Wendover's History

1. EARLY SETTLEMENT Development of New Town occurred after Hobart Town on Sullivan's Cove had become well established. Sullivan's Cove was the second attempt at settlement in Van Diemen's Land. Lt. Col. David Collins who had recently arrived from Port Phillip established a camp there on 19th February 1804 and the settlement at Risdon was abandoned. New Town Bay, (formerly Stainsforth's Cove) had been noted earlier but would now become an important place of shelter and source of fresh water for shipping. Reverend Knopwood's diary entry of 9 January 1805 says "....the day was hot 91.5°F, Gov. and self walked to the farm. The Gov. gave the name of the Town at the Farm: New Town..." Pitt farm is the first farm credited with having existed in the New Town Bay area. Thomas Hayes, however, received the original grant over the area which includes Wendover House on 18 December l805 by grant of 1O0 acres from Governor King at a quit rent of 2 shillings and 6 pence per annum commencing 1811 being part of 100 acres granted by King to Eiselle and 10 acres to Malvina Hobson. Alfred Lutteral received it next selling it to Broughton in 1822 or 1823 with a "good House" upon it allegedly for 3000 Pounds. Until and around this time the property is said to have been known as 'Prospect Farm'. 2. CAPTAIN CHARLES SWANSTON Broughton seems to have been convicted of embezzlement and in any case died around 1828. It is said that Captain Charles Swanston procured the property in 1829 when he visited from India. The first references to Swanston having any title to the property suggest that it was granted as 157 acres 1 rood and 20 perches to Swanston on 18 July 1834. The Supreme Court Caveat Record (SC294/1 page 232) indicates that the grant was gazetted on April 1833 and signed by the commissioner's office on 8 July 1834. Respected sources indicate, however, that Swanston had indeed occupied the property some considerable time prior to the passing of the grant and that it was not procured until after around Swanston's intention to sell allotments had raised the interest of Alfred Stephens, the Attorney General. Some time between 1829 and 1835 Swanston had set up a homestead at nearby New Town Park. There is little to indicate any connection between dwellings upon the properties prior to subdivision and the residence at 10 Wendover Place . Swanston sold the present Wendover House block along with premises upon it to John Offor on 17 July 1835. This title mentions newly laid out Cross; and Swanston Streets (although it seems certain that these were not at that time registered) and guarantees right-of-way over them. It is believed that the first section of the residence, a single storey rubble walled building (presently kitchen/laundry) perhaps with verandah existed at this time along perhaps with the stables and associated yard . The form of the devel opment at the time would have been remarkably similar to De Sainson's 'A House at New Town' a lithograph of 1830 following sketches made upon the voyage of the corvette Astrolabe from 1826 to 1829. It is stretching the point too far too suggest that this drawing actually shows the first part of Wendover House, however the physical evidence does lead to the suggestion that a dwelling in colonial form such as this did exist and further it indicates earl y construction. It seems reasonable to assume that a dwelling of this size may have been the one spoken of on several prior deeds and at the time of sale to Offor, it is also possible that it would d be the only such building upon the property prior to Swanston's subdivision. It seems very likely that this, at least is the form of the house as sold by Swanston. Adjacent allotments some of which were to be amalgamated into the Wendover House blocks also changed hands at this time. 3. JAMES BLACKBURN The Wendover House block was considered to be the approximately 10 acres blocks bounded by Cross Street, Park Street, Risdon Road and Swanston Street. At one time James Blackburn the noted architect and engineer owned all of this block except for the south west portion which Swanston had sold to Frederick Braithwaite who in turn sold it to Stephen Tunbridge Hardinge. Blackburn bought the house blocks from John Offor on 3 and 4 July 1843. Since around 1841 Backburn had worked with or for Swanston "...producing the design for the Hobart water supply between 1841 and 1843 and the Risdon Ferry or punt in 1845-6....". Blackburn designed a number of fine buildings in the New Town area and it appears likely that his liaison with Swanston was both fortuitous and close. Further research will be required to ascertain to what extent the building existed both at the time of purchase by Blackburn and of Roope. For the moment it is suspected that a dwelling existed prior to Blackburn's purchase and that he handed it on to Roope with some increase in size. There is no present evidence to suggest that Blackburn actually lived at this site The Australian Dictionary of Biography suggests that he lived at Camelford, Campbell Town from around 1846, however we can no find evidence to support that contention though accept that his interests in that area probably required some presence. It seems certain that the great bulk of building work was carried out in Roope's time of ownership. Roope's work seems certainly to have included the front hall/lounge/dining rooms and the