HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

Name WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Address 366 CASTERTON-EDENHOPE ROAD, WANDO VALE Place Type Homestead building Citation Date 2006

52874 WV homestead1

Recommended VHR - HI - PS - Heritage Protection

History and Historical Context

In 1840, four acquaintances set out from Van Diemen's Land to take up land in the colony of New South Wales, now known as . On their arrival at Portland, they proceeded to the Wando area. There, John G. Robertson took up a run known as Wando Vale; Dr. Isaac Corney and his brother John Frederick Corney took up the Cashmere run; and their brother William Corney took up the Wando run (A History of Wando Vale and of Wando Bridge 1840-1950).

John Robertson had arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1831, returning from a two year expedition through India employed as a botanist and naturalist with half a crown and sixpence in his pocket (Palmer [ed.], 1973). He then worked for a Botanist, Mr. Lawrence as manager of his property until 1839, when he had saved three thousand pounds andaimed to purchase his own land. The high price of land in Van Diemen's Land forced him to look to the newly discovered lands in what became Victoria (ibid.). He purchased 1000 ewes, a team of six working bullocks, two cows and a horse, stores, and tools and was able to employ four men to take with him in his new venture (ibid.).

John George Robertson had "...no difficulty in finding a run, as the Messrs. Henty were applied to by my former

WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Hermes No 52874 Place Citation Report Page 1 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

employer to forward my views, and by doing so they would be conferring a favour on him. They pointed out their boundary, and I took possession of the land adjoining..." (Robertson, 1853, in Bride, Letters from Victorian Pioneers). He selected 11,338 acres (4435ha) of land in the Wando area, with his home station located in a sheltered hollow of a gentle hill, with regular fresh water supplied by a nearby creek. However, the peace did not last long; as more squatters poured into the area, everyone wanted land. John George Robertson, continues (in a letter to Governor La Trobe in 1853) that: "...there were but three settlers here before me - Messrs. Henty, Winter, and Pilleau. The latter had no sheep, but had taken up a run. Whyte Brothers, from the Pentland Hills, near Melbourne, came on to the Wannon country the week before I arrived, following in the track of Wedge Brothers, who stopped at the Grange, passing all that fine sheep country from to the Grange, for permanent water. Messrs. Addison and Murray arrived on the from Portland the sarne day I came on the Wando ... The same week (the second in March 1840) Messrs. Savage and Dana took up Nangeela on the Glenelg; Messrs. Wrentrnore and Butcher took up Warrock Station on the east bank of the Glenelg, and Messrs. Corney Brothers occupied Cashmere on the east and west bank of the ; Thomas Tulloh the Wannon Falls. In April following, Mr. Thomas McCulloch put himself down between Addison and Murray, Mr. Corney, and self, taking part from each, but most from me, from fear of going outside, where there was plenty of land, from fear of the natives. The same week Mr. Purbrick took part of Whyte Brothers', Pilleau's and Tulloh's. As we had all arrived from Van Diemen's Land direct, we knew nothing of the squatting regulation, and by the end of April we were all quarrelling about our boundary, and as we had no communication with Melbourne but by water occasionally, we all looked forward to the arrival of the Crown Lands Commissioner, and his duties seem at that time very ill- defined, and, owing to the conflicting testimony of the witnesses, he had a most difficult task to adjudicate. Although I had contented myself with about 12,000 acres, as there was a sort of natural boundary, by the end of June, when Crown Lands Commissioner Fyans arrived, I was left with less than 2,000 acres. And even the place where my home-station was formed was not secure. Although myself, and my neighbour, Mr. Henty, decided on a boundary when he pointed out the land to me, he, Mr. H., procured a letter from the C.L.C., for me to remove my home-station, as it was too near his boundary, which letter was not presented to me until the Commissioner had left the district.

I was exceedingly anxious to get on with my improvements, and I liked the spot I had chosen. I did not consider myself justified in going on with the improvements until the return of the Commissioner six months afterwards, for fear I should have to remove my head station. By this time my quarter was about the best in the district. I had a paddock, with plenty of hay and com for a hungry horse. When I learnt that the Commissioner was in the neighbourhood, I waited on him about twenty miles off, invited him to my place, and held out the bait of hay and corn to his horses (knowing some little of human nature); I did not forget the man as well as the horses. It had the desired effect. He promised my place the site I had chosen, told me I had been misrepresented to him, and after seeing his horses next morning, offered to extend my boundary in order to put my place in the middle of my run, which offer, to his astonishment, I declined, and by this second visit I was put in possession of my original boundary. I may here observe that the Crown Lands Commissioner made my place his quarters for nine years afterwards..."

