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Category: House

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Tocal Homestead New South Wales

Tocal Homestead

Tocal Homestead New South Wales

Located in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, the Tocal Homestead is a historic house and associated buildings originally established in 1822 by J. P. Webber. In 1834 the property was sold to Caleb and Felix Wilson, who commissioned the homestead as a country retreat from their Sydney business.

Subsequently the farm was leased to the Reynolds family who occupied it for two generations adding many of the wooden buildings to the farm. In 1926, four siblings of the Alexander family purchased the property. The last, C.B. Alexander died in 1947, leaving all of his properties tied in a complex will which stipulated that it was to be used for destitute and homeless children. Eventually this became the Tocal Agricultural College, now run by the NSW Department of Agriculture. The college is located not far from the homestead and is now an important educator in the agricultural industry.

An additional stipulation of the will was the allowance of his two nieces Myrtle and Marguerita Curtiss be allowed to live out their lives at the homestead. This they did until 1985 when they died within five days of each other.

Getting There

Located a 15-minute drive from Maitland, the homestead is well sign posted and easy to find. During our visit, it was only open on Sundays from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, but check their website for updated times and dates.

Tocal Homestead

The tour of the homestead is self-guided, with a map and personal audio player provided at reception. This allows you to self-pace around the property, taking your time at places of interest and moving on from others. The descriptions of each room, their uses and furnishings were excellent.

Tocal Homestead
Tocal Homestead
Main entrance
Main entrance
Book collection
Book collection
Lounge room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Lounge room
Family room
Family room
Family room
Family room
Family dining room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Dining room
kitchen
Kitchen
Looking down the staircase
Looking down the staircase
One of he Curtiss sisters' rooms
One of he Curtiss sisters’ rooms

Alexander was keen to use new technology, installing electricity in the homestead. Not only did he purchase a generator, but also sufficient battery storage in case the generator failed.

Lister engine and generator
Lister engine and generator
Battery storage for the generator Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Battery storage for the generator

Internal Lift

Another innovation Alexander adopted was the internal lift so that the upper floor could be accessed as he aged. Unfortunately, on one night while alone in the house, one of the Curtiss sisters was trapped in the lift. She had to wait until the staff arrived in the morning to let her out.

Internal lift Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Internal lift

Farm Buildings and Equipment

Designed by architect James Blackett the largest barn has amazing internal framework for the roof is a work of art. As you walk around, you get to meet some of the animals as you walk past the pig stye and chicken run.

Near the homestead is a garage with a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom in immaculate condition, along with the first tractor used at Tocal, a Twin City 17-28 imported from Minneapolis USA.

Bull barn Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Bull barn
Barn
The Blackett Barn
Inside the barn
Inside The Blackett Barn
Horse stables
Horse stables
Webber's cottage
Webber’s cottage
Webber's cottage
Webber’s cottage
Garage Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Garage
Pigs Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Pigs
Tocal's first tractor a Twin City 17-28
Tocal’s first tractor a Twin City 17-28
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom Tocal Homestead New South Wales
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom

Wedding Venue

The homestead is a popular wedding venue, with its wonderfully decorated rooms and gardens.

Fig tree in the homestead garden
Fig tree in the homestead garden. A favorite spot for wedding photos.

Visitors’ Centre and Cafe

At the end of the tour, we went back to reception where we ordered a Devonshire Tea. The little cafe overlooks the surrounding farmland and was very relaxing.

Devonshire Tea
Devonshire Tea
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Vaucluse House Sydney Historic Home

Drawing Room

Vaucluse House Sydney

Completed between 1803 and 1839 in the Gothic Revival style, Vaucluse House is one of the few remaining colonial mansions in Sydney still surrounded by its original gardens and wooded grounds. Purchased by colonial explorer, barrister and politician William Charles Wentworth in 1827, it was expanded from a simple cottage to a grand mansion. Wentworth also extended the grounds and surrounding gardens which originally covered most of what is now the suburb of Vaucluse.

Operated by Historic Houses Trust of NSW, part of the NSW State Government, Vaucluse House became Australia’s first house museum in 1915.

Getting There

A large carpark on site provides ample parking if you are driving yourself. The closest bus stop is for bus 325 on Wentworth Road. Bus 325 connects to both the Edgecliff train station and Watsons Bay Ferry.

Entry to the house is through the rear, via the gift shop. Large backpacks are not permitted inside the house and are stored in a cabinet behind the service desk. Entry is free and you get a map which has descriptions of each room.

