Newtown House

Statement of Significance

Associations with Abbey family and social centre in area - Post Office before 1879 and served as church and school.

Physical Description

This group of buildings consists of Newtown House, c1851, to which a kitchen in similar style was added in 1989, a stone store c1849, an old well I front of the house, a covered area which is the remnants of the old stable, a barn c1910. A modern two storey residence imitating Prospect Villa (behind BP garage in Busselton) to the south of Newtown House and a modern toilet block to the south of the stone store and modern stables at some distance away are not included in the assessment.
Newtown House is a single storey brick building showing English soft burnt bricks externally and rendered brick work internally. Its plan form is a simple rectangles with three rooms in a row oriented approx. on an east-west axis with verandahs on the north and east side. The roof is hipped with a ventilating gable each end and is covered with corrugated iron. There is no ceiling, and the rafters and weatherboard lining are exposed to view internally. To the west of the original building a new kitchen has been added, with a similar roof, rendered walls and matching verandah on the north side. A few meters to the west of Newtown House is a row of three structures on a north south axis. The central building is a small single storey stone store with a gabled corrugated iron roof. The stonework is of random rubbles sandstone with deeply raked joints. To the south is a modern toilet block and store and to the north a covered area about 15m x 3.75 m covered by a corrugated iron roof supported on timber columns. The well has a cement cover and iron pump.
The c1910 barn is some distance west of the stone store. It is a large structure of timber framing and clad with jarrah slabs (staves) placed vertically. There is a central gabled area of about 4.6m from floor to wall plate height. This central area is flanked by lean-to sections on the east and west sides. The roof sheeting is corrugated iron. The central core has a recently constructed mezzanine. The barn is at present used for arts and craft manufacture, sale and display.
This building which was formerly part of a U-shaped complex, had a symmetrical plan form. The roof line exhibits a small gable end in the northern hip – unusual for this building era.
CONSTRUCTION: The house is constructed of bonded brickwork with caprock walls in the western walls – weather side. Floors: originally of compressed clay. Internal finishes: the ceiling was raked and sarking exposed. The walls were not rendered originally. Fireplaces : Chimneys: Two fireplaces are present; one expressed internally in rendered brickwork and the other, in the western wall, externally expressed. This chimney shows an unusual elevation. Windows: paned casement. Doors: matchboard type; the architraves are not usual for a brick dwelling and show an expression of the builder.

History

Assessment 1976
Construction; 1850'S
Architect/builder unknown
Newtown House was built by Thomas and Mary Anne Abbey who came to WA on the Ganges in i1841. They settled for a time near Wonnerup but he applied for Sussex leases in 1851 and obtained his first freehold title, for Sussex location 24 (on which Newtown House stands) in 1856. He and his sons extended their holdings in the district, one son, Nathaniel having built in 1877 one of the houses on Abbey Farm, nearer Yallingup, and also classified by the Trust in 1976. Mary Anne Abbey ran the Post Office at Newtown House, which was also used for a time as a school. Church services were held there and cricket matches were played nearby. Mrs Abbey regularly helped neighbours in childbirth or during illness.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.