'Extraordinary' historic places in Cowra, NSW

Historic buildings of Cowra

• Lynch Street, Cowra Railway Station and yards. The Railway Station, originally comprising three separate buildings, was built in 1886.

• 82-86 Kendal Street. Cowra Court House. The Cowra Courthouse was designed by the Colonial Architect James Barnet and was opened in 1880 by the Hon H E Baker and the local member Mr Lynch. Further additions were made to the courthouse in 1882. In 1892, major alterations were undertaken to the facade of the building. These were designed by the Colonial Architect Walter Liberty Vernon.

• 120 Kendal Street Cowra Fire Station. The station has been operational since 1929.

• 59 Kendal Street Reids Smith Building. In 1924 Reid Smith and Co purchased the site and built a two storey department store. The building was refurbished in 2000 and converted into the Cowra Plaza. If you look up you can see into the second storey when walking through the plaza.

• 5-11 Kendal Street - A two storey rendered brick building at the lower end of Kendal Street which now consists of a number of retail premises. The ground floor details include rare cast iron columns, traditional gloss ceramic wall tiles, tessellated entry floor tiling and red marble cladding. The upper facade is punctuated by four Romanesque-arched windows with double stepped reveals. A pair of ventillaters over each window just below continuous horizontal moulding.

• 12-14 Kendal Street Garden and Montgomerie Building. From 1875 to 1903, the building was leased by the Australian Joint Stock Bank from its then owners Charles Moore, and later his widow Margaret. In the Mid 1890s it was the Cowra Cycle Depot during a time when cycle racing was booming in the town.

• 27 Kendal Street. Ilfracombe. Built in 1879 by Nicholas Challacombe, a long time resident of the Cowra district retiring as licensee of the Royal Hotel. Nicholas named it Ilfracombe in fond memory of the coastal town in Devon, England, not far from his boyhood home. From the mid 1880's to 1990 it was the home and professional rooms of a number of Cowra's doctors. It is believed that the first use in Australia of Louis Pasteur's diphtheria anti toxin was from this Practice in Cowra. In 1991 the then owners Hugh and Judy McLaren carried out a restoration of the cottage before extending the building for the purpose of opening the Ilfracombe Restaurant.

• Farm buildings Cowra Agricultural Research Station, Binni Creek Road - A collection of farm buildings of various construction (pise, slab, concrete block, iron, pole supports).
• 57 Kendal Street - Fagan Building. This building is prominent and commanding within the Kendal Street streetscape. It is representative of growth and economic prosperity within the town of Cowra in the early 20th century. It is significant in that it was established by a prominent district identity, John Fagan. The building is now the long term home of Martins Electrical.

• 27 Kendal Street, Oxley House - Erected c. 1920 for James Ousby who was recorded in 1893 as having a vineyard and grazing property on the Canowindra Road, being a son of pastoralists William and Jane Ousby. William formerly worked on 'Waugoola', and leased 'Mulyan'. The building currently houses a real estate firm.

• Farrar Barn, Binni Creek Road - The Farrer Building at the Cowra Agricultural Research Station was purpose built in 1906 as a plant breeding facility for William Farrer who died before its completion.
• 5 Grenfell Road Cowra Show Pavilion.

• 125 Kendal Street ANZ Bank building. An example of an early 20th century bank building remaining substantially intact externally, the building was utilised by a number of bank branches since its construction. In recent years it has been occupied by Breakout River Meats and now a law firm.

• 6 Vaux Street Cowra Mill. The Cowra Steam Mill commenced operations on February 13, 1861.The mill was constructed for Thomas Walsh [publican] and Patrick Walsh [grazier] on land purchased from Richard Duggan. Up until the 1880s the mill was leased to several operators, including Challacombe, Rheuben Bros., and a Miss Davis. Their products were advertised as 'superfine, silk-dressed flour, household flour, seconds, bran and pollard'. In 1898 the Walsh family sold the mill to H.H.S. Francis. The mill produced 'Golden Spray' brand flour which was sold to bakers in Cowra as well as at Carcoar and Woodstock. The building was flooded in 1900. It was leased to Reid Smith Ltd., and ceased operations in 1905. It now operates as a restaurant.

