What were our early gardens like?

In a recent post we highlighted an exhibition of photos taken of several Central Tablelands towns by Merlin Beaufoy and Charles Bayliss of the American & Australasian Photographic Company in the early 1870s. Many of the the 3,500 surviving images - known as the Holtermann collection - show views of gardens, and while many of these domestic landscapes are underwhelming, several photos show residents with a deep love of horticulture and gardening. While none of the Holtermann collection images are of early Capertee district gardens, these photographs offer us valuable clues to the look of late Victorian and early 20th century gardens within our own area.

Despite the humble construction of this Hill End home, this
family are clearly proud of their formally laid of garden

The more notable garden images in the Holtermann collection show a preference for formal designed gardens. By this we mean a preference for symmetrical layouts, a style popular since first settlement times.The Hill End photo (seen above) shows a garden with a mix of ornamental and productive plants. The central gravel path is bordered with cottage pinks (Dianthus), while the surrounding beds are filled with roses and other ornamental shrubs. Behind the house is an orchard planted with productive fruit trees. By the size of the trees the garden is only a few years old.

Most plants from that time have not survived due to changing plant fashions, grazing, neglect and bush fires. Despite this, evidence of original plantings can still be seen near many early homes, even when the original building has been lost. Most flowering roses are grafted on tough species rootstocks such as Sweet Briar. While the original bush may have died the understock has survived. Many of the pink flowering single roses we see in spring are often the progeny of original early plantings.

Another formally laid out Hill End garden 

Another 19th century plant to survive is the grey Agave. This plant has survived and prospered near many local mining-era dwellings such as at Airley and Blackman's Crown. Architectural style succulents such as Agave were popular plants in late Victorian and early 20 th century gardens thanks to their ease of culture. These plants reproduce mostly by vegetative growth or by seed.

Despite bush fires, grazing, and neglect, two large circular patches of
19 th century blue-flowered varieties of Iris continue to grow close to 
the front door of a, now lost, miner's cottage near Cherry Tree Hill

One of the toughest and most reliable garden plants from the 19 th century is the Bearded Iris. The only reason the Irises shown above has survived over one hundred years is due to the hardiness of the plant. Iris's have been grown in Australian gardens since colonial era times. They were popular then because they were easy to transport when lifted and reproduced well from annual division.  While many other plants were grown in this garden only the hardy Iris has survived.

One organisation interested in the look of 19 th century gardens is the Australian Garden History Society.This 2,000 strong organisation - formed in 1980 - publishes a fascinating quarterly magazine titled Australian Garden History. http://www.gardenhistorysociety.org.au/

Local Parks: Mugii Murrum-ban State Conservation Area

The Capertee district is rich in natural wonders and this has been recognised with the establishment of several local reserves, most notably the Capertee and Gardens of Stone National Parks. The most recent addition to the protected Crown Lands portfolio in the area is the Mugii Murrum-ban State Conservation Area which was established by the former Labor State Government in March 2011.

Apart from some perimeter signs there is little
evidence of any changes in this Conservation Area
 since it was established in 2011

This new Conservation Area consists of 3,650 hectares of land which roughly intersects the Capertee NP (to the north) and the Gardens of Stone NP (to the south). Much of the area of the new Mugii Murrum-ban State Conservation Area includes the picturesque peaks of Mount Genowlan and Mount Airly. While not having the full legal protection of a National Park or World Heritage Area this new reserve is an extension of the Gardens of Stone National Park which was originally established in 1994. The Conservation Area is named after the Wiradjuri Elder, Charley Riley. Mugii is Riley's Wiradjuri name and means a Mopoke Owl, while Murum-ban means eldest son in the Wiradjuri language.

According to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service the new reserve includes more than 340 different plant species as well as distinctive sandstone and shale rock formations. Native vegetation includes several rare and endangered communities including plants associated with dwarf she-oak heathland, as well as 20 metre high Brown Barrel eucalyptus downstream of the "Grotto". Hopefully future National Parks and Wildlife funding will lead to more knowledge of the Conservation Area being known to the public.

Tangible evidence of the former mining village of Airly
 still survives in the newly established Conservation Area

Much of the drive to establish the reserve was the threat from coal mining in the area. Prior to the establishment of the Conservation Area proposed coal mining would have led to major subsidence as well as possible changes to the water table. After the Conservation Area was announced local miner Centennial Coal publicly welcomed the establishment of this State Conservation Area, but in late 2012 their Airly mine was scaled down due to financial reasons.

As well as the notable local geology and the diverse natural vegetation growing in the reserve, the Mugii Murrum-ban Conservation Area also includes archaeological remains of the former shale mining community of Airly, which was active from 1883-1913.While the nearby mining community of Glen Davis is relatively well documented the century old former shale mining community at Airly clearly shows the speed that human habitation turns to dust. Visible traces of this community includes mining ventilation shafts and the remains of several brick and stone dwellings.



Link to National Parks & Wildlife website: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/

The greatest wonder in the world

‘The greatest wonder of the world’ was the description given to the world’s largest specimen of reef gold which was discovered by Bernhardt Holtermann at nearby Hill End in 1872. Within months of the find the mining settlement was transformed into one of the largest inland towns in New South Wales. But, by the 1880s most of the gold had been found and the community went into terminal decline. Apart from contemporary press reports little was known of the appearance of Hill End until a large cache of glass plate negatives were discovered in a garden shed owned by the Holtermann family in Chatswood in 1951.

Hand coloured photo of James Jaye's
tinsmith shop in Bathurst (1873)
Holtermann collection, State Library of NSW

It soon became apparent to historians that these 3,500 negatives – known as the Holtermann Collection - were the work of travelling photographers Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Baylis of the American and Australasian Photographic Company who visited Hill End and other Central Tablelands mining towns in the early 1870s.

Short Street, Hill End (1872) 
Holtermann collection, State Library of NSW

Recent developments in computer digital imaging have allowed the State Library of NSW to scan the Holtermann Collection images so they can be clearly enlarged to gallery size prints. A sample of these astonishing images is now on view at the State Library of New South Wales in Macquarie Street, Sydney, until 12th May 2013. Works at The greatest wonder of the world show include house and street scenes of Sydney, Bathurst, Hill End and Gulgong. There are also images of other local mining communities such as Home Rule and Canadian Lead.

As well as the images of the mine workings and the townscapes there are also many studio portraits  of the diverse residents of these communities. These include family portraits as well as images of children. My favourite child portrait is of a bewildered looking boy named August Gondolf who is seated on a tricycle. One sad image is a post-mortem photograph of an infant girl laid out with flowers in preparation for her funeral.

Studio portrait of August Gondolf
Holtermann collection, State Library of NSW

This exhibition will delight all with an interest in nineteenth century Australian history. Make time to visit this free exhibition next time you are in Sydney.

Exhibition opening hours:

9 am to 5 pm Monday to Thursday (Tuesdays open until 8 pm), 9 am to 5 pm Friday, 10am to 5 pm weekends
Closes 12th May 2013

www.sl.nsw.gov.au