Bonnyrigg House

Bonnyrigg House is a heritage-listed homestead complex at Cartwright Street, Bonnyrigg, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was designed by possibly Francis Greenway and built from 1825 to 1826 by A. Kinghorne and Thomas Moore. It is also known as Male Orphan School, The Homestead and Schoolmaster's residence. The property is owned by Department of Planning and Environment (General). It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

1804 Governor King granted 12,300 acres (5,000 hectares) in Cabramatta to the Female Orphan School, which had outgrown its city site on George and Bridge Streets, after lobbying from Reverend Samuel Marsden. This land was rented out in portions to provide an income for the school. Marsden convinced King to build a permanent Female Orphan House at Parramatta (now Rydalmere), and this was built under Governor Macquarie from 1813 to 1818. When this opened the George Street residence was repaired and reopened as a Male Orphan House. Commissioner Bigge was not satisfied with the city site and recommended establishment of a new male orphanage on the Orphan School estate close to Liverpool. The estate (grant) had been declared invalid due to failure of the School's Committee to pay quit rent of 12 pounds 6 shillings after 5 years. Governor Brisbane rededicated the land to its original purpose in 1823. Meanwhile, the grant had been used as a small stock farm on which a small house and several farm buildings had been built. Bigge proposed that the Male Orphan School be established on the land and that the new institution would serve as a farm school in an attempt to increase the level of farming knowledge and practice in New South Wales. It would also lower costs because the occupants could grow and harvest some of their own food. In early 1824 the move was complete and the original George Street residence ceased operating as an orphanage. James Busby, appointed farm manager, taught the boys viticulture, having planted a vineyard here in 1825. The "New Farm" near Liverpool as the male orphanage became known, briefly ceased operation in 1826. In April 1826 the administration of orphans changed from the Orphan Committee to the Church and Schools Corporation and a new site was selected. The orphanage was again relocated, this time to a nearby site only one and 1/4 miles from Liverpool and construction of the school began at Bull's Hill, also located within the existing Orphan School estate. The Schoolmaster's residence, otherwise known as the Homestead, was built at Bull's Hill within the Orphan School estate sometime in c.1826. The site was selected by Government engineer Alexander Kinghorne. Work began on Bull's Farm in June 1826. The land had already been partially cleared and by July 1826 tenders were called to begin works on the Master's Residence (now Bonnyrigg House) and dormitories. Construction works on various buildings continued at the Orphanage until 1848, just two years prior to its closure in March 1850. The large complex included the Master's House, dormitories, a dining room, school rooms, a probationary school, an infant school room and nursery, staff bedroom and kitchen, watch house, a hospital, stable and yard, coach house, offices, tailor's shop, bakehouse, storekeeper's house, clothing store and privies. Most of these were sited close to Bonnyrigg House on the top of the hill. No detailed plants were found of the institution showing their exact location. Bonnyrigg House stood on top of a rise with views across the district. It was designed by Colonial Architect Francis Greenway in 1821–5. Thomas Moore was eventually engaged as its builder. A succession of Masters occupied the residence, the first being William Walker. Reverend Robert Cartwright was se

Monument data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).