Stirling Park in Response to the 2013 Canberra Centenary
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Part B: Proposal for Stirling Park in response to the 2013 Canberra Centenary Stirling Park—European Settlement Time Line 1828 Aug 21 2,560 acres known as Portion 7, Parish of 1854 Narrabundah, County of Murray, was Joseph Kaye, tenant farmer, leased the house promised to John Stephen. This portion and 65 acres (about 3%) on the eastern side of includes what is now known as Stirling Park. Klensendorlffe’s land. The 1885 Land Census Stephen sold the land to William states that Joseph Kaye held 75 acres, with 6 Klensendorlffe in 1829. In 1838, horses and 4 cattle. The family, with eleven Klensendorlffe constructed a stone farm children, the last four of whom were born dwelling on his land, above the flood-level of there, farmed wheat, oats and maize for the Molonglo River. He named the property, nearly 40 years, with the parents retiring to Elizabeth Farm, after his wife, Elizabeth Guise, Queanbeyan in 1889. Their son, Samuel but it became known for years as 6 Charles, took over the farm. Klensendorlffe’s Farmhouse.1 By August 1839, Klensendorlffe had mortgaged this property to 1860 Mar 29 Peter William Plomer, the amount to be Peter Plomer sold Klensendorlffe’s land to repaid by 4 August 1842.2 The 1841 Census of George Campbell, who added it to the Householder’s Returns state that Elizabeth Duntroon Estate.7 The Kaye tenant farmers Cottage retained 11 males and 3 females, of remained but the land was never sub-divided whom 9 were free and 5 were bonded. In until it reverted to the Crown.8 1846, Klensendorlffe was declared bankrupt and he left the district the following year.3 Circa 1860s 1847 May 13 Mining took place on Stirling Ridge and the eastern side of Haines Creek (local name), The land was transferred to Peter William which runs through the park.9 Plomer, who leased the property to Terence Murray of Yarralumla.4 When digging the Sewer line from Old Parliament House to the Weston Creek 1847 Jun Sewerage works in the early 1920s, Terence Murray sub-leased the land to his miners spoke of a silver lode some forty former overseer and friend, Stewart Mowle, feet below the sewer vent at Westlake, who worked for Murray as his overseer. in Stirling Park. A limestone cave near Mowle brought some of his sheep from other Yarralumla was also broken into while properties to Elizabeth Farm. Mowle also sub- constructing the sewer, and the let the property to other tenants. In 1852 the direction was promptly altered to avoid Mowle family departed Canberra.5 it. The miners also noticed that the area of Fitzgerald Street formed a natural drainage area for Stirling Ridge.10 1 NSW Lands & Titles Office, Sydney: Book 12, no. 727. 2 Ibid. 3 Gwendoline Wilson, Murray of Yarralumla, OUP, 6 Young, op.cit., pp.46-47. Melbourne, 1968, pp.192-193. 7 Ibid. 4 Linda Young, Lost Houses of the Molonglo Valley: Canberra 8 Ann Gugler, Westlake: One of the Vanished ‘Suburbs’, A. Before the Federal Capital City, Ginninderra Press, Gugler, Canberra, 1997, p. 3. Canberra, 2007, pp.46-47. 9 Areas identified by Dr. Barry McGowan. 5 Wilson, op.cit., pp.192-19; letter from T.A. Murray to 10 Ann Gugler, ‘A History of Stirling Park…’ Canberra Mowle reminding him to collect lease rents (NLA Historical Journal, n.s. no. 47, Canberra & District Manuscripts). Historical Society Inc., Canberra, September 2000, pp.20- 5 1865 Briar Farm, with a four roomed cottage, 1909 Mar 02 situated where the Southern Cross Yacht Club The first survey camp on Capital Hill (part of is today, was leased by the Campbell’s to the former Westlake) was set up in tenant farmers, Thomas Bryant and James Klensendorlffe’s paddock, on the western side William Cook, brick makers and builders in of a watercourse. Queanbeyan, who had both married, in turn, the widowed Alice Willis, nee Kinlyside.11 The 1910 Jan 1885 Land Census states that Cook was A base camp, on the site of the first survey farming 33 acres, with 5 horses, 5 cattle and 2 camp was set up by the surveyor, C.R. pigs. Scrivener, with a number of timber offices and 1882 a concrete plan room being erected. The Plan Room is still situated, off State Circle and is Thomas Kinlyside, tenant farmer, a heritage listed. wheelwright and blacksmith, married his cousin, Elizabeth Willis, daughter of Alice, and During the period of this camp and the lived at Briar Farm. The 1885 Land Census earlier one the surveyors commenced the stated that Thomas held 80 acres, with 3 survey work of the 36 square miles of the horses, 1 cattle and 2 pigs. Being dissatisfied city