Mountain View is a property that I have visited on two separate occasions to photograph and record details and to help in arresting further decline before any restoration work is undertaken.
This property which is in the Bathurst region is (as far as I know) the only one of its kind still left standing in Australia. While it is true that there are pole, lath and daub buildings extant all over the countryside and in particular in my region of Central Victoria, none are so well preserved in the minutiae of detail that can be found in Mountain View and are not of double storey construction.
I first saw the building(s) via an article in The Owner Builder magazine and I saw immediately that here was a structure of national interest. As I build in the English timber frame tradition combined with wattle and daub, I recognised the materials used to construct it and the unusual attention to detail evident throughout. Of particular interest were the two French inspired upper storey verandahs which I have not ever seen replicated anywhere else.
As an extant example of vernacular and polite architecture combined, it has no equal. Various architectural conceits abound, vis a vis the pargetted rondels, the (formerly) smooth lime render, large rooms (15 x 15 imperial feet), twelve paned Georgian windows with carved and coloured architraves. The remaining hardwood finials of the verandah roofs warrant close inspection (which I have done on site and via photographs) and for me they remain a conundrum in regard to their original point of reference. They are most unusual on domestic buildings such as this which are of fairly primitive construction otherwise.
The timber work has seen little of saws and is in fact almost entirely of axe work on all timbers above 4” x 2” scantling. Small local trees have simply been axed square in a most rudimentary fashion for the studs (axed two sides only) and for verandah rafters of the lower storey. Verandah posts are of the same small trees but have been given chamfers with a very basic stop indeed.
Studs for the house are earthfast and spaced about nine inches apart before having the cleaved laths nailed to the inner and outer face and then infilled with the local clayey soils with plenty of naturally occurring aggregate. This method is a follow on from the ‘mud and stud’ form of construction originating from the north of England and adapted to suit the local conditions and climate. As such it forms the basis of an ongoing continuing tradition between England and Australia.
Internal details are at risk of termite infestation and of water ingress, though efforts by a group of volunteers, myself included, have hopefully arrested any further deterioration. This is vital so that the internal fabric of the building can be salvaged. The layering of wallpapers and different stages of ‘improvements’ over the years tell a story that is in itself both fascinating and educational. To find so much intact material inside was of great excitement for me. The strange unfinished section of walls both downstairs and upstairs is unexplained and curious. On the one hand it affords close inspection of the techniques used and, on the other it leaves questions as to why over a hundred years it was never finished.
The aesthetics of the built environment reflect an extraordinary man and his wife, who as I understand it, requested the French touch to the upper verandahs. On the one hand it was a relatively primitive construction but he had enough artistic licence to add his touch to make the building appear higher up in the social order of the day. I have seen what a building like this would look like in pristine condition and it would have made quite an impact in its day.
The earlier general store with evidence of both the remains of the original sign still evident and its transformation into a shearing shed later in life tell us so much about the life and times of this wonderful gem and of the need to preserve it for posterity. For the past can teach us so much about the present and give us the lineage to link to. My own voyage of discovery into past building techniques is only enhanced by the chance to see the earlier built environment in its natural unsullied condition. Through practising wattle and daub, limewash and plaster, broad axing and heavy timber framing I have found the joys of rediscovering and bringing into the 21stC these so called ‘lost arts’.
By gaining the Heritage Listing on this property, it will help to ensure its continuing survival and will be long overdue. This is a singularly most important piece of the built environment and a tribute to its builder, Mr. D. Todd. It would be a great tragedy of this unusual and significant example of Australian history was lost to us all.
Respectfully
Robert Hadden
Builder in Wood, Lime and Earth
