Camden Park House and Garden

This is actually a private residence. Have I gone balmy? Why am I reviewing a private residence on Unilocal?
Well… it’s like this, see? It ain’t just any private residence like a fibro shack or a McMansion. OK, it might be a bit of a McMansion. A Georgian version of a McMansion anyway… because it’s Australia’s oldest private residence occupied by the descendants of its founders: the historically significant John and Elizabeth Macarthur.
And for just one weekend a year, (the third weekend in September) it is open to the public.
We set out for Camden Park House and Garden early on a Springy, sun-​drenched Sunday morn. In less than an hour our suburban world lay behind us. O’er the one-​lane bridge, past Belgenny Farm — where a number of the sheep today are descendants of the original and famous Macarthur Merino sheep — and at the end of a rather rough, dirt road was Camden House in all her circular driveway-​ed, pillary glory.
Vintage cars were on display and, tho’ ’twas still early, a long line of people trailed from the impressive cedar doorway across the driveway and beyond. The owners’ dogs trotted by us with indifference, as tho’ there was nothing at all abnormal about so many strangers congregating on their doorstep thus. The line moved quickly enough, but it was also ever-​present with more and more members of the public arriving throughout the day for a sticky beak. Therefore, I recommend you do arrive for a tour of Camden House as close to the opening time as possible to avoid standing in that line when the sun is at its peak.
It was all very well organised, especially considering the sheer amount of human traffic that consistently moved through the property for hours on end. Visitors enjoyed a tour of the house by following the roped off areas and stopping in rooms and passageways where owners of the house and other relatives /​volunteers were stationed to dispense relevant historical facts about their ancestors, the architecture, portraits and artefacts on display. Think mudstone and black marble flooring, mahogany tables and chairs, neo-​rococo cabinetry and a whimsical book passage — an extension of the main library. Historical homes always have a quirky item or two and the standout one for me on this occasion was the breakfast table designed to double as a viewing table for the dearly departed!
The numerous bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs were spacious and decorated in a manner authentic to the era. The wine cellar below the house was vast with many little alcoves we could walk through and inspect with more agricultural and domestic artefacts on display. Some of the wine bottles tucked away there were as old as the house itself! There was even a billiard table down there. Outside, Spring was busting out all over with wisteria draping itself like some sort of saucy nymph o’er ostentatious strengthy Georgian pillars and such.
A history talk beneath a shady tree and tours of the sprawling gardens, which featured a fantastic garden sculpture exhibition, were also available on the day. I didn’t get to the garden tour myself, but I did sit in and admire the beautiful, relaxing garden whilst enjoying a nice BBQ Sausage Roll with mustard and the obligatory onions as well as some jam and cream scones for dessert. With the very friendly extended Macarthur-​Stanham family and their dogs amongst the attendees, I felt like I had gatecrashed a random family BBQ, but I didn’t feel the slightest bit awkward about it! The big winner of the day was the wee Macarthur-​Stanham dog that looked like a sausage with eyes and had the Oliver Twist act down pat. Methinks her name was «Poppy.» I saw her score BBQ morsels from around 12 different people… and that is probably a conservative estimate! Who knows how long she’d been at that caper before I got out there.
Overall, a delightful way to spend a few hours and a rare opportunity to tour a grand (private) home that is a part of our nation’s history.
* Review originally written and posted 20 October 2013.