Buckland Convalescent Home is a heritage-listed former residence and private parkland and now convalescent hospital located at 39 Hawkesbury Road, Springwood, in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Thomas Buckland and McPhee Smith and was built from 1881 to 1934 by Kell & Rigby. It is also known as Buckland Convalescent Home and Garden. The property is owned by The Buckland Convalescent Hospital. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
History Indigenous history Reports of numerous bushfires in the Blue Mountains in the 1820s is seen as evidence of Aboriginal presence in the area. Recent studies have revealed evidence of occupation back some 14,000 years. The arrival of Europeans and the introduction of diseases such as smallpox, saw the Aboriginal population decimated as early as 1789 when a widespread epidemic, according to Captain John Hunter (1793) "swept off hundreds of the natives in the winter of 1789". Apparently quick to assimilate, the Aboriginal group around Springwood 'in 1819 the "Chef de Springwood" Aurang- Jack...was in European dress and the elderly leader Karadra was smoking a clay pipe'.
By the 1991 census only 65 Aboriginal people were recorded living in the area. The clan associated with Springwood was identified as the Oryang-Ora (Aurang), and there are a number of known sites containing Aboriginal evidence in the Springwood area, though none known to the Buckland Village.Archnex, 2002, B3
Colonial history Buckland Village chronology: Phase 1 of development covers the period 1876–1934 and is believed to incorporate the following development and landscape features: farm residence; outbuilding and paddocks/orchard; additional six-roomed cottage (the position of this has not been established); dam (other side of boundary); water feature; sandstone-edged pathways; landscaping, including exotic pines along the northern boundary; large dam and probably a second dam; driveway from Hawkesbury Road.Edds, 2003, 2-6
In February 1876 James Bentley Corbin was granted at Springwood - portion 97. In December 1876 John Thomas Ellison was granted - portion 72.
In January 1881 Dr. James Norton MLA was granted "under the Volunteer Force Regulation Act of 1867" – portion 38 – property was named Euchora. Norton was a Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and Postmaster General in the Stuart Government. He originally received in the late 1870s and purchased a further which were parts of Portions 71 and 137, originally granted to John Thomas Ellison in 1876.
Dr Norton erected a cottage on the land in 1884, and named it Euchora. He is reported as being a keen horticulturist and naturalist. His garden around "Norton Hall" at Leichhardt was extensive and renowned,Stuart Read, pers.comm., 10/1/2014 and it is said that he compiled a list of the native flora of the place, as well as introducing many exotics. A dam was constructed in the lower portion of the land and water was pumped up to a reservoir on Hawkesbury Road from which the extensive gardens were watered.
In 1898 lands and portions were partly amalgamated by Norton. He died in 1906.Archnex, 2002, B4
In 1906 the land was sold to John Francis King. In 1910 King sold it to Frederick Henry GriffithBroughton. Broughton built a separate cottage of six rooms to the Hawkesbury Road frontage in 1917. The current parcel of land appears to have been consolidated about this time. Euchora was operated as a guest house for many years by Mrs Breen, who later ran The Ferns guest house (now demolished), opposite Springwood railway station.
A site plan of this era showed Euchora (two buildings, a separate cluster of outbuildings towards Haweksbury Road, a tennis court to the east and an orchard to the north-east.Archnex, 2002, B5
In 1934 DP1093214 survey dated 24/3/1934 – land area was , or 32 perches.Archnex, 2002, B2
Buckland Hospital's site is partly occupies the former property of Silva Plana, a landscaped site of and a house built in 1881 as a country retreat by John Frazer, wholesale grocer and merchant (what became "John Frazer and Son" from 1847 in Sydney), who from 1874 to 1884 was a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and a philanthropist. Two fine fountains, one in Hyde Park South, the other between the Land Titles Office and St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney are memorials to his generosity. The University of Sydney, where he hoped to fund the chair of History, awards a Frazer scholarship in history, and he was a founding Councillor on the Presbyterian foundation, St. Andrew's College and donor of funds to the Presbyterian ministry studying there.Maddock, 5-15; ADB IV, 218-9 Sir Henry Parkes' son Varney designed Silva Plana.Searle and Morony, 6, 32: Robinson, map of Springwood, c.1910 The Frazer Memorial Church (opened 1895) in Springwood is a striking example of his (and broader) Victorian philanthropy, financed entirely from his and his widow, Elizabeth's generosity. Frazer died in 1884. Mrs Frazer sent her gardener from Silva Plana to lay out the grounds and plant the trees around this church, the first in Springwood of any denomination.Maddock, John, The Frazer Memorial Church - a History, 1995, Springwood Historical Society, quoted in Leary, 2013, 6-8
In March 1934 Sir Thomas Buckland, miner, pastoralist, businessman (mining investor, company chairman and president of the Bank of NSW) and philanthropist discussed a proposal with the NSW Government to purchase land and establish a hospital, furnish and endow it, on the proviso that the State would upgrade Springwood's water supply.