• 3-5 Grenfell Road. Historic Cowra Showground horse stalls. The horse stalls building has links with the rural shows, the history of horse racing and transport and the breeding of horses in the Cowra district.

Historic farmhouses of Cowra

• Darbys Falls Road Jerula Homestead. Originally a stone shingle roofed building, the homestead is divided by a fireplace into 2 rooms. The building was used as the homestead from 1834 until 1836. The building, which still has a number of these original features, has a high level significanceas it displays a number of the original construction features of the era and as the original homestead for the Jerula property.

• Darbys Falls Road Jerula Cottage. 'Jerula Cottage' was built in 1901 for Agnes and Harry Street. Agnes was the daughter of George Campbell of Jerula. At the time of her marriage, her mother and brother occupied 'Jerula' homestead.

• 33 Warrawong Road - The pise cottage, which is one of the two original buildings constructed by convict John Copson on the Warrawong property , holds a strong level of significance to the development of properties in the Cowra region by the early settlers. It also holds a high level of significance to the regions contribution to WW11 and the hosting of prisoners of war during the war effort.

• 1034 Darbys Falls Road Cudgelo Homestead. The Cudgelo Homestead has been owned by the Campbell family since 1860. The complex of buildings constructed of granite which forms the Cudgelo homestead is a good example of past construction utilising granit materials. The homestead holds a good level of historical significance for the Shire as it is an example of an intact structure demonstrating past methods of construction and development.
• Farleigh Trig Road Farleigh Homestead. Farleigh was constructed in c1867 for Victor Watt, a relation of Dr. William Redfern. Victor Watt was a Member of Parliament and a prominent local resident. It is understood Victor Watt occupied Farleigh until the late 1880s, when drought and rural depression may have resulted in a bank taking possession of the property. In 1898 the O'Neil family purchased Farleigh. Until mid 1998 it remained in the ownership of the Estate of the Late John O'Neil (died 1932). Joy O'Neil, who was born at Farleigh in 1905 and lived there for 93 years, administered the Estate from 1994.

• 1492 North Logan Road - North Logan Homestead. James Sloan, who travelled to NSW in 1826, was employed by Arthur Ranken and purchased 1300 acres in 1836 in the Warwick Plains area naming it North Logan after his birth place in Scotland. The large homestead which boasts an elaborate Italian marble fireplace amongst other specialist items, is representative of the early homesteads of brick construction on rural properties in the Shire.

• Darbys Falls Road Neila Homestead and shearing shed. The homestead and associated shearing shed, which retains 5 of what was once 14 shearing stands in operation, draws historic significance from its ongoing contribution to agriculture in Cowra Shire.

Historic landmarks of Cowra

• Grave of John Grant 2446 Forbes Road - The grave of John Grant is on the original holding of 'Merriganowry' 23 km north-east of Cowra. The site is located on private property. The surround is a cast iron palisade set on sandstone plinth blocks and an area nominally 3 x 2m.
  

• POW Camp site ruins, Evans Street - Identified as the Garrison Electrical Emergency and Supply and Switch Room the building is thought to have been constructed by Italian Civilian Internees from Australia or Italian prisoners who had been captured in North Africa. It is the only structure within the camp to have been built by Italians and one of the few original buildings constructed from local materials and not using timber framing.

• 3-5 Grenfell Road Cowra Jockey Club Gates. The Cowra Jockey Club Entrance Gate was erected in 1922.

• Binni Creek Road Contour Banks - A series of earth contour banks constructed to reduce soil erosion and assist water retention, over the entire property, includes some four miles of grassed waterways constructed at all contour bank outlets.
• Brougham Park entrance gates - Brougham Park gates were erected in 1933. In 1888 Reserve 7265, Cowra's first reserve was established. It is now known as 'Brougham Park'.

• Darbys Falls Road Jerula Private Cemetery. Those buried within the Jerula Private Cemetery are George Campbell and his family. Campbell was a Member of the Legislative Assembly NSW, from 1881-1885 and Member of the Legislative Council from 1887 - 1890. He was the first Mayor of Cowra, 1888 - 1889.