John Robertson was a single man when he arrived at Wando Vale, and it was not until some years later that he married Mary McConachie from Konongwootong Creek run near Coleraine. Their marriage is not listed in the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Register for the years 1836-1888. None of their children are registered in this way either. The Wando Vale homestead complex soon took shape, with a simple stone, brick and timber homestead constructed, nestled into the side of the hill, and several outbuildings around it. Later, a second storey was added, using handmade brick. A fine garden was also established around the homestead, with indigenous trees and grasses as well as an extensive orchard and pleasure garden. Rolf Boldrewood recalls Wando Vale in the 1840s in Old Melbourne Memories: "Old Mr. Robertson, a Scottish settler, had a lovely station on the Wannon. To his homestead travellers chiefly gravitated for reasons which he summarised somewhat plainly on one occasion. 'Don't think I believe you come to see old Robertson', he said 'In the summer it's the fruit that fetches you, and in the winter Mary's jam.' Now, Miss Robertson's preserves and conserves were the admiration of the whole district while the orchard in season was a marvel for fruit of every sort." It was said that at Wando Vale, in less than five years, the Robertson family were able to pick crops of gooseberries, black, red and white currants, cherries, plums, apricots, peaches, quinces, strawberries, raspberries and brambleberries (Palmer [ed.). 1973).

WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Hermes No 52874 Place Citation Report Page 2 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

It is certain that as early as 1850, the garden was flourishing, and Robertson, unusually, was keeping plots of indigenous plants. William Moodie recalls arriving at his uncle John George Robertson's Wando Vale run in 1850 "...The homestead [was] nestled snugly into a garden which contained many native trees of which my uncle was very proud, whilst a strip of stately red gums fringed the edges of a little creek running through the garden - and such a garden! You would think that everything that could grow was there, and though it was so late in the season there was still a fair quantity of fruit on the trees and plenty of grapes. I have eaten luscious grapes from the Wando vines in June ... My uncle was very proud of his native trees and also his plot of indigenous grasses. He liked to preserve the kangaroo and other local grasses and one of my first jobs was to weed them..." (Palmer [ed.], 1973, p.26).

By the mid 1850s the homestead was a fine two-storey structure built mainly of brick, with a stone store and cellar area and a veranda. A unique mantle and surrounds of grey granite was imported from Scotland to take pride of place in Robertson's home, which overlooked vast gardens of flowers and vegetables. The homestead was enclosed by a Hawthorn hedge, and a vineyard and orchard flourished. The orchard had many apple trees, grown from the seed of rotten barrel apples brought out from England. Later he sent from Victoria dried plants to the herbarium at Kew and before returning to Scotland, where he died in 1862, William Moodie helped him pack 4000 botanical specimens which he had collected for Kew. He was constantly in correspondence with other botanists and his name is commemorated by Ranunculus Robersoni and Calochlus Robersoni .

In 1854, John G. Robertson sold Wando Vale to William and John Robertson. The reasons for selling Wando Vale may be many and varied, but it is possible that he was disillusioned with the land, which had once seemed so promising. In a letter to Governor La Trobe just twelve months prior, he describes the changes he has begun to notice in the land and water courses: "Many of our herbaceous plants began to disappear from the pasture land; the silk-grass began to show itself in the edge of the bush track, and in patches here and there on the hill. The patches have grown larger every year; herbaceous plants and grasses give way for the silk-grass and the little annuals, beneath which are annual peas, and die in our deep clay soil with a few hot days in spring, and nothing returns to supply their place until later in the winter following. The consequence is that the long deep-rooted grasses that held our strong clay hill together have died out; the ground is now exposed to the sun, and it has cracked in all directions, and the clay hills are slipping in all directions; also the sides of precipitous creeks - long slips, taking trees and all with them. When I first came here, I knew of but two landslips, both of which I went to see; now there are hundreds found within the last three years.

