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Physical Description

1907 single storey Queen Anne revival style house, garden including mango trees (Mangifera indica) and stables to rear, in a streetscape setting with wide grassy verges, trees and views over the Clarence River. Front fence to Victoria Street/Clarence River and part of side fence to Alice Street is picket, side fences (remainder) are corrugated iron.

House is rendered brick with hipped iron roof, decorative corner gables and impressive central gabled entrance portico. Bull-nosed verandah is supported on turned timber posts with cast iron valances and original timber venetian blinds. Front door has eteched glass panels and sidelights, windows are double hung with stained and etched glass. Internal details are almost all original: etched glass, doorknobs, fireplaces and surrounds, doorbell, rails and dados, pressed metal ceilings, light fittings etc. Room layout is reasonably sophistocated, intended to divide the maid from the family by means of a segmented hallway. In spite of a somewhat narrow verandah the building successfully modifies the climate with ventilated eaves, external venetian blinds and an elevated floor.

Garden layout is generally original with some original plantings, Goodlett & Smith paving bricks and salt glazed edging tiles. Original timber picket fence to front. Mature trees on front corners of garden include a rosewood tree, and jacaranda (J.mimosaefolia), and elsewhere mangoes (Mangifera indica), frangipani (Plumeria sp.) and a Bangalow palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) tree.
Curtilage to be the property boundary. Brick stables to rear.
(National Trust, 1984)

Significant elements include:
- house and internal layout plan;
- external and internal decorative elements and materials;
- design and position of front and side fencing;
- large, formal garden, major trees including mango trees (Mangifera indica) and their relationship to the house and stables;
- original stables outbuilding and inground well;
- streetscape setting of wide grassy verges, magnificent c.1880 street trees, complementary timber residences facing and views over the Clarence River.

Modifications

1918 removal of interior fittings (does not diminish the significance of the 1907 building, stable & grounds)
?date removal of certain garden beds, plants and outside toilet (well documented, can be reinstated)
c.1934 sewer installed (accessing house from the north-east corner of the site, and the north-east corner of the house), also by then the rear north-east corner addition of toilet and cupboard was built. Also a portion of the yard rear to the stables was fenced at this time. Cupboard section of additions appears to be infill of eastern end of verandah.

1989-90 new wiring and plumbing, roof repainted by then owners the Wilkins.
1991 underpinning installed to existing footings to prevent subsidence

c1992-4 outside toilet and cactus plant (which had covered most of it)(?possibly Selenicereus sp.) and tamarillo tree (Cyphomandra betacea) alongside it all removed. House exterior and some of interior painted in non-approved/non-heritage colour scheme. Timber venetian blinds off front verandah removed. Timber slat greenhouse/fern house which had adjoined the rear verandah removed. A mandarin tree was severely pruned, a persimmon tree (Diospyros kaki) (mature) cut down, and a large 18-20m tall Bangalow palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) had lost most of its healthy condition/at risk. Contents of stables including chaff bins (very old, pine timber approx. 1.5m x 1m lined with a thin sheet of steel/tin, with the stamp of the Pitt Street, Sydney manufacturer on it) had been removed from the stables.

11/1994 $5000 grant provided for cost of preparing a conservation plan.

6/1995 letter re severe pruning (unapproved) of 2 mature 7-10m high mango trees (Mangifera indica) on the eastern side facing into the garden.
1995-2002: room 9 (former maid's room) altered to become a bathroom - a new door opening made into it from room 5 (bedroom). Original external maid's room door (from rear verandah) was fitted to the new internal door space in 2002. The opening to the rear verandah was closed off using a door (fixed in position) that had been stored in the roof of the stables. Timber frame & sheet clad wall constructed inside external door. Bathroom fittings rearranged, renewed.

6/1996 roof recently painted (not re-clad as claimed in CMP 1996)
2002 roof sheeting, gutters repaired, some downpipes replaced, copies of original gutters and finial ornaments (based on photos of originals) installed.
pre 2002: external timber stairs to rear verandah reconstructed with new stringer and timber square handrail (none existed before). Jean (1996) considered to have original treads.

Condition

5/1999 pre purchase inspection report on file - number of minor issues raised
7/1999 cracking of brick walls of stables noted - due to drainage/groundwater collection.(8/1999 repair work s.63 granted)
2005 significant cracking to structural and non-structural components of original section of house is occuring in various locations.

History

Grafton surveyed & laid out 1829-46: laid out 1847-9: declared a municipality in 1859
Governor Darling directed all Government surveyors to classify towns into 4 types; Sydney, seaports, towns at the head of navigable waters and inland towns. Grafton fitted type 3, and was laid out between 1847-9 by William Wedge Drake in 200 m square blocks on a N/W/S/E grid, over the existing settlement based on a private entrepreneurial establishment. Land grants accelerated from 1857 onwards. The early survey accounts for characteristics that influence the development and urban consolidation of Grafton today, including block size, deep allotments, wide streets and large verges allowing for substantial tree planting, grid layout, with street corners that intersect with the counter curved river banks. Arcola is a rare record of an original subdivision, the site on a typical river junction corner having no dominant street frontage but with the house addressing three frontages.

Arcola's development
Robert Roland Smith a wealthy grazier who owned considerable property in the Coaldale and Glenagle district, builder and architect to design it and H.F.Sault to build it, in 1907. Local press described it as one of the best and most imposing private residences in Grafton. Smith was a prominent citizen, busy in local organisations including the Clarence Pastoral & Agricultural Club and Jockey Club, a noted horseman and founding member of Grafton's Lancers. His wife's family were early settlers. The house remained in the family (their daughter Violet lived there from 1918) until bought by Mrs Wilkins in 1989. She was a foundation member of the Clarence Naturalist's Club and created a magnificent garden. The Wilkins sold Arcola to Mr J Arthur & Ms L. Bevege in 1997, who sold it to Mr & Mrs Coutts-Smith in 1999, who sold it to Ms R. Graves in 2002.

In summary:
House built 1907, designed by architects/builders Strauss brothers and built by HF Sault for original owner Robert Roland Smith.
1918 onwards, RR Smith's daughter Violet McLachlan, ived in the house, she being a foundation member of the Clarence Naturalist's Club, and creating a renowned garden.
Date unknown: Alice Street & Victoria Street closed to traffic by construction of a flood levee to Clarence River, beside Arcola.
1989 Mr J. & Mrs M. Wilkins bought the property. Roof repainted, house rewired and plumbed (pers.comm., 1/1996)
1997 The Wilkins sold Arcola to Mr J Arthur & Ms L. Bevege,
1999 the property was sold to Mr & Mrs Coutts-Smith
2002 the property was sold to Ms R. Graves.

Internet links

Webpage	Source
Arcola Bed and Breakfast	Accommodation Homepage

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