proper. One of the survey markers, with the Commonwealth lease conditions on The Gap, is shown on 1913 strip maps – resumption of land, they departed to live at now near the Mosque end of Stirling Oaks Estate and the farmland was taken over Ridge at the western end of the park. 12 by Samuel Charles Kaye. 1911 Jan 01 1892 940 square miles of land resumed by the Tenant farmer, Samuel Charles Kaye, son of Commonwealth for the site of the new federal Joseph, took over his father’s lease and grew capital. potatoes and wheat. By 1913, after valuation Circa 1913 by the Commonwealth assessor, the stone house was described as ‘ruins of house used The quarry, part of Stirling Park, near the site as a dairy’. In 1912 the Commonwealth of Briar Farm and part of Attunga Point, was resumed Duntroon Estate but tenant farmers in use prior to 1860, as stone from it was were permitted to continue working farms on quarried for the reconstruction of St. John the 15 a monthly rental basis. In 1913, Kaye Baptist Church, now in the suburb of Reid. In increased his tenant holdings to 82 acres. In the 1920s the quarry was used for brick 1921 he tenanted 50 acres of Briar Farm, making until the advent of the Lake in 1963. excluding the cottages and four acres of land The bricks were known as The Canberra around the farm cottages, which suggests that Creams. The quarry is situated on the eastern the land around Briar Farm may have side of Attunga Point. continued to be grazed and farmed between 1914-1927 1913 and 1921.13 On 8 August 1924, the Kaye family moved from their farm at Briar Farm, part of Westlake, leased to various Klensendorlffe, to the dairy farm known as Commonwealth employees. The house Springbank.14 received a turnover of various tenants, the last of whom were Charles and Frances Day who resided there from 1927 until its demolition in the early 1950s. 21. 11 Young, op.cit., pp.49-51. 1915-1921 12 Ibid. 13 Oral history, collected by Val Emerton noted that Percy Work began in 1915 in Weston Creek on the Douglas, Fire Chief, who arrived in the territory in 1913, main intercepting sewer. Work stopped in rented Briar Farm from his Southwell brother-in-law. 14 Val Emerton, Past Images, Present Voices, Canberra Stories Group, Canberra, 1996, p.15. 15 Stone was also quarried from Black Mountain. 6 1916 because of the manpower and financial cottages were built at The Gap and occupied shortages caused by World War 1 (1914- from 1924. 1918). In 1922, work recommenced from the The Westlake workers constructed Weston Creek end and during this year work administrative buildings such as East and West resumed in the area of Stirling Park until Blocks, and the provisional Parliament House, around May 1925 when No. 3 Sewer Camp and possibly the Lodge. One of the reasons for was set up. placing the camps on the Westlake hills was to 1922 enable the workers to walk to work, and travelling allowance was not required. The In the eastern region of Stirling Park, heavily timbered hills provided shelter from contractor John Howie built 18 timber huts as the strong winds and the area was out of sight a Hostel Camp for his single workmen and 25, of what was to become ‘permanent two and three bedroom timber dwellings for Canberra’. those who were married. His men constructed Hotel Canberra, originally called Hostel No 1 1924 (to accommodate parliamentary dignitaries), The Freeman family occupied a tent cottage in and other significant buildings throughout the eastern Stirling Park, below the present day territory, e.g. Mt. Stromlo buildings. Singapore High Commission and Brazilian Late 1922-1925 Embassy in Forster Crescent. It may have been part of the Tradesmen’s Mess No. 3 Sewer tent camp was set up in The Gap, accommodation. Mrs Erikson, the Mess Westlake – central Stirling Park. Work Caterer of the Tradesmen’s Camp, moved into commenced on the sewer tunnel from old a Westlake Cottage in 1924, leaving the tent Parliament House to the Weston Creek and nearby timber storage buildings vacant. Sewerage Works. About 50 tents were erected The facilities block, used by the Freeman’s, sat in two rows along the base of Stirling Ridge. on a concrete block, which may have been Above the tents, in line with the sewer vent part of a Howie’s lavatory block. This site is across the ridge, were a number of humpies, still recognisable today. constructed by the owners for their worker’s wives and families. Work commenced on 20 1925 workmen’s timber cottages, designed by HM Howie completed construction of the last five Rolland, in the Westlake settlement of The pavilions of the Hotel Canberra. One of Gap.