Roseneath is a heritage-listed residence at 36 Roseneath Lane,

Armidale Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had a population of 23,967 as of the 2021 census. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands reg ...

Armidale Regional Council The Armidale Region is a local government area in the New England and Northern Tablelands regions of New South Wales, Australia. This area was formed in 2016 from the merger of the Armidale Dumaresq Shire with the surrounding Guyra Shire. T ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia. It was built by Thomas Lamb. It was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 2 April 1999.

History

Thomas Lamb, the first Town Clerk of Armidale, was granted 24 acres of land in May 1854. On this land in the same year he built a two-storey home for himself and called it Roseneath. Thomas Lamb later sold Roseneath to John McNeill Simpson, surveyor of Barraba. In 1866 Simpson bought other land grants and extended the Roseneath property to 144 acres.Northern Magazine 51/5/1981 In 1877 Roseneath was bought by Agnes Scott of Surveyor's Creek, near Walcha. Following the marriage of her granddaughter Marion Glas Connal to John Adam McDonald, Solicitor and Notary Public of Armidale, Roseneath became the McDonald family home 1879 to 1966. Adeline and Edwin were the two eldest children. In 1966 the owners Adeline Marion and Edwin John Scott McDonald subdivided the original 24 acres to form a 4-acre block containing the house, outbuildings and garden and a 20-acre block to be retained by the vendor. In 1967 Mr and Mrs Henderson purchased the 4 acre block and subsequently began restoring Roseneath.Directors Report to the Heritage Council April 1978 In 1978 a proposal to construct a new premises beside the historic two-storey building, for the purpose of selling antique furniture from a gallery was referred to the Heritage and Conservation Branch for comment. Two different sets of proposals were considered, both of which were found to significantly impact upon the significance of Roseneath. To ensure the new buildings would be erected in a sympathetic manner with respect to the house, garden and outbuildings an Interim Conservation Order was recommended. On 27 October 1978 an Interim Conservation Order was placed over the property. In November 1978, the Heritage Council approved the construction of a gallery for antiques and furniture restoration workshop at the rear of Roseneath. A Permanent Conservation Order was placed over Roseneath on 20 March 1981. On 2 April 1999 Roseneath was transferred to the State Heritage Register.

Description

Roseneath is a Colonial Georgian style residence of rendered brick construction on basalt foundation. Roseneath has a central main entrance of heavy double doors framed by multi-coloured venetian glass, balanced by symmetrically placed eight pane

French doors A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide securit ...

. The first floor

veranda A veranda (also spelled verandah in Australian and New Zealand English) is a roofed, open-air hallway or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front an ...

h has light cross-braced timber

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

. The interior features a cedar stair, hallway with excellent joinery. The house is set in a formal garden, contemporary with the house and featuring two Bunya Bunya pines (

Araucaria bidwillii ''Araucaria bidwillii'', commonly known as the bunya pine (), banya or bunya-bunya, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae which is endemic to Australia. Its natural range is southeast Queensland with two very small, ...

) and Sierra redwood /big tree (

Sequoiadendron giganteum ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood, Sierra redwood or Wellingtonia) is a species of coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the la ...

, syn. Wellingtonia)s, elms (Ulmus sp.) and

wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and nor ...

, with tiled walks. Associated outbuildings include a smokehouse, outhouse and the stables. The stables are of random masonry construction with a wooden style roof overlaid with galvanised iron.

Heritage listing

Roseneath is a Colonial Georgian style residence built by Thomas Lamb, the first Town Clerk of Armidale, in 1854. Roseneath is reputed to be the oldest substantial home in the immediate environs of Armidale and is unique to the area. It is a fine example of its type and period and includes a formal garden and outbuildings. Roseneath was listed on the

on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. Roseneath is a Colonial Georgian style residence built by Thomas Lamb, the first Town Clerk of Armidale, in 1854. Roseneath is reputed to be the oldest substantial home in the immediate environs of Armidale and is unique to the area. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. Roseneath is a fine example of its type and period and includes a formal garden and outbuildings.

References

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Attribution