Newtown House

Statement of Significance

- The place has historic value as one of small number of farmhouses from the 19th century, which although adapted demonstrates its original form. - The place has historic value for its close associations with the Abbey family who were early settlers and farmers in the district. - The place has social value as a restaurant and function centre which is visited and valued by large sectors of the local community

Physical Description

The original homestead is the eastern portion of the single storey building which addresses the main entrance to the property from the adjoining car park. This building is a one‐storey brick house topped by a gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting. An encircling verandah is an extension of the roof cladding and is supported on simple timber posts. The windows are sash windows of multi panes. The external walls feature face bricks above a sill line with render below, previous descriptions have stated that this is limestone but this has not been confirmed. Chimneys are located at the ends of the building, with the substantial chimney at the western end seperating the original building from a later addition. Other buildings across the property are from differing periods of construction. The small limestone building closest to the western end of the main building is likely to be the only other building remaining from when the place was a working farm. It is a simple rectangular plan form and has a random rubble external walls and a pitched roof clad with the same corrugated metal sheeting. The complex of buildings are located within landscaped grounds that are predominantly grass and mature trees

History

The Abbeys were Irish immigrants who arrived in the Colony in the early 1840s. Thomas Abbey (1804-1869) worked for John Bussell at Vasse and first leased land at Wonnerup, before settling on this property he and his wife Mary Ann, nee Minion, named ‘Newtown House’. The Abbey family included at least five children. During the 1850’s, ‘Newtown House’, operated as a post office and also served as a ‘lying‐in house ‘for expectant mothers, as Mary Ann Abbey, was a midwife for the district. The name ‘Newtown’ was applied for the group of settlers in the vicinity. The property was subsequently transferred to the Armstrong family in the 20th century. In recent years the house has undergone significant alterations and additions to enable the place to be used as a function centre, restaurant and hotel. The original homestead is the main entrance to the complex and in the now used as one of the restaurants. In the 1960s it was extended to the west in a similar style, the substantial brick chimney at this end, which was likely to have been the original kitchen, was retained and seperates the two parts of the building. The other buildings across the site, including the two storey accommodation building were constructed sometime in the 1980s to early 1990s. Aerial photographs indicate that the small limestone building immediately to the west of the main building is the only other building which was present on the site in 1950s and therefore part of the original farm

Integrity/Authenticity

Although modifications have been made to the house, the place retains a high degree of integrity. The place retains a high degree of authenticity.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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