"A rather strange thing is going on now. One day all the creeks and little watercourses were covered with a large tussocky grass, with other grasses and plants, to the middle of every watercourse but the Glenelg and Wannon, and in many places of these rivers; now that the only soil is getting trodden hard with stock, springs of salt water are bursting out in every hollow or watercourse, and as it trickles down the watercourse in summer, the strong tussocky grasses die before it, with all others. The clay is left perfectly bare in summer. The strong clay cracks; the winter rain washes out the clay; now mostly every little gully has a deep rut; when rain falls it runs off the hard ground, rushes down these ruts, runs into the larger creeks, and is carrying earth, trees, and all before it. Over Wannon country is now as difficult a ride as if it were fenced. Ruts, seven, eight, and ten feet deep, and as wide, are found for miles, where two years ago it was covered with tussocky grass like a land marsh. I find from the rapid strides the silk-grass has made over my run, I will not be able to keep the number of sheep the run did three years ago, and as a cattle station it will be still worse; it requires no great prophetic knowledge to see that this part of the country will not carry the stock that is in it at present - I mean the open downs, and every year it will get worse, as it did in VDL.; and after all the experiments I worked with English grasses, I have never found any of them that will replace our native sward. The day the soil is turned up, that day the pasture is gone for ever as far as I know, for I had a paddock that was sown with English grasses, in squares each by itself, and mixed in every way. All was carried off by the grubs, and the paddock allowed to remain in native grass, which returned in eight years. Nothing but silk- grass grew year after year, andI suppose it would be so on to the end of time. Dutch clover will not grow on our clay soils; and for pastoral purposes the lands here are getting of less value every day, that is, with the kind of grass that is growing in them, and will carry less sheep and far less cattle." (Robertson, 1853, in Bride, Letters from Victorian Pioneers)

WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Hermes No 52874 Place Citation Report Page 3 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

The subsequent owners, William and John Robertson had previously held various properties around Victoria, including Robertson's Station, Navarre (1845-1848),Struan, Merino (1841-1867), Kinkell and Woodford, Dartmoor (1853-1866), and Ellengowan, Narrawong (1849-1852).

William Robertson married Ann McPherson in 1860 (Dept. of Justice, 1998, #598) and they had six surviving children, the youngest being twin sons, who were well known around the district for their sporting ability. The large stone stables which existed at Wando Vale until recently were built by William Robertson in 1863 (Davidson: 1990). Adam Lindsay Gordon was a frequent visitor to Wando Vale, as both William and Gordon were great horse lovers.

William Robertson died in 1867, and tenders were called by the executor, Mr. J.R. McPherson of Phoines (father of Ann) for the lease of Wando Vale for a term of seven years. McPherson acted in the capacity of executor until the twin sons were of age. James Gardner leased Wando Vale between 1868 and 1875, the manager for this period being William David Skene, who later leased the run for a time. He was followed by R.T. Carty as lessor between 1881 and 1885. It is said that two of R.T. Carty's sons died at four and half and five and a half years old after eating green apples in the orchard at Wando Vale (Davidson, 1990). Their tombstones certainly say that they died at Wando Vale, but they died several years apart.

The Robertsons returned to Wando Vale in 1886, and the property was put on the market soon after, in 1887. It was sold at the Menzies Hotel in Melbourne to a Mrs. Nicholas, a substantial landholder in the area, the widow of Archibald Johnson. As his widow she owned from his estate Chetwynd, Konongwootong North and South, Glenorchy, Glenlivet and Tahara, and purchased Wando Vale totalling over 64,000 acres (25,600ha) (Davidson, n.d).

In 1886, Mrs. Nicholas threw open some 16,000 (6400ha) acres of Wando Vale for lease. Shortly afterwards, Charles Koch rented a large portion of the land to grow wheat. There were twenty three ploughmen employed on single furrow ploughs and, at harvest, a threshing machine was kept busy for two months threshing the crop. The wheat was sent to London for sale, and en route the ship which carried the wheat sank. It is thought that during the Nicholas ownership, the second storey of the homestead was removed, as the foundations were unable to support the weight of the brick upper storey.

Mrs. Nicholas died in 1899, and the property was put up for sale but passed in. The following year, 10,466 acres (4188ha) were sold to the Government for £63,985 (Munro [ed.], 2000). The Estate was split into66 parcels of land for allocation, ranging from 90 to 400 acres (36 to 1600ha) in size, the values as nearly as possible equalised. In addition, 20 acres (8ha) were allocated for a township, subdivided into half acre allotments, with reserves being set apart for a school, churches and necessary public buildings. Reserves were also set aside for a butter factory, and both gravel reserves and water reserves. The land was sold from April to June 1900 (ibid.).

James W. Widdicombe was lucky enough to be allocated the 'Homestead Block'. The Casterton News published a list of 'Successful Applicants' on Friday, July 13, 1900; James W. Widdicombe is listed as "Allotment 6/H, of 104 acres at £9/12/8 per acre. JAMES W. WIDDICOMBE, Karnak, married, seven daughters, one son." James Widdicombe was elected to the Glenelg Shire Council in 1901, and held this seat until his death in 1916.

