Hargraves House, Noraville


Hargraves House, Noraville is a heritage-listed house at 3 Elizabeth Drive, Noraville in the Central Coast local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Edward Hammond Hargraves and built from 1856 to 1859 by Mr Fletcher. It is also known as Hargraves House and Norahville. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

History

Edward Hammond Hargraves had bought land from Robert Henderson, a former constable, ship owner and largest resident land holder in the district. Henderson had received a crown grant in 1854 and by 1856 held at Norah Head. In 1856 Hargraves bought portions 37, being, and 38, being, from Henderson.
The Noraville homestead was built in 1856-7 on a grassy plateau above the sea cliffs by Hargraves using money awarded to him by the Victorian government for his discovery of payable gold. Apart from a short period from 1877 to 1892, the property has remained in the ownership of the Hargraves family ever since.
;Estate and setting
Originally, an extensive landholding with gardens, orchards, vineyards and cultivation paddocks. Landscape elements include the site of the former tennis court, 1910, and a former duck pond, can now be seen as a depression in the grass in front of the homestead adjacent to Elizabeth Drive and west of the mature stand of Moreton Bay figs, respectively.
The property was gradually subdivided and sold off from the 1920s onwards. The last major subdivision was in the mid 1950s when the remaining estate was divided between the five children of Charles Hargraves. As part of this a former market garden area west of the homestead was subdivided for housing, the only remnants of it being a broken line of mature coral trees, one of which is in Noraville's remaining garden, south-west of the homestead near the entrance drive.
The homestead sits on a vastly reduced curtilage, however the open grassed area to the north-north-west still provides a suitable foreground setting. The setting has already been compromised by the erection of two storey dwellings on the adjacent plot of land immediately to its rear. While views to north, south, and west have been compromised by 2 & 3 storey development, the north-west and north-east vista to the ocean is intrinsic to the significance of Noraville.
;Homestead
The homestead, known as "Noraville", is situated on the cliff top at Noraville, near Norah Head, facing north-west, overlooking Hargraves Beach to the east. The western boundary of the site is bounded by Elizabeth Drive. Once situated on a much larger land holding, the homestead is now surrounded on three sides by two and three storey residential housing with only the original northern boundary to the ocean remaining.
The homestead is a single storey, weatherboard construction with a verandah on three sides. It was built in 1856-9. The homestead is orientated north-west with views north-west and north-east towards the cliffs and ocean. Both the homestead and associated service buildings are located to the south of the site with an open grassed area to the north. The service buildings consist of a 1969 kitchen and attached carport and a store or dormitory, constructed in 1920. Both of these structures are situated to the rear of the homestead.
;Outbuildings
While the homestead itself and its ocean views remain relatively unchanged today, most of the outbuildings were demolished at the time of the last subdivision in the 1950s. The stables had already been destroyed by fire in 1914. The existing fibro store to the rear dates from 1920, when it replaced earlier timber slab sheds. It consists of three small rooms and a bathroom and is thought to have been used for itinerant workers who worked at Noraville during the Depression. The existing kitchen building dates from 1969, and was erected on the site of the original kitchen.
;Major plantings
A line of existing Norfolk Island pine trees runs along the north-western site boundary, planted 1960. A group of four existing coral trees lie east of the homestead near the boundary of the public garden. A lone Norfolk Island pine lies north-east of the homestead near the boundary. Three existing coral trees and a line of existing shrubs, sweet box ) runs along the south-western boundary, and another line of oleanders behind of a hedge of sweet box run along the western boundary near Elizabeth Drive.
An area of shrubs and garden, including a line of six mature Moreton Bay fig trees, a coral tree, palms and a tuckeroo tree are to the west of the homestead's western end, and another existing coral tree is between these and the western boundary, near the existing driveway. The fig trees were tall in 1914 photographs, making them at least date from the 1860-70s. One of them has an epiphytic seedling of a Port Jackson fig growing on its trunk. Self-seeded native cabbage palms are growing below the fig trees on the western side and eastern side near the homestead.
An existing garden area is immediately south-east of the main homestead includes a group of Lord Howe Island palms, an emergent leaning palm, and lower shrubs including Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. The Washingtonia could date from 1900 from its height, but other palms are younger, perhaps 1980s, although 1914 photographs do show low palms that range from, i.e.: not much shorter than these are now.
A former tennis court was north of the homestead, and former bachelor's quarters were to its south-east.
Scattered shrub plantings in front of the homestead include frangipani and oleanders.
To the east of the homestead/garden is a cliff which is vegetated with both remnant and regenerating locally native coastal vegetation which includes coastal banksia, tuckeroo trees and paperbarks, in relatively low scrub.