second storey and the two room extension, then the entry hall extension and the present dining room extension all to the new New Town Bay front. If Blackburn had contributed to expansion of the building it occurs that the only major work available would be the inner return wing facing New Town Bay. If this were the case he could be expected to have formed a new formal entry to that direction (at the inner hall arch) as the quality of planning appears too impoverished for his instigation were entry to have been made from the south-west. Whether or not Blackburn added this wing it seems likely that he was involved in the design of the major works we have tentatively attributed to Roope's ownership. The present entry and windows and French doors to that facade along with the timber gates to the stable yard all bear the strong sign of Blackburn's design influences. The entry hall and the two storey block with associated joinery which appears to have come immediately prior to the New Town Bay facade also seem very reasonably able to be seen as a design suitable to Blackburn's hand. The possibility alone that Blackburn has been involved in design of part of this building makes further study necessary and the fact of his ownership is an important association. On 13 November 1847, Blackburn sold the house block to Lavington Roope. The surrounding block, and one adjacent over Swanston Street, had been sold by Blackburn to Roope the day before. 4. LAVINGTON ROOPE Upon his purchase of the site Lavington Roope appears to have set about a major programme of development. L. Norman's Pioneer Shipping of Tasmania (OBM Hobart 1938, p113) wrongly suggests that he built the building in 1828. This mistake is corroborated by J. Morris' "Nine Houses Overlooking New Town Bay" (Undated, AOT TC PQ 994-661 Mor). Norman discusses the extensive grounds and the large European trees. Trees included 'Wellingtonia gigantica and Norfolk Pines, silver poplar and English limes, the Spanish Chestnut, oaks and elms and many smaller species'. Present major trees appear to include Sequoia gigantua. Both writers note that Wendover was used for a time as Admiralty House by Admiral King-Hall (after McGregor at Lenna) although we have yet found no corroborating evidence for this. Roope also owned premises within the W.D. Peacock buildings on New Wharf (now Salamanca Place). His daughter married solicitor Tetley Gant and the property is said to have passed on to them when he died. 5. HON. TETLEY GANT A diagram from Actual Survey of 1 December 1908 shows the property in the ownership of Tetley Gant and his partner Richard Charles Lewis excepting for the 1 acre 2 rood block: on the Risdon/Swanston Streets corner previously owned by Hardinge which is shown as being owned by Tetley Gant only. Photographs shortly before this time show the site as being well treed with a drive in a similar location and form to the present Wendover Place. The Honourable Tetley Gant was born in Beresford Yorkshire in 1856. He was called to the Bar at Inner Temple, married Roope's daughter in 1882 and arrived in Australia in 1884 becoming a partner in the law firm Lewis, Gant and Hudspeth. He became a member of the University Council and from May 1901 a member of the Legislative Council becoming its President in 1907. 6. FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY F.W Heritage, a Hobart merchant bought the property in or around 1920. At around this time the property name appears to have changed from Risdon Park to Wendover House. Little alteration to the buildings appears to have occurred during Heritage ownership. Upon the death of Mr Heritage the property was sold to the Trustees of the Redemptorist Fathers circa 1940) for use as a monastery. This use involved some alteration to services (a drainage plan of 1947 and 1949 show upstairs toilet cubicles added) and minor alteration to partitions and division of rooms upstairs. Other alterations during the period are presently unclear but the building appears to have commenced some decline in this period. The Redemptorist Fathers subdivided the property and sold it to Vince Roy and Jessie May Stanfield. The present property includes lots 9 and 10 of this subdivision (the boundary of these blocks runs through the present building). 7. SECOND HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY During the Stanfield ownership the residence was divided into 5 apartments. The standard of maintenance seems to have further declined and the building intermediate to the house and stable building as indicated upon the drainage plans, 1949 and before, was removed. During this time the steel escape stair was added at the rear and part of the verandah (south west) was infilled to form a bathroom. The two verandahs for which physical evidence remains were removed and a glazed conservatory of poor construction and later removed was built across the entry. The present owners, Rick and Barbara Reynolds purchased the property 11 October 1978. Since their ownership the building has undergone a process of steady and sympathetic improvement. Wendover Colonial Accommodation One of Tasmania's finest early Georgian mansions 5 minutes' drive from the Hobart CBD. 10 Wendover Place, New Town, Hobart, 7008, Tasmania, Australia Your attentive hosts: Barbara and Rick Reynolds Phone (03) 6278 2066 or 018 145 611 Fax (03) 6278 2329 E-mail: wendover.antiques@tassie.net.au