Vaucluse House
Vaucluse House
The rear of Vaucluse House
The rear of Vaucluse House

The Kitchen

The first major room is the kitchen, which contains some original items including the food safe, dresser and cast iron cooking range. When we visited, the range was lit, so the kitchen had a great wood smoke smell. Arranged around the room pots and pans and other cooking utensils give a sense of what the room would have looked like.

Kitchen Vaucluse House
Entry to the Kitchen
Kitchen
Kitchen
Kitchen Vaucluse House
Kitchen

Housekeeper’s Room

Furnished as it would have been in the 1800s, the housekeeper’s room is a small room where the housekeeper lived and performed her duties.

Housekeeper's Room Vaucluse House
Housekeeper’s Room

Drawing Room

Decorated extravagantly, the drawing room is furnished in the period style of the 1800’s. This room was where potential suitors could meet the Wentworth’s daughters. This room projects how rich and influential family was.

Drawing Room Vaucluse House
Drawing Room
Drawing Room
The Drawing Room
Drawing Room Vaucluse House
Drawing Room

Breakfast Room

This room was an informal family dining area, but still nicely furnished and decorated.

Breakfast Room
Breakfast Room

Bedrooms

Upstairs Bedroom
Upstairs Bedroom

Wine Cellar

Accessed via external stairs, the wine cellar still contains the arched alcoves for the storage of wine bottles. Despite being warm outside, the cellar was cool, showing how it helped keep the wine in good condition. Next to the wine cellar is the cool store with hooks on the ceiling for hanging cured meats.

Wine Cellar Vaucluse House
Wine Cellar

Stables

Although no longer housing horses, the stables are in excellent condition, with the wooden stalls still showing the marks of horses from 100 years ago.

Stables
The Stables

What Did We Think?

The house is in great condition along with all of the period furnishings. We loved walking through the house, seeing how the wealthy lived in mid-nineteenth century Australia.

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Hermitage Foreshore Walk Sydney Harbour

Hermitage Foreshore Walk at Vaucluse on Sydney Harbour

Running from Hermitage Reserve to Nielson Park, the Hermitage Foreshore Walk is a great way to take in Sydney Harbour and views to the city. In addition, you pass several historical houses, which are worth a visit if opened.

How to Get There

We walked from Vaucluse House and started the track at Strickland House, however if you want to use public transport, bus 325 has several stops along Vaucluse Road. For the return trip, bus 325 will take you either back to the start, or to Watsons Bay Wharf where you can catch a ferry.

Strickland House

We started the walk about halfway at Strickland House. This historic residence originally called Carrara was built in the mid-nineteenth century. The house has passed through many owners and is now owned by the New South Wales Government. Strolling around the grounds gives you an idea of the lifestyles of those who used to live here. The views over Sydney Harbour are amazing.

Unfortunately access into the house is not available, but you are able to walk around the outside.

Strickland House
Strickland House
Rear of Strickland House
Rear of Strickland House

The Foreshore Walk

From Strickland House, we followed the Hermitage Foreshore Walk, starting at Milk Beach. The boardwalk was in very good condition and made the walk easy, although in several places we did have to walk on sand and watch for incoming waves.

The views over the harbour are spectacular, with the bridge and Opera House visible at times. We even saw a seaplane taking off from Rose Bay.

Easy walking on the boardwalk Hermitage Foreshore Walk
Easy walking on the boardwalk
Weathered boulders on the Hermitage Foreshore Walk
Weathered boulders on the Hermitage Foreshore Walk
Weathered boulders on the Hermitage Foreshore Walk
Weathered boulders on the Hermitage Foreshore Walk
View across the Sydney Harbour
View across the Sydney Harbour
View across Sydney Harbour to the bridge Hermitage Foreshore Walk
View across Sydney Harbour to the bridge
View across the Sydney Harbour with a seaplane about to take off
Sydney Harbour with a seaplane about to take off
View across the Harbour to the city with a seaplane taking off
View across the Harbour to the city with a seaplane taking off

Greycliffe House

The walk finished at Nielsen Park, where you will find Greycliffe House. Tours of the house need to be booked through NSW Parks and Wildlife. You are able to walk around the outside of this neo-Gothic Victorian house and it’s gardens. Even from the outside it looks impressive.

Greycliffe House
Greycliffe House

What did We Think?

This was a pleasant and easy walk, with amazing views of Sydney Harbour, with several historical house to see along the way. Only a short (but uphill walk) from here is Vaucluse House which is open to the public.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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