Broughton House, Parramatta

About

Broughton House is a heritage-listed former residence, school and now nursing home at 43a Thomas Street, Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1838 and was possibly designed by John Verge. It has also been known as Newlands, Bowden House, Parramatta Convalescent Home and Parramatta Nursing Home. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 1 October 1999.

The block on which Broughton House now stands was part of two sixty acre farms, stretching from today's Isabella Street south to the river, that were granted to two seamen from HMS Sirius, Robert Webb ( c. 1762–1799) and William Reid ( c. 1765–?) in March 1791, by Governor Phillip, for farming. Huts were built for them, two acres of land cleared and they were granted food, seed, agricultural tools, livestock and medical attention. Their assigned convicts were provided for from the public stores for one year.

Over the two decades, Farm No. 7 and adjacent landholdings were bought up by, and/or granted to, Samuel Marsden. The Reverend Samuel Marsden (1764–1838) was born in Yorkshire and arrived in the Colony of New South Wales as assistant to the Chaplain in March 1794. Later becoming Principal Chaplain at Parramatta, he was an ardent farmer and pastoralist and a central member of the Parramatta gentry. While his official Parramatta residence was the Parsonage (on May's Hill), built in 1817 to Francis Greenway 's design, he acquired several grants of land, which he called Newlands, on the northern side of the Parramatta River.

In 1835, Marsden built a house for his daughter Jane and her husband, the Rev Thomas Marsden (cousin of Samuel).

A few kilometres east along the banks of the Parramatta River (in today's Rydalmere ), Hannibal H. Macarthur had Verge design a two-storey mansion, The Vineyard, in 1835.

The north bank of the river appeared to be the preferred part of town where many quality homes were built during the 1830s. Waddon Cottage and Pemberton Grange had been erected for the Palmers. Samuel Marsden's house was the first to be named Newlands, built 1835 west of Campbell's building. Across the river, John Macarthur had enlarged Elizabeth Farm and further east along Duck River, John Blaxland had erected a two-storey mansion called Newington House.

An indenture dated 1 February 1839 transferred the property (Newlands) to Jane Marsden, daughter of the late Reverend Samuel Marsden, for 1500 pounds. Jane Marsden resided in Newlands House only for a short time, for in 1842 she sailed to England with her two children. The property was advertised seeking a tenant for a three-year lease in the Sydney Morning Herald in May 1841.

Pieter Laurentz Campbell became private secretary, aged seventeen, to Major General Sir Richard Bourke, Acting Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, in 1826. He stayed on at the Cape after Bourke's departure, joined the military in 1830 and transferred in 1832 to the 21st Regiment, destined for New South Wales. Campbell married Barbara Macleay, daughter of Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay, in September 1834. Campbell was posted to Parramatta as Police Magistrate in October 1836. He purchased 15 acres 3 roods from Samuel Marsden's extensive grant named Newlands, district of Field of Mars, on 24 November 1837. Campbell was the Police Magistrate for Parramatta from 1836 to 1839.

Campbell had borrowed money from William Lawson of Parramatta to build his grand house in 1838/1839.

Three months after his appointment, on 1 January 1837 Campbell purchased eight acres from Rev. Samuel Marsden on the northern side of the Parramatta River, extending to the water and almost opposite Experiment Farm. Building began shortly after, as is evidenced by artist Conrad Martens ' "View of Parramatta from the grounds of H. H. Macarthur" dated 25 September 1837 which depicts the very substantial two-storey residence. The house was designed by architect John Verge who, about the same time, also drew up plans for Elizabeth Bay House, for Campbell's father-in-law, Alexander Macleay. (Aside from the clues of Verge's stylistic attributes, in February 1839 Campbell applied to purchase 1048 acres on the Macleay River and this land was immediately on sold to Verge for a nominal fee. It is reasonable to assume that this was payment). In February 1838 Campbell bought another seven acres from Marsden that adjoined his earlier purchase, extending to the north to present-day Victoria Road.

The dwelling and other buildings were completed by 1 February 1839.