• Cowra Rail Bridge over the Lachlan - The bridge was completed on June 15, 1887. The first train arrived in Cowra in May 1886 with the bridge parts imported from Belgium and transported to Cowra by rail. A camp for 500 men, who worked on the bridge was established at the site of the Erambie Mission. An official opening for the bridge took place on August 25, 1887. At the time of its opening it was the only lattice girder bridge outside England.
  

• St Peter's Presbyterian Church, Macquarie Street- First protestant church erected along the Lachlan River. A small red brick Victorian Gothic style church constructed between 1860 and 1861 with galvanised iron roof. The external fabric of the church has been retained to a large extent. Access for disabled persons, and an addition to the front entrance are reversible.

• 7-9 Lachlan Street. St Raphael's Church and Brigidine Convent. Father Bernard Murphy obtained the land grant on the corner of Kendal and Lachlan Streets, where the first Catholic Church was erected in 1859 and was opened February 13, 1861. This Gell designed Gothic stone structure was incorporated into the second church and convent of the Brigidine Order. This second church and convent was completed in 1878 and opened by the Bishop of Bathurst, Rt. Rev. Dr. Quinn in January, 1879. The stained-glass windows were imported from Toulouse, France and the interior carvings were undertaken by William Dryden. The Catholic Parish of Cowra was declared on July 1, 1889. The foundation stone for the third St. Raphael's Church was lain on January 9, 1938 by Bishop Norton. The bell tower was erected to a height of 86 feet, in which the 122 year-old church bell inscribed 'J. Maher, Bathurst 1817' was hung.

Historic pubs of Cowra

• 2 Kendal Street - Cowra Hotel erected during the inter-war period in the regional Art Deco style. The Hotel contributes much to the surrounding streetscapes, as an example of an inter-war building of Cowra.

• 1 Redfern Street - Australian Hotel. Cowra's first inn was the 'FitzRoy Arms', a slab, bark and shingled roof building erected in 1846 for Thomas Kirkpatrick was located on the site of the present day 'Australian Hotel'. In the early 1850s, schoolteacher, Mr. Pearce taught nine children in a small shed at the rear of the inn. The premises was used for town meetings and and Thomas McKell also conducted auctions on a regular basis. From 1854 to 1856 William Ousby held the licence. 'In 1909, demolition of an old store next to the hotel enabled the then owner John Lamplough to extend the building to its present configuration.

• 16-18 Kendal Street - Imperial Hotel In 1904, Irish iron-ore miner John Connolly purchased the store at No. 20 Kendal Street, originally built by Stephen Alford in 1861, and commenced building 'The Imperial Hotel Buildings'. Second of this group of three and the largest was the Imperial Hotel, and the third was No. 22-26 Kendal Street, when, on completion, the front section was leased to the Australian Joint Stock Bank. The three storey hotel was completed in 1905 and contained 50 rooms.

• 1 Lachlan Street. Former Great Western Hotel. In 1831, a shoemaker, John Copson of London arrived in Coura Rocks and erected a small hut on government land. He then purchased the land [between Vaux and Kendal Streets] and erected a weatherboard structure. In 1878 it provided accommodation for the construction workers on the second Catholic Church building and in 1883 re-opened as a hotel under the licensee W. Howey. Patrick Hough purchased the premises in 1890 and Sarah Farrar became the proprietress in 1896. The hotel ceased trading in 1924 and in June 1928 Sarah Farrar passed the property to her sons, J.J. and M.P. Farrar and it was sold to H.H.S & H.R. Francis for £375. In 1941 Elizabeth Frances Foster purchased the property and enclosed the weatherboard verandah with red brick and louvre windows. It was then converted for use as flats.

Historic private residences of Cowra

• 90 Macquarie Street Paradise Homestead. 'Paradise' was the name given by Peter Murray and his wife Helen to this large 'bluestone' granite home erected in Macquarie Street, Cowra in 1874. Murray arrived in the Colony of New South Wales on board the 'Peerless' in 1866. In Cowra, Murray first managed a store for Stephen Alford, then established a large general store in Lachlan Street. In 1884 he established a new store on the site of the present Cowra Hotel. In 1889 Murray went into partnership with a former employee, James Smith. Their store was known as The Cowra Emporium. In 1900 Smith left to join an established retail firm in Kendal Street, later to be known as Reid Smith & Co.