Grossmann House Maitland

Located in Maitland opposite St Mary’s Anglican Church, Grossmann House is a heritage-listed former residence and Maitland Girls’ High School premises and now house museum. Built in 1870 by local businessman Isaac Beckett, the house represents the success of his business with Samuel Owen. The adjacent Brough House built by Owen is an identical but mirror image design.

In 1893 the first Maitland Girls’ high School was established when both Brough and Grossmann House were purchased and converted to a school. The name is derived from the first headmistress, Jeanette Grossmann who was principal at the school from 1890-1913.

Managed by the National Trust since the mid-1960s and decorated with artefacts from the 1860s.

With the interior restored to 1870s Victorian Grossmann House is open for tours on Sundays, with tickets available online.

We enjoyed our tour, finding the guides friendly and very knowledgeable on the house, which was great when we asked questions.

Hallway

Decorated with period furniture, the hallway leads to the main living area of the house, but its most interesting feature is the restored gas lights. Although stored to working order, they were not operating during our visit.

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Dining Room

Furnished with a set-dining table, the dining room looks just like it would in the 1870s. The decorations are great, although the portraits on the walls are not of the original owners, but contemporary paintings.

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Wallpaper

As part of the restoration undertaken by the National Trust, the original wallpaper was recreated from fragments discovered in the house. This has added to the presentation of the house, as it looks authentic.

Ladies’ Sewing Room

Containing the furnishings expected in a ladies’ drawing room, the windows overlook the garden, giving the room a relaxed atmosphere. The wallpaper here is also recreated from fragments found during the restoration.

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Georgian Crystal Exhibition

Several rooms had an exhibition of Georgian crystal, which although not related to the house, made an interesting addition to the tour.

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Old School Room

One room was furnished as an old school room to show how the building looked during this period. The photo on the wall is of Jeanette Grossmann the first headmistress.

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Kitchen

The kitchen contains an old oven and other nineteenth century fittings, which suit the age of the house.

Grossmann House Garden

Wet weather during our visit prevented a good look around the gardens, but they look nice and would be great to walk around, if it wasn’t raining.

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