History
Early European accounts of settlement in the Ryde area would indicate that the area on the northern side of the Parramatta River extending from Sydney Cove to Parramatta was that of the Wallumedegal, the territory of the Wallumede people, with the Aboriginal name Wallumetta. The Wallumedegal clan is thought to have been a clan of the Dharug speaking area. (Musecape, 2006, 9).
The Ryde area was highly suitable for farming and orchards, and early grants to marines were given by Governor Phillip to encourage agriculture. The military association with the area prompted Phillip to name it 'Field of Mars', a reference to the Roman God of war (Musecape, 2006, 9).
In 1792 land in the area was granted to 8 marines; two of the grants were in the modern area of Ryde. Isaac Archer and John Colethread each received 80 acres of land on the site of the present Ryde-Parramatta Golf Links, now in West Ryde. Later in 1792, in the Eastern Farms area, 12 grants, most of them about 30 acres, were made to convicts.
Much later these farms were bought by John Macarthur, Gregory Blaxland and the Reverend Samuel Marsden. The district remained an important orchard area throughout the 19th century (Pollen, 1996)
Brush Farm was part of a land grant made in 1794 (in two adjoining lots, one (north) to Zadoc Pettit, the other (south) to Thomas Bride, both privates in the NSW Corps) which was acquired by William Cox in 1801-3, adding them to adjoining property to consolidate his land holdings an estate of over 500 acres, named Brush Farm. Misuse of regimental funds saw Cox deported to England and his estate transferred to a number of prominent local citizens who acted as Cox's trustees and administered the sale of his property (Musecape, 2006, 9).
455 acres of Cox's estate was acquired by D'Arcy Wentworth in 1805 and then by Gregory Blaxland in 1807 (Musecape, 2006, 9). Blaxland was a free settler who arrived in 1806 from Kent, where his family had lived since St.Augustine's time, on an estate called 'Newington'. Gregory was less sociable than his brother John, who arrived in the colony in 1807 (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read).
In 1813 Blaxland, in company with William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth, made the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains by European settlers (Musecape, 2006, 9).
Gregory Blaxland built Brush Farm house (the second on the farm, the first being a more modest structure down the gully to the west of the current Brush Farm house) in 1820 (Blaxcell, G., pers.comm., 2006). A shale mine/quarry on the farm probably produced cement mortar used in construction of the house. The central core of the house was built c.1819-20, east and west wings added during the 1820s with stables and outbuildings, landscaped grounds with a carriage loop (Musecape, 2006, 10).
He set about creating the estate as an agricultural enterprise and by 1817, was successfully producing meat and livestock; and had established a distillery for the production of wine and vinegar. Blaxland was a founding member of the first (later the Royal) Agricultural Society of NSW, his name being recorded on a board in the Society's headquarters. He introduced buffalo grass (Cynodon dactylon) into the colony, a valuable grass for cattle fodder (and as an ornamental turf, retaining its green in both hot summers and winters, when many tropical grasses die off (McClymont, 2008, scribed by and pers.comm., Stuart Read). He also grew hops for the burgeoning brewing of beer (Blaxel, G., pers.comm., 20/5/09).
Blaxland imported grape vines in 1805 and, after many setbacks, produced tolerable wine in 1816 from Brush Farm at Ryde. Blaxland's vines, from cuttings from the Cape of Good Hope, covered 3.5acres of his farm Brush Farm. (Liston, 1981). In 1821 Blaxland had three and a half acres under vines at Brush Farm (Morris, C., pers. comm., 25/2/2005). Blaxland had been sending Macquarie wine made on the estate from 1816 (Blaxel, G., pers.comm., 20/5/09). In 1822 Blaxland took a quantity of wine to the Royal Society of Arts in England where it was awarded a silver medal in 1823 as the finest wine to have been produced in NSW at the time. Five years later he did the same and his wine won a gold medal. Blaxland's Brush Farm was once considered the finest vineyard in the colony. Robert Townson's Varroville estate at Minto was once described as 'the finest orchard in the colony and a vineyard second only to Gregory Blaxland's' (Everett, 2004).
The gully south of the present Lawson Street and the house had a school building, a barn, later a stables. Further down the gully was an orchard. Small vineyards were located in two separate gullies, one to the west (Dundas) of the house (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read).
