Heart of a community
DECEMBER 2017 | Mark Butson
AS YOU drive from Meander along Sandy Lane, amongst vivid green farming land, you catch a glimpse of an imposing grand mansion ahead.
Approaching Cheshunt, you expect to see Jane Eyre walking amongst the gardens in a long flowing dark dress, waiting for Mr Rochester to return home.
The building architecture is predominantly Georgian, with an eclectic mix of Victorian verandahs, and even an Italianate Villa style tower at the rear. The grand entry room even has a fireplace. There are 23 rooms (9 bedrooms), many ornate marble fireplace surrounds, soaring ceilings, and the original working kitchen fireplace, used by servants.
There are also several outbuildings, granary, butchery, carpentry shop, blacksmith shop and living quarters. This is a hard working farm, owned and operated by Paul and Catherine Bowman (with the help of their adult children, Alastair and Felicity).
The genesis for Cheshunt was the famous Tasmanian Archer dynasty at Woolmers Estate, Longford. William Archer, the founding father, was granted over 7,000 acres at Cheshunt in 1828 and generously passed the land to his son William, who moved there in 1846 after marrying Ann Hortle.
William studied architecture and engineering in London, and botany at the Royal Botanic gardens in Kew. He designed Cheshunt in 1850, and had it built between 1850 and 1852. He only had funding for the centre and right wings, but his design drawings included a left wing. He planted exotic trees around the building including elms, chestnuts, Japanese cedars,oaks and American cottonwood trees, a testimony to his botanical knowledge (and admired by botanists today).
His other designs in Tasmania include Mona Vale, additions to Fairfield, an Italianate Villa addition to Woolmers, and several schools.
William Archer sold Cheshunt in 1873 to William Bowman from South Australia (who died in 1879) and passed ownership to his son Frederick. Fred had the left wing built between 1885 and 1886, following William Archer’s design drawings. Fred employed many local men, establishing a profitable farm of sheep, cattle and grain. He was heavily involved in the community church and cricket.
In 1883, he married Gertrude Field from the Calstock Estate in Deloraine, embarking on an 8 month world honeymoon trip. For one week, they stayed in Switzerland with the family of Cheshunt worker, Mr Reifer.
Fred died in 1929, and passed ownership of Cheshunt to his grandson Ronald. Gertrude and her daughter Stephanie remained living in Cheshunt until Stephanie died in 1969.
Ron and his wife Leila, moved into Cheshunt in 1971, and worked hard at restoring the home, which had fallen into disrepair. Ron (who died in 1996) handed the reigns to his son Paul Bowman in 1985.
Paul and his family have continued the enormous restoration project of the home and outbuildings.
Their children fully intend to continue the Bowman tradition of operating and maintaining Cheshunt.
Photo | Mike Moores