Condition

As at 29 March 2004, the sites of former outbuildings were all located to the east and rear of the homestead to maintain ocean views. Landscape elements such as the site of the former tennis court,, and a former duck pond, can be seen as a depression in the grass in front of the homestead adjacent to Elizabeth Drive and west of the stand of figs, respectively. The approximate layout of former outbuildings and landscape elements is shown in the Archaeological Assessment. The new scheme proposed and endorsed by the Heritage Council will have much less impact than the other proposals for the site.
Some of the more sensitive areas have been identified and a condition has been made to ensure there is no trenching in these spots. Further the two new buildings to the east of the kitchen are to be supported above the ground on piles, the location of which can be moved as required to miss any sensitive artefacts.
While much of the original farm has been subject to subdivision and residential development, the present site of Noraville homestead and its surrounds are considered to have archaeological potential in areas where limited disturbance has occurred. Excavation has the potential to reveal information about the lives of the Hargraves family, their employees, and the operation of the farm in what was once a remote coastal residence. Structural and artefactual evidence may exist, particularly east of and beneath the kitchen and fibro store '.
The proposed cottage and family room may disturb some remains an these areas are to be monitored during early site works. This is the site of the former Bachelor's Quarters and Meat Store. These sites are considered to have high archaeological potential. The new garage is not located over any known relics and excavation in this area is considered to have low archaeological potential.

Modifications and dates

2003 - IDA/s.60 - retains the original house as the main family residence on the site. The buildings at the rear are to be upgraded and a new family room is to be constructed adjacent to the existing kitchen. The former servants quarters are to be converted into accommodation. There is also to be at the rear of the property a new garage and 2 bedroom residential cottage between the house and the sea.
The proposal is based on a proposal known an Option 4 which was endorsed by the Heritage Council at a meeting on 4 December 2002.

Heritage listing

The Noraville Homestead is a rare surviving residence of its period, as an early Australian homestead set in an imposing setting on the cliffs at Norah Head, commanding sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. It is associated with a notable figure in Australia's colonial history, Edward Hammond Hargraves. Hargraves built Noraville from reward money received for his controversial discovery of payable gold at Ophir in 1851. The site shows a continuity of historical process and activity in relation to the occupation and functioning of the homestead for the past 146 years and in its long association with one family, the Hargraves, with farming and coastal settlement throughout this period. It is an integral part of Australia's early coastal, farming and family history.
Hargraves House is a fine example of the Colonial Georgian style. It has not been greatly altered during the late 19th or 20th centuries and remains in good condition. Its well preserved appearance, rare cedar composition and prominent cliff-top setting, coupled with the preservation of original ocean views to the northwest-northeast, afford it considerable aesthetic significance. Original views have been compromised by residential development to the north, west and south, however, the remaining north-west and north-east vista to the ocean is intrinsic to the significance of Noraville.
Although much of the original farm has been subdivided and the early outbuildings demolished there is an opportunity to gain insights from the past from the homestead itself and potential subsurface structural and artefactual remains on this surviving portion of land.
Hargraves House is considered significant because of its potential to yield archaeological evidence of farming, coastal settlement and family life from the mid 19th century.
The homestead has local social significance to the community of Noraville, the suburb named after it. Several streets and the adjacent beach are named after members of the family. There has been considerable community interest in the past over the partial screening of the homestead from the public view by hedging and a stand of coral trees.
Hargraves House was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Attribution