Tocal, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Tocal is a locality situated in the lower Hunter Valley, of New South Wales
, Australia
. Located approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of Maitland
, and about 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) north of Sydney
it is located at the junction of the Paterson River
and Webbers Creek.
Prior to European exploration, Tocal was home to the Gringai clan of the Wonnarua people. With European settlement, the area became the site of a major homestead and farm. Today the Tocal site has a collection of colonial farm buildings dating from the 1820s, a restored homestead and visitors centre, and the CB Alexander Campus of Tocal College and associated commercial farms.
Approximately 150 convict men and boys were living and working at Tocal between 1822 and 1840. They cleared the land, planted crops and built fences - transforming the area into a circumscribed farm. Some of the crops planted included tobacco, hops and grapes; there were also beef and dairy cattle, horses and merino sheep.
In 1834, Tocal was sold to Caleb and Felix Wilson, father and son. Four years later Caleb died, and in 1841 Felix built a homestead on the property which is still standing today. In 1844 Charles Reynolds began to lease the property (this continued until 1907). During the period 1844 to 1926 the Reynolds family ran the property as a stud, breeding Hereford, Devon and thoroughbred studs - some of the best cattle and horses for the time.
In 1926 Tocal was sold to Jean Alexander, who lived there with her sister Isabella and brothers Robert and Charles Boyd Alexander. Jean died in 1938 and left the property to Charles, the youngest. The following year his nieces Myrtle and Marguerita Curtis came to live with him at Tocal.
CB Alexander updated the property with new technology and mechanisation. He died in 1947, leaving a complex will which eventually provided for the establishment of the CB Alexander Agricultural College, Tocal. Work began on the College in 1963 and it was opened by the Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies
in 1965. In 1970 the College was run by the NSW Department of Agriculture (now NSW Department of Primary Industries).
The Curtis sisters continued to live at the homestead until their deaths in 1985, when management of Tocal Homestead passed to the CB Alexander Foundation. In 1987 Tocal Homestead was first opened to visitors. In 2002 the Tocal Homestead Visitor Centre was opened after extensive renovations to an existing hay shed. It is now a popular spot for wedding receptions.
The the large lagoon was one of the attractions of this area for both Aboriginal people and European settlers, providing a permanent source of fresh water for people and animals. Tocal's to the river was also a factor in Europeans settlement as the river was a major transport route for 100 years.
With European settlement, much of the land was cleared of natural timbers and shrubs for building materials and to allow for crops and grazing. Recently, rainforest and wetlands areas have been reintroduced, interspersed with small areas of agricultural land. In contrast, around the lagoon are poplars and willows and other introduced species are on the homestead's hill.
The area around the homestead and College consists of open grassland with scattered trees. More native species, including tall spotted gums, are being planted but the area will remain grazing land.
The lagoon and wetlands are very changeable, for Tocal is subject to regular flooding. Whilst floods can inconvenience farm operations, the sediment left behind as the floodwaters recede has been vital to the fertility of these flats.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Located approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
, and about 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) north of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
it is located at the junction of the Paterson River
Paterson River
The Paterson River, a tributary of the Hunter River, is a significant river in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Its headwaters are in the Barrington Tops National Park and it flows to join the Hunter River between Hinton and Morpeth...
and Webbers Creek.
Prior to European exploration, Tocal was home to the Gringai clan of the Wonnarua people. With European settlement, the area became the site of a major homestead and farm. Today the Tocal site has a collection of colonial farm buildings dating from the 1820s, a restored homestead and visitors centre, and the CB Alexander Campus of Tocal College and associated commercial farms.
History
Before 1822, the Tocal area was home to the Gringai clan of the Wonnarua people. Within the area are Aboriginal stone grindings indicating thousands of years of human activity. In 1822 land of the area was granted by the colonial government to James Phillips Webber.Approximately 150 convict men and boys were living and working at Tocal between 1822 and 1840. They cleared the land, planted crops and built fences - transforming the area into a circumscribed farm. Some of the crops planted included tobacco, hops and grapes; there were also beef and dairy cattle, horses and merino sheep.
In 1834, Tocal was sold to Caleb and Felix Wilson, father and son. Four years later Caleb died, and in 1841 Felix built a homestead on the property which is still standing today. In 1844 Charles Reynolds began to lease the property (this continued until 1907). During the period 1844 to 1926 the Reynolds family ran the property as a stud, breeding Hereford, Devon and thoroughbred studs - some of the best cattle and horses for the time.
In 1926 Tocal was sold to Jean Alexander, who lived there with her sister Isabella and brothers Robert and Charles Boyd Alexander. Jean died in 1938 and left the property to Charles, the youngest. The following year his nieces Myrtle and Marguerita Curtis came to live with him at Tocal.
CB Alexander updated the property with new technology and mechanisation. He died in 1947, leaving a complex will which eventually provided for the establishment of the CB Alexander Agricultural College, Tocal. Work began on the College in 1963 and it was opened by the Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
in 1965. In 1970 the College was run by the NSW Department of Agriculture (now NSW Department of Primary Industries).
The Curtis sisters continued to live at the homestead until their deaths in 1985, when management of Tocal Homestead passed to the CB Alexander Foundation. In 1987 Tocal Homestead was first opened to visitors. In 2002 the Tocal Homestead Visitor Centre was opened after extensive renovations to an existing hay shed. It is now a popular spot for wedding receptions.
Homestead
In 1841 Felix Wilson hired an architect (Moir) to design a homestead at Tocal. The building is a Colonial Georgian country house, with a five bay façade. Built of sandstock brick with a slate roof, the house is four rooms square with French doors onto a three-sided verandah. The sandstone was quarried at Tocal, the timber - cedar and hardwood - came from the area and even the bricks were fired on site. It sits atop a small hill, overlooking a lagoon, and today has several large fig trees around it.College
The design of the College was open to competition, and the winning design was by Philip Cox and Ian McKay. The surrounding landscape was a major source of inspiration for their plans: College buildings were designed to fit into the hill-top, to become a part of the landscape with a chapel as the centrepiece. The College design won the Sulman and Blacket Awards for Architecture in 1965.Landscape
There is a variety of landscapes at Tocal: a lagoon, a mix of heavily timbered country, native/naturalised pasture, improved pasture, degraded improved pasture and European-style landscaping.The the large lagoon was one of the attractions of this area for both Aboriginal people and European settlers, providing a permanent source of fresh water for people and animals. Tocal's to the river was also a factor in Europeans settlement as the river was a major transport route for 100 years.
With European settlement, much of the land was cleared of natural timbers and shrubs for building materials and to allow for crops and grazing. Recently, rainforest and wetlands areas have been reintroduced, interspersed with small areas of agricultural land. In contrast, around the lagoon are poplars and willows and other introduced species are on the homestead's hill.
The area around the homestead and College consists of open grassland with scattered trees. More native species, including tall spotted gums, are being planted but the area will remain grazing land.
The lagoon and wetlands are very changeable, for Tocal is subject to regular flooding. Whilst floods can inconvenience farm operations, the sediment left behind as the floodwaters recede has been vital to the fertility of these flats.