His son-in-law, Mr. J. Nolan purchased the homestead and land from Widdicombe prior to 1916, and later, Nolan's son Bill (William) took over the site. In 1945, William Nolan wrote "There are now eleven rooms in the homestead. Up in the ceiling you may see the old wall paper which is many years old. The slates are coming off [the roof] and the plaster is falling, making some of the rooms unsafe. In some places the plaster is four inches thick." A simple sketch is attached, showing that in 1945 the house was single storey, with a storeroom to the north side of the house, a veranda across the facade, a front room and two bedrooms and the kitchen on the north side, a central 'veranda passage' and a bedroom, passageway, pantry, bedroom and bathroom on the south side. No mention is made of the garden, but it is recalled by local people as being very beautiful and intact into the early 1950s (Lane, T., pers. comm., 2005).

WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Hermes No 52874 Place Citation Report Page 4 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

Mr. Tom Upton purchased the homestead block in the early 1950s, and demolished the homestead, woolshed and the majority of the garden, particularly the orchard area. With the salvaged bricks, he constructed a new house overlooking the old homestead site. The blackwood and sandstone stables, built in 1863 were demolished recently, and the stone used to 'beautify' the streets in Casterton.

References

A History of Wando Vale and Wando Bridge, Davidson, Terence. P, Hamilton Spectator, 1990. Letters from Victorian Pioneers, Bride, Thomas Francis, Sayers, C. E., ed., William Heinemann Ltd, 1969. Wando Vale Closer Settlement 1900-2000; The Century in Summary (incorporating Souvenir History {reprinted}), Munro, Ann (compiled), Wando Vale Centenary of Closer Settlement Committee, 2000. Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages 1860, Department of Justice, 1998. Page(s) 0. MacBeth. A History of Wando Vale and of Wando Bridge 1840-1950, Bilston, Thomas H. Personal Communications, December 2005, Lane, T, 2005.

Relevant Historical Australian Themes

Theme 3: Developing local, regional and national economies 3.5 Developing primary production 3.5.1 Grazing stock

Theme 5: Working 5.8 Working on the land

Description

Physical Description

The Wando Vale Homestead site is located on the east side of a hill, between the Casterton-Edenhope Road and Satimer Road, approximately 500m south east of the intersection of the Satimer Road and the Casterton-Edenhope Road. The physical fabric which remains of this once substantial homestead complex is limited, but can provide us with some understanding of the lives of the earlier occupants and owners. The cellar and store house ruins are the only part of the main house which is relatively intact. The walls of these are constructed with sandstone and iron stone blocks, which have been worked with a substantial degree of skill, particularly those on the facade of the building. The windows are small openings in the walls with iron bars across them. The windows were used for light and ventilation of the cellars and store areas, the iron bars to prevent theft from employees or aboriginal people. The window lintels are massive rectangular blocks of stone, and wooden window frames have been inserted into the stone work. The doors are low, and have also had timber frames inserted into the centre of the stone work, with massive stone lintels above. Both the interior and the exterior of the ruins have once been rendered. Remnants of white and pink coloured lime mortar, thick with small pieces of quartz are evident on the exterior of the ruin, while the interiors show only the plain render.

To the south west of the homestead site, a small brick outbuilding survives. The bricks appear to be handmade, and the outbuilding may date from as early as 1860. It has had a significant amount of the structure to the northern end removed. The building appears to have been a kitchen (perhaps a detached kitchen to the main house, or a workmen's kitchen). It has a large open fireplace, used for cooking, with hooks and holes for placing cooking equipment and a bread oven to one side (now bricked up). The interiors show a variety of different wall coverings, from white and green lime wash through to vivid turquoise. The building has two large rectangular window openings, one on the east and one on the west side of the building. The window on the west side has the remains of a four paned window, the window on the east has the remains of a twelve paned double hung sash window. An exterior door is located to the north of the window on the east side of the building. It appears that the rear (north) part of the building has been recently demolished, as what appears to be an internal door leads to the north exterior. The northern facade is rendered, and shows clear evidence of a division between two rooms. Unusually, the south

WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Hermes No 52874 Place Citation Report Page 5 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

side of the building shows an entrance into the ceiling, similar to a loft door opening. The structure is in poor condition.

There is little remaining of the once extensive garden. This has been severely exacerbated by recent removal of the fencing which appears around the homestead site in the 1990s. The trees which remain include Robinia pseudoacacia (False acacia or black locust), Ulmus procera (English Elms), Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey Cypress), Cratageus monogyna (Hawthorn), Laurus nobilus (Bay Laurel), Pinus radiata (Monterey Pine)

Physical Condition

Ruinous

Usage / Former Usage

Ruinous

Recommended Management

Fence of homestead site immediately. Undertake archaelogical survey.