The Campbells took up residence in a (this new) house that stood "entirely by itself" near the "Government Paddock". The Government Paddock was a designated place and appeared on various maps from c. 1828. It was at the south-west corner of the present-day Great Western Highway and Church Street.

In February 1839, as Campbell prepared to move to Sydney to assume the office of Acting Colonial Treasurer, the property was re-acquired by the Marsden family (the Rev. Samuel Marsden had died on 12 May 1838) when Jane, his daughter, purchased it from Campbell. The transfer was done using a legal device known as a " lease and release " which in effect kept the sale secret for at least the term of the lease, in this instance, one year. It also meant that the family could continue to reside there until premises were found in the east.

Conrad Martens sketched the house, identifying it as the "House of L Campbell Esq. J.P., Parramatta, 20 March 1839". In April 1839 Campbell purchased from Martens his "View of Parramatta" which shows his house as a prominent feature of the landscape as seen from the eastern approach from the river and also the "house at Parramatta", together with a copy. In total he spent 22.1.0 pounds on the three works, a substantial sum for Campbell who was continually plagued with financial shortfalls. He was indeed proud of the house, despite the family's very limited period of occupation of only about one year.

Elizabeth Macarthur (of Elizabeth Farm south of / over the river) wrote in a letter of 6 March 1839 referring to Campbell and his family being her "near neighbours" and resident in the "new cottage on the Estate of the late Dr. Harris". Historian Sue Rosen notes that Broughton Hall was built in 1837 and designed by John Verge. She quotes Macarthur's 1839 letter further:

" Mr Riddell has two years leave of absence from his duties as Colonial Treasurer. Mr Laurentz Campbell who has been our Police Magistrate for the last three years is to take Riddell's place – & he is already gone to Sydney – His little Wife and three little ones, who are our near neighbours – & have occupied a new cottage on the Estate of the late Dr. Harris follow as soon as they can get a house in Sydney. Mr Campbell is a most vigilant & active Policy Magistrate and has kept the Town of Parramatta and its neighbourhood free from robberies and disturbances...".

The "new cottage" has been taken to mean Experiment Farm Cottage (Harris owned Experiment Farm on the River's southern bank adjoining Elizabeth Farm). Yet the Campbell residence, which was sketched in March 1839 by Conrad Martens, was located on the northern side of the river, almost opposite Experiment Farm. This house still stands, although much altered, and is currently known as Broughton House. It is located at 43A Thomas Street.

What would become Broughton House remained in Jane Marsden's name until 1876. Further research is required to establish who occupied the house from 1842 to 1864. It was possibly leased as a residence by military officers.

One of the most popular schools in Parramatta was conducted by William Woolls. He first started a school ("Mr Woolls' Academy": Gilbert, 32) at Harrisford in George Street, Parramatta, in 1842 but moved to the larger premises of Newlands in 1864 (Gilbert says "in or about 1865", noting Woolls' Harrisford Academy was remarkably successful. Never large, catering for about 30 boys at a time, it seems to have been a happy, enlightened and enlightening institution which the boys remembered with gratitude and affection). Gilbert adds that Woolls remained at Newlands for the last seven years or so of his teaching career. The school was for local boys as well as boarders. During Woolls' stay at Newlands, he continued his extensive botanical studies including botany in the school curriculum, taking the boys regularly on field trips around the hills of Parramatta collecting samples of unknown specimens. Woolls was an important early schoolmaster and botanist. He lectured frequently on the botanical landscape and was recognised by the greatest of the British and European botanists, on whose recommendation Woolls was admitted in 1865, as a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, one of the most respected scientific organisations in Britain. In August 1872 Woolls retired from teaching and was admitted to holy orders in 1873, becoming the Rev. William Woolls.

In 1876, Thomas Kendall Bowden bought the property for 2,000 pounds (he was from a family of lawyers and Methodist Pioneers; his father was Mayor of Parramatta). He died 31 October 1879: a Trustee, William Byrnes, was appointed to act on behalf of the widow Mary Elizabeth Bowden and the property was transferred. It later became known as Bowden House. Sarah Emily Richards was the owner of Bowden House on 20 August 1897 paying 2,000 pounds.