In 1829 the signal station and One Tree Hill was discontinued. This was understood from official correspondence to have been located on Blaxland's land c.1826 (Musecape, 2006, 9-10). A signal station operated from the property to Gregory's brother John Blaxland's farm at Newington, Silverwater, across the Parramatta River. This was one of a system of signal stations along the Harbour and River promontories and high points (Musecape, 2006, 10). Early photographs of Brush Farm show a clear view to the Parramatta River from the house (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read).
In 1831 Blaxland moved out and sold it to his son-in-law, Dr Thomas Foster (a surgeon on the British Army) for 1500 pounds. Between 1831-5 the property was listed as One Tree Hill in the NSW Calendar and GPO Directory (Musecape, 2006, 10).
In 1844 the property was leased to William Foster (son) for 40 years. On Thomas' death in 1856, the estate passed to William who in 1859, became Premier of NSW.
In 1881 the property was mortgaged to Lancelot Trekeld and John Bennett, and the estate was subsequently subdivided and portions sold between 1882-6. (Musecape, 2006, 10). John Bennet developed Rosehill Racecourse and the railway line between Clyde and Rose Hill. He acquired Brush Farm (then a large amount of land) seeing an opportunity, owing to its proximity to the Northern Railway Line (from Strathfield to Hornsby) and particularly to that line's Eastwood station (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read). Bennett's wife Emma acquired that portion which contained the house and outbuildings. A number of alterations were made to the house at this time, including the front verandah (Musecape, 2006, 10). Around 1883 the Victorian-era extensions were added to the house. The subdivision of the estate began about this time (Blaxcell, G., pers.comm., 2006). Also at this time the carriage loop south of the house was prominent in photographs of the estate, with a c.30 cm raised rim, made of stone (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read).
In 1894 Emma Bennett leased her portion to the Crown: it is thought to have been occupied at this time by the State Children's Relief Board and operated as the Carpentarian Reformatory for Boys. (Musecape, 2006, 10). It was used for boys formerly held on the 'Sabronne' a ship used to house wayward and homeless boys, moored at Cockatoo Island. The boys brought their hammocks off the ship to Brush Farm. They were trained in mariners' skills, agriculture, farming, and tin smithing and blacksmithing. The Carpentarian Reformatory's name was after Margaret Carpenter an English woman well known for her care for children (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read). In 1904 the property was resumed by the State Government and continued to be used as a reformatory for boys until 1913 when the facility (Farm Home for Boys) was transferred to Mount Penang near Gosford)(Musecape, 2006, 10). In the meantime the rest of the Bennett family land holdings in the area were subdivided and sold leaving about 1000 square metres of land around Brush Farm House (cf an original 455 acres). After the boys left the property was used for wayward girls from c.1911, with the transfer of the boys taking a few years and the transfer of the girls similarly over time (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read).
In 1918 the Eastwood Home for Mothers and Babies opened at Brush Farm and operated until 1921 when the complex became the Brush Farm Home for Mentally Deficient Children, and subsequently Brush Farm Home in 1946 (Musecape, 2006, 10).
Community bush regeneration of the gullies to the south of Brush Farm House (on the former estate) has been ongoing since the 1970s (Musecape, 2006, 10). In the later 20th century the Department of Youth and Community Services' era, the garden was less intensively managed and cared for, and the carriage loop south of the house was grassed over and obscured (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read).
In 1988 the property was transferred to the Department of Corrective Services and as the Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy, offering training for corrections officers. Under their ownership, original features including the carriage loop, stables...were removed and new buildings erected adjacent to the house. This facility, now known as the Ray Aston Corrective Services Academy continues to operate as a training academy (Musecape, 2006, 10).
In 1990 the land (Brush Farm house and present curtilage) was bought by Ryde City Council.
In 1999 the property was listed on the State Heritage Register. In 2003 it was listed on Ryde Local Environmental Plan 105.
In 2005 Ryde City Council commenced a major heritage restoration programme of works on Brush Farm House as a community venue (Musecape, 2006, 11). The house was officially opened on 7th April 2007. Council intend to use the building as a centre for cultural and community events, including art exhibitions, meetings and wedding functions (McClymont, 2008, scribed by Stuart Read).
The stands of timber and grasslands in the surrounding parks are remnants of Brush Farm Park. (Blaxcell, G., pers.comm., 2006).
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