Comparative Analysis

Wando Dale, Wando Dale Road, Wando Heights (SSG)

Statement of Significance

What is Significant? The Wando Vale Homestead site is located on the east side of a hill, between the Casterton-Edenhope Road and Hardie's Road, approximately 500m south east of the intersection of the Satimer Road and the Casterton-Edenhope Road. The physical fabric which remains of this once substantial homestead complex is limited, but can provide some understanding of the lives of the earlier occupants and owners. The cellar and store house ruins are the only part of the main house which is relatively intact. The walls of these are constructed with sandstone and iron stone blocks, which have been worked with a substantial degree of skill, particularly those on the facade of the building. The windows are small openings in the walls with iron bars across them. The original homestead probably dates from the 1840s. To the south west of the main homestead ruins, a small brick outbuilding survives. The bricks appear to be handmade, and the outbuilding may date from as early as 1860. It has had a significant amount of the structure to the northern end removed. The building appears to have been a kitchen (perhaps a detached kitchen to the main house, or a workmen's kitchen). It has a large open fireplace, used for cooking, with hooks and holes for placing cooking equipment and a bread oven to one side (now bricked up). The interiors show a variety of different wall coverings, from white and green lime wash through to vivid turquoise. The building has two large rectangular window openings, one on the east and one on the west side of the building. The window on the west side has the remains of a four paned window, the window on the east has the remains of a twelve paned double hung sash window. An exterior door is located to the north of the window on the east side of the building. It appears that the rear (north) part of the building has been recently demolished, as what appears to be an internal door leads to the north exterior. The northern facade is rendered, and shows clear evidence of a division between two rooms. Unusually, the south side of the building shows an entrance into the ceiling, similar to a loft door opening. The structure is in poor condition. Thereis limited remaining of the once extensive garden. This has been severely exacerbated by recent removal of the fencing which appears around the homestead site in the 1990s. The trees which remain include Robinia pseudoacacia (Wisteria tree), Ulmus procera (English Elms), Cupressus macrocarpa (Monteray Cypress), Cratageus monogyna (Hawthorn), Laurus nobilus (Bay Laurel), Pinus radiata (Monterey Pine), and it is likely that a number of bulbs and other small shrubs survive, which were not evident at the time of inspection. A River Redgum which is located immediately in front of the main house site may be one planted in the

WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Hermes No 52874 Place Citation Report Page 6 HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

1840s in Robertson's very early 'native' garden plot. The trees which do remain are generally in good condition, and provide some understanding of the extent of layout of this once famous garden.

How is it Significant? Wando Vale Homestead Site is of historical, architectural and botanical significance to the Glenelg Shire.

Why is it Significant? The Wando Vale Homestead site is of historical significance firstly as the home of the prominent landholder, botanist, naturalist and writer, John George Robertson, who established Wando Vale run in March 1840. Robertson was one of the first four squatters to come to the Western District, and his written record of the changes which he saw over the period of his occupancy on his and others' land provides a lasting primary source detailing the speed at which early pastoral practices destroyed the very land it had cherished. The garden which Robertson established at Wando Vale is of extremely high historical and botanical significance. It was started in 1841, and was planted out with fruit trees, vines and brambles, all grown from seeds collected from Van Diemen's Land specimens as well as from England, and sources such as the seeds of barreled apples sent from England. The trees were established in the same way, or from cuttings of plants from visiting officials, and eventually neighbouring runs. Of further interest was the 'native' collection which Robertson grew. As a botanist, Robertson collected samples, seeds and plant material of indigenous flora around the area, and planted these out on the creek bank. It is possible that the only remaining plant is the surviving River Redgum in front of the main house site. The plants which remain in the garden represent an early and semi-professional attempt at botanising and establishing new and recognised plants in a foreign land. The ruins of the house are of architectural significance for their simple solid construction, and fine stonework, using local stone and timber, as well as hand made bricks constructed from the clay of their nearby creek or the Wando River, some 2 kilometres away.

Recommendations 2006

External Paint Controls - Internal Alteration Controls - Tree Controls - Fences & Outbuildings - Prohibited Uses May Be Permitted - Incorporated Plan - Aboriginal Heritage Place -

This information is provided for guidance only and does not supersede official documents, particularly the planning scheme. Planning controls should be verified by checking the relevant municipal planning scheme.

WANDO VALE HOMESTEAD SITE Hermes No 52874 Place Citation Report Page 7