Henry King, Horsley Photo Album, c.1900

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Collection SummaryAlbum of 24 photographs by Henry King, documenting the Horsley estate around 1900. Photographs include views of the house, interiors, gardens and vineyard.DescriptionThe Horsley Estate, originally called King’s Gift, was a 2000 acre land grant awarded in 1805 by Governor King to Lieutenant Colonel George Johnston in recognition of his military service.

The King’s Gift remained largely undeveloped until the property was passed onto Colonel Johnston’s daughter following his death in 1823. Blanche Johnston married George Weston, who was a Lieutenant in the East India Company. Together they built a comfortable homestead in 1832 - an Indian-style colonial bungalow - on the King’s Gift and named it Horsley after Weston’s birthplace in Surrey, England.

Over the years, the Horsley property became a self-sufficient estate with several outbuildings including stables, a coach house, servants' quarters and a blacksmith shop. Much of the land was cleared for farming and a vineyard and orchard were planted. The vineyard was located on a slope to the north of the outbuildings and extended over the surrounding hillside.

Horsley Homestead and some of its outbuildings still stand today. It had remained in the Weston family until 1939 when it was purchased by Frederic Moffitt. It was around this time that the first subdivisions occurred and most of the land was gradually sold. Today the estate is surrounded by urban development and has shrunk from the original 2000 to 12 acres.

Photograph

Sitting room, Horsley NSW

Entrance road lined with Bunya pines, Horsley NSW

Tree on the grounds of Horsley NSW

Bedroom at Horsley NSW

Horsley buildings and garden beds, Horsley NSW

Eucalypts around a dam, Horsley NSW

Dining room with a punkah, Horsley NSW

Horsley Homestead, Horsley Park NSW

Eucalypt on the bank of a creek, Horsley NSW

Horsley Homestead and buildings, Horsley NSW

Eucalypts on the bank of a dam, Horsley NSW

Blanche Weston at Horsley NSW

Farm buildings and pastures, Horsley NSW

Tree on the grounds of Horsley NSW

Two tall eucalypts at Horsley NSW

Dining room with a punkah, Horsley NSW

Drawing room, Horsley NSW

Slab hut with timber shingles, Horsley NSW

Carriage driveway loop, Horsley NSW

Man with a single horse-drawn buggy, Horsley NSW

Tree on the grounds of Horsley NSW

Horsley Vineyard, Horsley Park NSW, c. 1900

Details

AcknowledgementOriginal album and photographs are held by the National Library of Australia. Please direct all enquiries, including image orders from the original album, to the National Library of Australia.External linkNational Library of Australia

Connections

SuburbHorsley ParkOrganisation / SiteHorsley ComplexCollectionHistorical Photographs

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