was entitled to the land grant. Part of this grant was at the end of the navigable section of the Hunter River. The grant was later regretted by the Government of the day.

The original house, Closebourne House, later renamed Bishopscourt, was home to the Close family from 1821 to 1849 when it was subdivided to provide a home for the first Bishop of Newcastle. Morpeth House was then built by the Close family as their residence. Thereafter, the two houses and their grounds have had separate existences.

Close expended some effort and expense to clear the land for his first, temporary, house. It has been suggested in the archaeological report (by Wendy Thorp) that this might still exist in the town of Morpeth on the south-western corner of Berkeley and Close Streets.

The first principal work was to reshape the environment to his particular needs and to do so he had the labour of assigned convicts. The open grassy meadows which now characterise the area derive from this initial clearance and reflect Close's needs for agriculture and animal husbandry and, by example, the European need to introduce familiar staples to an alien landscape. The assigned labour also was used to quarry stone from the estate to be used in the main house.

Close commenced work during the early to mid-1820s on a second and more imposing two-storeyed Georgian-style house, Closebourne House. Located on a rise with commanding views of the river, his choice of this site is illustrative of his concerns and perceptions. At the most basic, it afforded protection from floods. At the same time it provided panoramic views of the river. The choice of the site, the way in which the land was cleared and a wide sweep of lawn formed before the house with landmark plants (such as towering fastigiate Cook's pine trees, Araucaria columnaris: Stuart Read, pers.comm., 9/12/2016) to either side of the house and the broad semi-circular carriage drive (which had one entrance at or near the intersection of Tank Street and Morpeth Road and the other in its present location to the west along Morpeth Road) reflect Close's tastes, sophistication and conformity to the then highly fashionable arcadian aesthetic expressed at other contemporary estates such as Captain John Piper's Henrietta Villa at Darling Point, Sydney.

(The path for the drive shown on the 1838 plan must be regarded as broadly indicative only. The purpose of this plan was to show the village and the western end of the drive is far away from this. No evidence has been found to indicate the drive to be anywhere other than its present location).

The choice, either consciously or otherwise, was also a political one. It made a clear statement of the superiority of Close's position with respect to the ongoing conflict with the Government over his ownership of this strategic site. It established EC Close as the most important person in the district. Furthermore, the position of the house, in relation to the village that was surveyed next to the river and below the level of the house, is a clear statement of the social hierarchy which had Edward Close at the apex, in a manner not dissimilar to a feudal fief.

In a similar vein, Close provided a number of civic amenities from his land grant, not least of which were the building of St James's Church, hall and rectory, land for the cemetery and a parish school house.

Close subdivided his land in the 1840s during a severe depression in the colony. In 1840, some 20 of the lots were put up for sale. In 1841, another 35 went under the hammer and another 9 in 1849. In 1849, he sold his house, Closebourne, to the new Anglican Bishop of Newcastle for the sum of 1,600 pounds.

Upon its purchase by Bishop William Tyrrell in 1849, Closebourne House became known as Bishopscourt, a common colonial name for the home of the Bishop.

Tyrrell was the first Anglican Bishop of Newcastle, consecrated in 1847 in England. On his arrival, he lived in St James's Rectory for two years until the Diocese bought Closebourne from Edward Close. There is no known record of alterations to the house during his tenure. He is known to have been a keen gardener and may have been responsible for the introduction of many fruit trees, flowers and other exotic garden flora.

The occupation of Closebourne as Bishopscourt and Diocesan administration of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle was as follows:

- 1880–1886: Bishop Josiah Brown Pearson. Tenders were called for work at the house but the extent of these works is not known.

- 1887–1891: Diocesan administration by Canon Selwyn as Administrator of the Diocese during Bishop Pearson's illness and return to England. Pearson resigned his office in 1889 and died in England.