The historic estate of Vaucluse House is one of but a small number of 19th century harbourside estates still existent.
Built in 1803, Vaucluse House was the residence of William Charles Wentworth, 'father' of the first Constitution for New South Wales, who, along with his wife Sarah and 10 children, lived in the estate from 1827–1853 and again in 1861–1862. The suburb of its location gets its name from the house.
The Gothic style mansion contains lavish entertaining rooms and a functional 'downstairs' areas, painting an opulent portrait of the Wentworths' lavish lifestyle. The interiors include original Wentworth pieces together with furniture, furnishings and collections of the early to mid 19th century.
Many people don't realise that the land on the harbour side of Wentworth Road is also part of the Vaucluse House estate including the small beach. Known as the beach paddock, the Historic Houses Trust has undertaken work in this area to reconstruct a small bridge and re-create the carriageway.
History
The original Vaucluse House was built by Sir Henry Brown Hayes, who had been transported to New South Wales in 1802 for kidnapping the daughter of a wealthy Irish banker's daughter. Governor King considered Hayes "a restless, troublesome character" and was keen to move him 3km away from Sydney.
In 1803 Hayes was granted permission to purchase the land and house, which was originally granted to Thomas Laycock in 1793 and Robert Cardell in 1795. An avid admirer of the 14th century poet Petrarch, Hayes named the house after Petrarch's Fontaine de Vaucluse, the famous spring near the town l'Isle sur la Sorgue in what is today the Department of Vaucluse in the South of France. He built a small but charming cottage and several outbuildings.
50 acres (20 hectares) were cleared for agricultural purposes and several thousand fruit trees were planted, none of which survive. Newspaper accounts describe it as a small but very charming farm. There is some warrant for the story that Hayes surrounded his property with turf from Ireland to keep out the snakes.
In 1812 Hayes was pardoned by Governor Macquarie and sailed to Ireland were he lived another 20 years. Ownership of the property became uncertain until it was acquired in 1822 by Captain John Piper.
Finally, in an 1827 auction, William Charles Wentworth (1790-1872), explorer, journalist, barrister, politician and successful entrepreneur, acquired Vaucluse for £1,500. By grant and additional purchases he increased his holdings to 515 acres (208 hectares).
Wentworth and his wife Sarah (née Cox), moved to the estate with their growing family in 1828 and carried out major building and ground work throughout the next 25 years of occupancy. Letters show that Wentworth's wife Sarah, the daughter of ex-convicts, was an astute manager of the Vaucluse estates.
The Wentworth family left for England in 1853, returning only for a brief stint in 1861-62. The Wentworth descendants, while living in England, retained a strong interest in the property until 1900 when the contents of the house were auctioned.
In 1911 some 28 acres (9 hectares), including the house and garden, were acquired by the New South Wales Government for use as a public park.
In 1920 the house and grounds were opened to the public. Over the years the historic property slowly disappeared beneath a 20th century municipal park.
In 1981 the property was transferred to the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales and work started to recreate the original setting of Vaucluse House. Today it is one of the few 19th century houses near the harbour retaining a significant part of its original setting. It is listed on the Register of the National Estate.
Visitor Information
Guided tours are available on request for groups. Please contact the property to book a tour. There are often school groups at Vaucluse House. If you are visiting during the week and want to avoid these groups, then it is best to visit after 2pm.
If you have difficulties walking then you can be dropped at the entrance of the house, on the carriage loop, by entering via Olola Avenue. Vaucluse House tearooms are the perfect place for lunch or afternoon tea, well worth a visit for a decadent Devonshire Tea.
Vaucluse House
Wentworth Road, Vaucluse
NSW 2030
T 02 9388 7922
F 02 9337 4963
TTY 02 8239 2377
Opening hours
Friday, Saturday & Sunday 9.30 - 4pm
Available for group bookings Mon - Fri
Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday
Admission Prices
Adult $8
Child/Concession $4
Family $17
|
The Bondi Beach Community Night Markets are held in the heart of Bondi Beach at Roscoe Street Mall on Campbell Parade, from Tuesday to Friday (3pm - late) and over the weekend (12pm - late).
The ...
Exclusive Deals available from Vodafone.
The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is now available for pre-sale from Vodafone. This light-weight tablet boasts an array of high-performance features including a ...
Every Sunday | Rain, hail or shine | Blacktown Markets is where the garage sales, op shops, farmers, growers, producers and various vendors come together!
Whether you’re looking to go op shopping, ...