Alison Homestead Wyong Australia
Set on one of the original land grants in the area, dating from 1825, the Alison Homestead is the home of the Wyong District Museum & Historical Society. Although the original homestead was the subject of an arson attack in 2011, the rebuilt building has many great items generously donated by the local community. The other buildings on the property were not damaged in the fire.
How to get There
Located near the old Wyong Milk Factory on Cape Road, Alison Homestead is easily accessible from the M1 Pacific Motorway. Driving from Sydney it’s just over an hour north of the city or around the same time south of Newcastle. Parking is plentiful at the back of the homestead.
Driving in check out the Ned Kelly letterbox and the phone box with a Superman inside.
Refreshments
A small café is also where you pay a small entry fee, so we had a coffee and scones and watched the sheep in the field out the front. Also near the café is a sapling of the Lone Pine from Gallipoli, in commemoration of Australian service personnel.
Displays
In the Homestead and other buildings onsite, there are displays of memorabilia, photos, furniture, toys and other household items, equipment, machinery and tools all relating to the early settling of Wyong and surrounds. There is an old slab hut which was part of Yarramalong Public School with displays of furniture, equipment, books, maps and memorabilia relating to the history of early school days in the area.
As the museum is quite new, the displays are well laid out and easy to understand. Some local museums seem to have items cluttered together, making them difficult to see.
Buildings
The schoolhouse is setup as if a lesson is about to begin, taking you back to the early 1900s. Nearby, the slab hut shows how early settlers lived in the area. Some of these huts were still occupied in the 1920s.
Scale Models and Miniatures
Something we were not expecting to see was a collection of model ships and miniature buildings.
The ships range from Nelson’s HMS Victory to the World War One SMS Emden and HMAS Sydney. Emden and Sydney fought a duel in the war, with Sydney victorious. These are great models and worth checking out the room they are in because a great deal of effort has gone into them.
The miniature buildings show the homestead and buildings from other properties in the area. Again, a lot of effort and detail has gone into them.
What Did We Think of Alison Homestead?
A great little museum with some unexpected displays. Really worth the visit and wander around.