An "Early Australian" Homestead Experience!
tracing their footsteps
Barton Creek at Nyrang Homestead's claim to fame was that the late Banjo Patterson's grandmother Emily Barton once owned the property. The currrent homestead was built by the Kater family who owned Egelabra Stud, the major Marsden Merino sheep breeders of the 20th century.
The name Nyrang derives from an Aboriginal term, meaning small. Previous owners Thomas Raine and W.C. Wentworth had appended it to Boree Nyrang, the former which means waterhole, although it is said that Davy the Welshman may have originated the term "Baroo-Narang" in about 1822. Originally used as a Merino sheep breeding station, Nyrang hosted four families chronicling a relatively eventful and colourful period from 1904 to 1996.
In 1865, John Smith had purchased Boree Nyrang from Robert Johnston Barton. R. J. Barton the the first white owner of this land, which was also owned by John Hampden Gledstanes.
Smith's son later sold 6000 hectares to Dr (Sir) Norman Kater in 1904. Under Kater's watch, the property was built of bluestone at the turn of the century. It was thought to only take four years to complete, by four Italian immigrants - a speed only matched by their labour of love for an outstanding development.
The property was later sold to George Rutherford in 1918, who divided it into 3 portions on his retirement and gave them to his three sons. The Nyrang block was sold in 1973 to Dr and Mrs Gary Lucas of Orange, who in turn sold it to a Mr Sullivan in 1997. Sullivan claimed to be the illlegitmate son of Sir Norman. Interestingly enough, the property manager's wife was named Sullivan. Sullivan subdivided the property again by selling the western portion to Mr David Taberner of Orange. Mr John Digby of Forbes bought the eastern and southern sections. Dr Digby's purchase went to Mr Mackenzie, Mr Pattinson and Mr Keinman in three blocks in 1988. The remaining 148 acres on which stands the homestead was sold penultimately to Mr John Brain in 1987.
During the period of private ownership, Katers and Rutherfords were probably the most influential; other than organising charity initiatives including Red Cross fundraisers, they helped shape the property into a grandiose reflection of historical times, as seen today. Their enduring legacy is evident in their sketches and commissioned documents, which can be read in full for perusal in the Nyrang foyer.
