Historic Southern Highlands Throsby Park back with the Throsby family
Throsby Park, one of Australia's most significant homesteads in the NSW Southern Highlands, is back in the hands of the Throsby family.
Well, its leasehold is, after the winning tender – one of 12 to the Historic Houses Trust – by expatriate investment banker Tim Throsby, which promised a $2.5 million investment in conserving the house along with $1.3 million in annual rental over the 40 years. Tim Throsby is the global head of equities at JPMorgan.
Throsby Park had been home to six generations of Throsbys when it was donated to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1975.
The adjoining property, Barnham Stables, where workers lived while the homestead was being built, was purchased in 2007 by Tim Throsby for $1,425,000.
The latest acquisition is a 74 hectare Sutton Forest estate, just one kilometres east of Moss Vale, with colonial Georgian homestead, the 1834 Throsby Park.
The 27 room house comes with beautiful Australian red cedar joinery, polished hardwood floors along with the charming entry with fluted pilasters.
Its large bay windows frame country views. Conceived as a cottage orné or picturesque verandahed bungalow, it was probably to the design of colonial architect, Mortimer Lewis.
The estate comes with other historic buildings including stables, piggery, mill, barn, chapel and tennis pavilion.
Throsby Park House has undergone a sympathetic restoration including reinforcing the roof, underpinning, repairs and rewiring.
It is best known for its riding school which was established in 1934 and run by Del Throsby for many decades until her death in 2006. There were five generations of Throsby's living there through the years.
Tim Throsby's father Pat was Del's first cousin, who had lived at the property when he was young.
Undoubtedly one of Australia's oldest and most picturesque country mansions, Throsby Park was built on 1,000 hectares of land granted to Dr Charles Throsby by governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1819, reputedly the earliest land grant outside the County of Cumberland.
Throsby had no children and lived in a weatherboard cottage on the holding. The current homestead was built by his nephew, Charles (1798-1854) whose wife, Elizabeth Broughton resulted in 17 children and many descendants.
Throsby Park homestead was also leased to notable tenants, establishing the Southern Highlands as a prestigious holiday destination. In 1868 the Earl of Belmore, and Governor of NSW (1868-72) took it as a summer retreat for his wife, Lady Belmore who found the Sydney summers oppressive. In 1872 the homestead was leased to Frederick Barker, Archbishop of Sydney and then the Fairfax publishing family in 1891.
The property was the subject of an 1836 painting by distinguished 19th century artist Conrad Martens which was picked up by the philanthropic Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection.
View of Throsby Park by Conrad Martens, c1836. Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection, Sydney Living Museums L2005/7
Of course the Southern Highlands has always been closely associated with the English landscape. It was Governor Lachlan Macquarie who noted in 1820 that the Throsby Park district was particularly beautiful and rich, "resembling a fine extensive pleasure ground in England".
The long mooted leasehold offering will involved a requirement for continued restoration work implementing a 100 plus page conservation manual compliance.
The Historic Houses Trust engaged agents, Ken Jacobs and Darren Curtis at Christies International on the 40 year leasehold offering. Apparently the costs of upkeep were steadily growing, so continuing as a house museum, was no longer an viable option.
The Historic Houses Trust became the owner of Throsby Park in 2010, after it was transferred from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which owned the site since 1975.