KOROITE HOMESTEAD (ORIGINAL SITE) & BUVELOT TREE
off Glenelg Highway COLERAINE, Southern Grampians Shire
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Statement of Significance
The original site of the Koroite Homestead complex, as part of the Koroite squatting run and the water pool and trees depicted in Louis Buvelot's 'Waterpool at Coleraine' are both located in the same area. This site is located 1.75 kilometers north east of the township of Coleraine, on the north side of Bryants creek, about 800 metres to the south behind the Coleraine Showgrounds Reserve. These sites were both once included in the original Korotie Station's Pre-emptive right (P.B 299). The Koroite run originally a part of the Whyte Brothers huge run, Konongwootong. In 1845, Konongwootong underwent a division, and one of the Whyte Brothers (C.J Whyte) took ownership of 8000 acres of land, based 1 mile north east of the Coleraine township, and named it Koroite. Between 1850 and 1870 the station went through a variety of owners, including Stephen George Henty (of the Henty Brothers) and finally being purchased in 1870 by William Swan. It was around 1871 when Louis Buvelot, the famous landscape painter visited the Coleraine district on a painting expedition. While in the area, he painted William Swan's Homestead, Konongwootong, and also painted 'Waterpool at Coleraine', on land owned by Swan. There is no surviving evidence of the once substantial homestead complex which is evident from an 1855 survey by the Department of Lands and Survey, although there may be archaeological potential. The elements of the homestead complex, including a homestead (said to have been wattle and daub), a woolshed, garden, sheepwash, hut, ford, fences and tracks covered about one hectare. The Buvelot scene, including the waterhole and Eucalyptus camadulensis (River Red Gums) has survived, and is recognisable, although the trees are in poor condition and the waterpool has been damaged by cattle.
How is it significant?
The site of the former Koroite Homestead complex is of historic and archaeological significance to the township of Coleraine and the Southern Grampians Shire as a Heritage Inventory Site. The site of the scene depicted in Louis Buvelot's 'Waterpool at Coleraine' is of aesthetic and cultural significance to the Southern Grampians Shire as a Significant Landscape
Why is it significant?
The site of the original Koroite Homestead is of historical significance for its associations with important early local pastoralists, including C.J Whyte, Stephen George Henty and William Swan. It is historically important as one of the earliest runs in the district, and for its location, strategically situated close to the township of Coleraine. It is a representative example of how early pastoral homestead complexes thrived and declined, in that by 1855 it was a fully functioning homestead complex with a variety of elements, yet by 1886 the last surviving element (a wattle and daub homestead) blew down in a strong gale. It is of archaeological significance for the information it may reveal about the ways in which early pastoralists lived and construction materials and techniques of their buildings.
The surviving elements of the scene depicted in Louis Buvelot's 1871 painting, 'Waterpool at Coleraine' is aesthetically important to the State of Victoria as a rare surviving example of what an artist depicted in the 1870s. It is aesthetically important as an example of landscape tradition which was used by Buvelot, and went on to influence many of Australia's famous artists from the Heidelberg School.
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KOROITE HOMESTEAD (ORIGINAL SITE) & BUVELOT TREE - Physical Conditions
The original homestead site has significant archaeological potential. The Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum) trees on either side of the pool are in poor condition, and the pool itself is in fair condition.
KOROITE HOMESTEAD (ORIGINAL SITE) & BUVELOT TREE - Physical Description 1
The site of the former Koroite Homestead and Buvelot Tree lies in a paddock to the south of the Coleraine Showgrounds, on the northern bank of Bryant's Creek. The former homestead site is located approximately 1.75km from Henty Street in Coleraine and .45km north of the Lower Hilgay Road. The super-imposition of the 1855 Plan and the 1872 Plan indicates that the homestead was on or just outside the bottom south-west boundary of the Showgrounds Reserve.
There is no physical fabric above ground to show where the once extensive homestead complex was located, but much archeological potential may exist below ground. The complex as shown in a Plan of Suburban Lands adjoining the Township of Coleraine County of Dundas, dated 1855 includes a homestead and large garden, located a short distance to the north of Koroite (Bryans) Creek. To the north west of this there is a woolshed, located on a track from Coleraine and a sheepwash to the west of the homestead on a swollen part of the creek. The homestead is surrounded by several ponds, or billabongs of water, one of which was immortalised by Louis Buvelot in his painting "Waterpool at Coleraine" which was one of a series of images painted by the artist in the early 1870s in Coleraine and the surrounding area.
The waterpool and one of the Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum) depicted on the north side of the pool in the painting still survives, however, they have been damaged over time by grazing practices and stock pressure. Two large River Red Gums on the south side of the pool, which were included only for their contributory foliage in the painting have died several decades ago. Climatic conditions and grazing practices have also changed the waterpool. It is no longer wide but is now a small waterpool which has almost totally dried up. In the painting, the waterpool stretches from the trees on one side to the trees on the other (which have since died). This would be a distance of about 15 metres. The current pool is only about 5 metres across although permanent watermarks on the trees indicate that it has been much larger in previous times.KOROITE HOMESTEAD (ORIGINAL SITE) & BUVELOT TREE - Historical Australian Themes
Theme 3: Developing local, regional and national economies
3.5 Developing primary production
3.5.1 Grazing stock
Theme 5: Working
5.8 Working on the land
Theme 8: Developing Australia's Cultural Life
8.10 Pursuing excellence in the arts and sciencesKOROITE HOMESTEAD (ORIGINAL SITE) & BUVELOT TREE - Usage/Former Usage
grazing
abandonedKOROITE HOMESTEAD (ORIGINAL SITE) & BUVELOT TREE - Integrity
Homestead has archaeological potential only, but Buvelot tree and waterhole are retain a reasonable degree of integrity.
Heritage Study and Grading
Southern Grampians - Southern Grampians Shire Heritage Study
Author: Timothy Hubbard P/L, Annabel Neylon
Year: 2002
Grading: Local
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