LOCAL LIFE
ONE OF THE HAWKESBURY ’ S FINEST ...
by Greg Martin
Over the past few years , I ’ ve been a member of the very socially minded golfing outfit , the Hawkesbury Rovers .
We spread ourselves over a handful of courses around the Hawkesbury and Nepean , and every couple of weeks we play at Windsor Golf Club .
Despite duffed shots and the resulting bagging from my mates , I ’ ve always enjoyed traversing ( many times far too much traversing ) around the picturesque course . It is only after moving from the 12th green to the 13th tee that my mates and I suffer a bit of melancholy .
Reason being is that historic Fairfield House , sitting atop the hill adjacent to the course , was deteriorating before our very eyes .
You ’ d have to be Blind Freddie and possess no imagination whatsoever to envisage what Fairfield looked like in its heyday .
We ’ d mumble , “ what a bloody shame ”
During its heyday , each room at Fairfield House brought “ oohs ” and “ aahs ” to all who had the pleasure of visiting the mansion . and continue our round .
But those shaking of heads and tuttutting went the way of the term , “ that ’ s just not cricket ”, when a few months back we spied workmen clambering over the mansion .
Such was our joy that day , I believe all of us hit our drives straight and true onto the 13th green !
Later that week , I put on my “ press ” and sleuth caps and eventually discovered the new owners restoring the old girl back to its former glory were successful partners in love and business , husband and wife , Craig and Sharon Nancarrow .
The Nancarrows purchased Fairfield House last year for $ 2.4 million and are spending a pretty penny bringing it back to its former glory .
Not only are they employing top-class tradies , but the Nancarrows , no strangers to hard yakka , also chip in and get their hands dirty where they can in helping restore the old lady .
Sharon and Craig have had successful business careers in the hospitality and accommodation industries .
They own and operate Dubbo ’ s renowned Golden West Motor Inn to which they will bid farewell once the restoration of Fairfield House is complete .
Your writer asked Sharon if it was the Nancarrows ’ intention to use Fairfield House as a reception venue .
“ Not at all ,” Sharon replied .
“ This is going to be our family home !” If the old adage , “ walls have ears ” could be applied to Fairfield House , boyoh-boy , would it have tales to tell !
Not only is Fairfield House an historic building , its list of owners over nearly two centuries have added their own history to the making of this country .
There ’ s the man who built the first road over the Blue Mountains from Sydney to Bathurst , a cricket-loving , highly venerated parliamentarian and entertainment entrepreneur , a pioneer in the meat export business , and a “ colourful identity ” and karate world champion .
Fairfield was built in late 1832 by William Cox ( December 19 , 1764 – March 15 , 1837 ) an English soldier , explorer , road builder and pioneer in the early period of British settlement of Australia .
Cox ’ s greatest contribution to this country occurred between July 1814 and January 1815 , supervising and directing the building of a road crossing the Blue Mountains from Sydney to Bathurst . What a momentous task ! Cox ’ s imposing two-storey Georgian home was built on land granted to William ’ s son , Henry , back in 1804 .
The home consisted of a dining room , drawing room , large bedroom , study , kitchen and utilities on the ground floor , and on the second storey , four bedrooms and two dressing rooms .
The Cox family ’ s ownership of the property extended to the late 1840s 6 ISSUE 165 // FEBRUARY 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT