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Rosemundy House
15 Rosemundy Road, EPSOM VIC 3551 - Property No 203261

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Greater Bendigo City
John Goyne's factory (demolished)
John Goyne's factory (demolished)
John Goyne's factory (demolished)
South elevation of Rosemundy House, with the scullery, c.1858 at centre, the 'gold office' at right and the west wing, c. 1890s, at left.
East elevation, the verandahed component at left dates to c. 1867, the facetted bay window to the 1890s and the north wing, at right, to 2007.
West elevation, 1890s.
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Rosemundy House is a substantial and evolved single-storey Italianate red brick and stuccoed house. It was built in multiple stages from 1858. As originally built, a weatherboard factory was located to the east of the house. The factory was used for the manufacture of the quartz stamper components that made Goyne's fortune. A depression to the east of the house indicates the location of the factory. Goyne's original house was a small brick construction at the south of the present house, now known as the scullery. As his business prospered, the house was expanded to the north, with a passage leading from the scullery providing access to bedrooms and reception rooms. At its height the property comprised eight hectares (20 acres). As well as the main house, built structures included a laundry, stables (also demolished) and a 'gold office'. The latter is extant and is assumed to have had an administrative function associated with the factory operation, rather than a role involving the storage or holding of gold, or perhaps even a household/domestic role.

How is it significant?

Rosemundy House is of local historical and aesthetic/architectural significance.

Why is it significant?

Rosemundy House at Epsom, an essentially Italianate residence built in stages from 1858, is of local historical and aesthetic/architectural significance. Historically (Criterion A), Rosemundy House was established by the successful miner turned quartz stamper component manufacturer, John Goyne (1826-1907). The property was originally developed with a timber factory (since demolished) and a small red brick 1858 dwelling to its east, which survives as the scullery to the enlarged residence. The expansion of Rosemundy House in 1867 and again in the 1890s reflects Goyne's growing commercial success and social status; the 1867 addition also provided for Goyne's family with whom he was reunited after a long separation. At its height, the estate extended for over eight hectares, and included a substantial orchard and two-storey stables, of which the footings survive. Rosemundy House is also significant for the combination of private residence and factory/place of work at a single property. The survival of the free standing 'gold office' is also an unusual element, which enhances the significance of the property. The association with John Goyne is additionally important (Criterion F), as he was a prominent and respected member of the local community, a councillor for 15 years from 1881, and president of Huntly Shire in 1883 and 1895. His son, Davey, continued to manage the factory after John's retirement, although business slowed from the 1890s with the decline of quartz reef mining.

Rosemundy House is of local aesthetic/architectural significance (Criterion E). It is a substantial evolved nineteenth century dwelling set within a generous garden setting. The earliest (1858) component is a humble red brick building with limited architectural pretension, typical of goldfields buildings of the period. The 1867 and 1890s additions are essentially Italianate in character and of greater scale and substance. All these elements are substantially intact to their periods of construction. The 'gold office', although modest, is also significant. Its simple detailing and vertical proportions are distinctive; its visual relationship with the main house and former factory site is additionally an aspect of its significance, emphasising its original role within the property. The property overall is further enhanced by the substantial garden setting, with open fields to the east.

Assessment against Criteria

Amended Heritage Victoria Criteria

Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of the City of Greater Bendigo's cultural history.

Rosemundy House, an essentially Italianate residence at Epsom built in stages from 1858, is of historical significance. It was built by the successful miner turned stamper component manufacturer, John Goyne (1826-1907). The site, adjacent to Bendigo Creek at Epsom, was originally developed with a timber factory and a small red brick dwelling to its east; the factory has been demolished, but the original 1858 dwelling survives (as the scullery). The expansion of Rosemundy House in 1867 and again in the 1890s reflects Goyne's growing commercial success and social status. The 1867 addition also provided accommodation for Goyne's family, with whom he was reunited after a long separation. At its height, the estate extended for over eight hectares, and included a substantial orchard and two-storey stables, of which the footings survive. In the combination of private residence and factory at a single property, Rosemundy House demonstrates a particular way of life on the goldfields, where it was not uncommon for a residence and place of work to be co-located. The survival of the free standing 'gold office' is also an unusual element, which enhances the significance of the property. The association with John Goyne is additionally significant, as he was a prominent and respected member of the local community, a councillor for 15 years from 1881, and president of Huntly Shire in 1883 and 1895; his local importance is also reflected in the naming of 'Goyne's Road' directly to the east. His son, Davey, continued to manage the factory after John's retirement. However, business slowed from the 1890s, with the decline of quartz reef mining.

Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the City of Greater Bendigo's cultural history.

N/A

Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the City of Greater Bendigo's cultural history.

N/A

Criterion D: Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places or objects.

N/A

Criterion E: Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics in the context of the municipality.

Rosemundy House, built from 1858 with additions in 1867, the 1890s and 2007, is of aesthetic/architectural significance. It is a substantial evolved dwelling set within a generous garden setting. The earliest (1858) component is a humble red brick building with limited architectural pretension, typical of goldfields buildings of the 1850s. The 1867 and 1890s additions are essentially Italianate in character, and of greater scale and substance. All of these elements are substantially intact to their periods of construction and reflect John Goyne's growing commercial success and social status. The interiors of the principal formal spaces survive with a high degree of integrity; the 2007 addition is sympathetic in scale and style. The 'gold office', although modest, is also of significance and if it proved to be an original gold storage/handling facility it would be a rare surviving building type on a private property. Its simple detailing and vertical proportions are distinctive; its visual relationship with the main house and former factory site is additionally an aspect of its significance, emphasising its original role within the property. The property overall is further enhanced by the substantial garden setting, with open fields to the east.

Criterion F: Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period.

N/A

Criterion G: Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. This includes the significance of the place to Indigenous peoples as part of their continuing and developing cultural traditions.

N/A

Criterion F: Special association with life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in the City of Greater Bendigo's history.

Rosemundy House is significant for its association with John Goyne, a successful industrialist who was a prominent and respected member of the local community, being a councillor for 15 years from 1881, and president of Huntly Shire in 1883 and 1895.

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    • Physical Description 1

      Rosemundy House - Physical Description 1

      Rosemundy House, built from 1858 for John Goyne, is located on Rosemundy Road, to the east of Goyne's Road. The large, asymmetrical allotment comprises a substantial and evolved single-storey Italianate red brick and stuccoed house to the west, a freestanding 'gold office' and outbuildings to the east. A depression between the house and outbuildings, which was the site of the former factory, is used as a barbeque/seating area.

      The earliest part of Rosemundy House, forming the south wing, is a small red brick construction, rectangular in plan with a gable roof clad with corrugated galvanised sheet steel, crude barge boards and a simple face brick chimney at its west end. There is distinctive post-supported convex verandah to the south elevation. Between 1858 and 1867 this was John Goyne's principal residence. A relatively recent infill connects the 1858 component (known as the scullery) to the main component of the residence to the north, built in 1867 with additions in the 1890s and 2007.

      The main component of the building has a hipped roof in corrugated galvanised steel, with steel finials and cream bricks to the chimney corbels. Its principal presentation is to the east, facing Bendigo Creek. This east elevation, L-shaped in plan, comprises a recessed timber-posted verandah, with elaborate cast iron lacework, and a projecting bay to the north. The projecting bay, which provided a formal reception space, is believed to date to the 1890s and has facetted windows with elaborate, classically-inspired moulding surrounds. Internally, the space survives with a high level of integrity. The original west elevation of the 1867 addition has been enclosed by a symmetrically-composed west wing, also believed to date from the 1890s, with hipped roof and full-width verandah supported by metal poles with an elaborate cast iron lacework frieze. There is a central door with fanlight and sidelights, although the door itself is modern, and a flanking pair of double hung sash windows. The 2007 addition to the north is a long narrow wing, with a facetted north window. The addition continues the red face brick, hipped roof form and generally Italianate character of Rosemundy House.

      The 'gold office' to the east of the house is a single-storey construction built of red face brick. Although on a tight rectilinear footprint the building achieves a sense of verticality. The gable roof is clad with corrugated galvanised sheet steel. There is an external chimney breast to the south, and an addition (WC?) to the north. The face brick chimney stack is surmounted by dog tooth brickwork and a two-course cornice. The north gable has decorated barge boards, a gable cross-bar, a square timber vent and timber finial. The timber work is generally in poor condition. The date of the building has not been established

      To the north, east and south there is a generous garden, with open fields to the east and the creek beyond. The footings of the former stables, a two storey timber building, are to the north of the house, and a cellar is to the west of the scullery (the 1858 part of the house). A gable roofed outbuilding with bush pole frame and timber slab walls is also located to the west of the allotment. The open setback and turning circle to the south is of recent origin; it is believed that the property was originally accessed from the north. Some machinery related to the factory, including a large boiler, survives at the site.

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Greater Bendigo - Heritage Policy Citations Review

      Author: Lovell Chen P/L
      Year: 2011
      Grading: Local

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