Sunday 18 November 2012

Old Buildings: Station Master's House, Capertee

The Station Master's House in Capertee is the oldest surviving residence in the village and has historic significance, not only to the establishment of Capertee, but also to the history of the NSW railway system. 

The 1882 Station Master's House in Capertee

With the construction of the Gwabegar branch line it was decided to build a railway station at Capertee Camp (as the settlement was first known). On 17 February 1882 John Whitton (Chief Engineer of the NSW Government Railway) signed an illustration detailing the construction of the current Station Master’s House. Plans were drawn for the building in March 1882 and the house was built later that year.

This brick building is a fine example of a ‘Type 5’ Station Master’s residence built by the New South Wales Government Railway in the second half of the nineteenth century. Similar designs can be found at Lue, Rylstone, Kelso and Blackheath. This type of design features a full width verandah across the front of the house and an 'L' shaped floor plan. It was mostly used at larger way-side locations, being widely used in the 1880s. It is an attractive local landmark close to the Capertee railway station which was also built in 1882.
                 

As you would expect the Station Master's House
is close to Capertee Railway Station

The Station Master’s House was sold by State Rail in 1990 by which time it was very run down. Most of the interior was gutted and the grounds were full of scrap metal and weeds. Despite this the original 1880s iron roof has survived. The house was restored and the attractive picket fence constructed. It was then sold in 2002 to the current owner who has continued to restore the property and has extensively researched the history of the property and its many former occupants. The Station Master's House is  now used for short term holiday rentals. It's a popular choice with bird watchers, being on the edge of the Capertee Valley.

Link to owners Stayz accommodation website for this property: http://www.stayz.com.au/14862


2 comments:

  1. Hi Silas, just discovered your blog, congratulations on a fine topic presented well.

    We have quite a lot of heritage text but no time to utilise.

    regards
    Bruce & Donna Upton

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fascinating. My Grand Uncle, Horace (Harry) Rogers, owned the woodmill, directly across from the station masters house, and my Grandfather, Will Rogers, owned the butchers shop, opposite the pub. Unfortunately, when they returned from France at the cessation of the 1st World war, they found that their "friend", who was trusted to manage both businesses, had sold them and scarpered. They returned to nothing and soon after moved to Leura.

    ReplyDelete

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