Jarvisfield, Picton

Jarvisfield was home of the Antill family from – 1937 (at least). Major H. C. (Henry Colden) Antill was born in New York in 1779, second son of John and Margaret Antill. John was a Major of the Second Battalion of the New Jersey Volunteers (Loyalists). Margaret was granddaughter of Cadwallader Colden. Henry enlisted with the British Army as ensign in 1796, served with the 73rd Regiment, was promoted to Captain in 1809 and received a medal for bravery following the storming of Seringaptam in India, where he was badly wounded. Along with Governor and Mrs Macquarie he arrived in Sydney on HMS Dromedary in December 1809 with his regiment, and was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Macquarie on 1 January 1810. Antill retired from the Army in 1821 and in 1822 was the first to receive a grant of in the area now known as Picton (previously known as Stonequarry), The Brookside Restaurant (former Razorback Inn), is now at 1580 Hume Highway Deviation and separately LEP-listed. Built on four acres sold by Antill to Oliver Whiting, ex-convict and servant of the Antill family. It appears that the inn was completed in 1850 and a licence issued for that date. Continued to operate until Whitings moved to an inn at Picton when the railway opened. A Mr. Turner who later lived in the building found two English pennies dated 1850 under the foundations of the place when renovating it. Later used as a guest-house and residence named Brookside, also as a restaurant. It is now used in association with the Woolshed complex for functions. John Macquarie Antill Sr. was born in Liverpool on 30 May 1822 and at age 18 went to manage the Primrose Valley estate, Molonglo, NSW, concentrating on sheep breeding. At 24 he was appointed a Police Magistrate in Picton, holding this position until his death in 1900. His wife Jessie Hassall Campbell was born on 28 March 1834, married J. M. Antill Sr. in 1851 and continued to live in Jarvisfield with a daughter and their grandchildren, after her husband's death in 1900. She died in Picton in 1917. J. M. Antill Sr. was appointed receiving officer for the Camden electorate in1877, which included Picton. He inherited Jarvisfield in 1858, building a new homestead there for his family in 1864. Wheat growing was ruined by rust, and sheep-raising on account of fluke, both apparently because it was too close to the coast. In 1875 from imported stock, John Sr. established the Ayrshire Study which made Jarvisfield famous. Jessie and John Sr. had 11 children, two of whom did not reach adult life. In 1967 the Antill Park Golf Club was established on the site, with the homestead forming the club house. == Description ==

Estate The core of a once large (2000 acre) grant remains, today managed as a golf course estate near the town of Picton. Garden and early plantings The house is surrounded by still extensive grounds, formerly gardens and farmland, now the Antill Park Country Golf Club (since 1967). and survive in 2012 (Kabaila). Early tree plantings include Bunya pines (Araucaria bidwillii), hoop pines (Araucaria cunninghamii), English elms (Ulmus procera) which have suckered into thickets in places, kurrajongs (Brachychiton populneus), white cedars (Melia azederach var.australasica), English oaks (Quercus robur), shelter belts/former farm hedges of American Osage orange (Maclura pomifera). Osage oranges are now extremely rare in the Sydney basin - only two other examples are known, at Hambledon Cottage, Parramatta and Muogamarra Nature Reserve, Hornsby. Other early plantings include false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia, again probably originally shelter belt plantings), again suckering into thickets. Further information Date of current mansion unknown. == Heritage listing ==

As at 17 August 2007, ''Jarvisfield's'' remaining estate is a rural cultural landscape containing the core of the original farm grant, the third Antill house constructed on it, a sandstone stable outbuilding and extensive grounds containing considerable numbers of mature exotic and native trees planted by the Antills. These early plantings give a representative selection of common exotic and some locally native tree species often used on the Cumberland Plain's early farms. These also include some now very rare plants in NSW, and particularly locally rare in the Sydney Basin, such as Chinese funeral cypress (Cupressus funebris) and American osage orange (Maclura pomifera). Osage oranges are now extremely rare in the Sydney basin - only two other examples are known, at Hambledon Cottage, Parramatta and Muogamarra Nature Reserve, Hornsby. Jarvisfield was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register 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. The Osage orange hedges north and south of the house on its eastern side date to the time the house was first occupied. They have historical significance as part of the early fabric of the place and their association with the Antill family, and are an integral component of the landscaping. '''The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history.''' The Osage orange hedges north and south of the house on its eastern side date to the time the house was first occupied. They have historical significance as part of the early fabric of the place and their association with the Antill family, and are an integral component of the landscaping. == See also ==