In May 1934 a Deed of Trust between Buckland Esq. and Trustees: Thomas Buckland; Rt. Rev. Sydney James Kirkby, Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Sydney; Dr. C. K. Hogg, inspector-general of mental hospitals in NSW: R. W. Gillespie, merchant; A. J. Taylor, solicitor; and David Roxburgh, solicitor - was signed to establish "The Buckland Hospital".
Buckland Convalescent Hospital The Trust Deed Thomas Buckland purchased Euchora in 1934, and the Buckland Hospital Trust was established by a trust deed, registered on 20 August 1934. The deed states, inter-alia:
The trust fund was also to be put to the provision of 25 beds and also "... for the medical nursing and domestic staff necessary for the conduct of such Hospital which shall be erected according to plans and specifications approved by the Trustees."
Hospital building The design for the hospital was prepared by Buckland and McPhee Smith, architects. One of Thomas Buckland's sons, Harold Buckland, was a principal of that firm. The contract for the erection of the hospital was let to Kell & Rigby, builders for A£28,500 in May 1935.
One of the conditions of Buckland's gift was that the state government should install a permanent water supply to the town of Springwood, including the hospital. This was completed, including a reinforced concrete tank holding , reticulation to the hospital and other lower Blue Mountains villages, in 1935.Archnex, 2002, C6
Early years The first matron of the BCH was Matron Rothery, whose diaries from the beginning of 1936, up until 1940 were examined in detail to try to gain some insight into the establishment and operation of the hospital during its early years.
In "Memoranda from 1935", Matron Rothery notes that on 15 November, she and Sister Heard visited Springwood, where Mr Taylor met them at the train, and they had dinner at his house. They inspected the Buckland Hospital later.
During the course of November and December, various items of hardware, kitchenware and other equipment of the hospital were purchased from Anthony Hordens in Sydney. On 23 December 1935, Matron Rothery and Sister Heard took up residence at the Hospital, and there are entries pertaining to the organisation of monogrammed bed linen and other paraphernalia needed for the function of the Hospital during December.
Sir Thomas Buckland is noted as visiting first on Friday 3 January 1936 staying the night and leaving the next morning. Miss Beatrice Buckland, the Hospital's first patient was admitted on Wednesday 3 February, and was brought to the Hospital by Mr Harold Buckland.
The ongoing entries for the period detail the employment of staff, staff movements and illnesses, planting of shrubs and plants from "Rosens", the weather, accounts, purchase of hardware, works being undertaken around the place, minor building maintenance and rectification and all the minutiae of getting the Hospital up and running.
The official opening is entered at Saturday 25 January 1936:
Sir Thomas and Lady Buckland took a keen and active interest in the formative period of the Hospital, and Sir Thomas was involved in details such as the selection of the linoleum for the hallways. He visited on a regular basis for both practical, administrative purposes and to visit his daughter. During 1936, he visited or corresponded on some 50 occasions, in 1937, 25 and by 1938, 45. By this time, Sir Thomas was 90 years old, and was still driving up from Hunters Hill to Springwood'.
Sir Thomas died on 11 June 1947, two weeks prior to his 99th birthday at his residence, Lyndhurst in Hunters Hill. His estate was valued at £589,958: after £40,000 bequests to each surviving child (2 sons, 3 daughters), legacies of £24,000 to other family members and some £11,000 to sundry schools and hospitals, he left 2/3 of the residue to the Buckland Convalescent Hospital, Springwood and the income of 1/3 to the Church of England homes for children.Archnex, 2002, B7
The second phase is believed to represent the development of the property during the 1934–1983 period and incorporates the following development and landscape features: the hospital; caretaker's cottage; tennis court (from phase 1 – converted to a croquet court); dairy; paddocks and chook shed; formalising the driveway from Hawkesbury Road; landscaping; fibro cottage; kitchen garden and flower garden; 1946 renovations – probably the sun room and verandah infills (two-storey section); fire stairs installed.Edds, 2003, 2–13
Buckland Village In 1971, the Directors of the BCH were compelled to sell five residential blocks fronting Patterson Road to supplement income.
In 1973, it was decided to sell a further 79 acres to Leighton Properties for a housing development, but the sale fell through because Blue Mountains City Council would not agree to re-zoning the land for residential purposes. At the end of 1973, the directors resolved to offer the whole of the property to the Church of England Retirement Villages at a peppercorn rent, and also indicated that they would be prepared to supplement costs via a contribution from the investment income of the BCH. This proposal also fell through as the then NSW Crown Solicitor opposed the scheme. A similar approach had also been made to NSW Legacy, but failed for the same reason.
In 1977, it was decided to reorganise the operation of the BCH, as it had shown an operating loss of $123,516 for 1976/77. The company had not shown an operating profit since 1969. It was decided that the then chairman, Mr T B (Basil) Silk, MBE, be asked to vacate the chair and take up the position of General Manager, effective 1 June 1977. During the subsequent financial year, the deficit was reduced to $53,116. The Board decided that further action was needed and sought to put the greatest asset of the BCH, the land, to better use. It was decided that the use of the place as a retirement village should be explored. Discussions were had with the Crown Solicitors, and the NSW Attorney General, Frank Walker, who indicated support for the proposal. legal opinion was sought over the ensuing period and an action commenced in the courts to alter the terms of the trust deed.