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Tuross Head - heritage sites

1 Description: Tuross House and Norfolk Island pine
Location: Lots 5 and 6, DP 258730, 18-20 Coral Crescent

Historically significant regionally for its associations with Eva Mylott, famous opera singer; with well-known early settler Patrick Mylott; and, eminent land developer, Hector McWilliam. It has local aesthetic significance for its distinctive Victorian Georgian style, rare in the local Tuross area.

Socially it has special cultural significance and association to Tuross residents as being integral to the identification of the town and its history.

As such it has local social significance. It has local scientific significance for its potential to contribute to an understanding of early building techniques and the lifestyles of early Tuross area pioneers in the later years of the 19th century.

2 Description: Tuross House Barn
Location: Lot 1, DP 258730, 221 Hector McWilliam Drive

The Barn has regional historic significance for its association with well-known early settler, Patrick Mylott; and, eminent land developer, Hector McWilliam. It has also high-level local aesthetic significance for being the only surviving one of its type in the local Tuross area.

It has local scientific significance for its potential to contribute to an understanding of farming practices and building techniques in the later years of the 19th century on the South Coast

3 Description: Old Tuross Bakery
Location: Lot 156, DP 15425, 10 Hood Crescent

The former bakery has local historic significance for its connection with the sub-division and development of Tuross and for evidencing the importance of the seasonal tourist trade in the local area.

It has aesthetic significance for its unusual quoin detailing and rarity of design in the local Tuross area. Scientifically it has local significance for its potential to contribute to an understanding of the scale and demand for commercial services and also the changes in bread-making from the early years of the 20th century.

4 Description: Timber cottage
Location: Lot 21, DP 15425, 23 Hawkins Road

This dwelling has high-level local significance for its identification with pioneering attempts to develop Tuross Head as a tourism/leisure destination. Its design is typical of purpose built leisure dwellings on the NSW coast in the early 20th century.

Socially it has special association with the local beginnings of the 20th century leisure culture and as such has local social significance. Scientifically, the building contains a form and fabric identifiable with leisure housing of its period and has the potential to reveal information about the scale and construction of such purpose-built dwellings on the South Coast in the early 20th century.

It goes on to say “erected this cottage in 1928, in 2 sections” without saying that these were two single cottages that were move from Garlandtown and butted together to form one which is far more historical and interesting.

5 Description: St David’s Presbyterian Church
Location: Lot 181, DP 15425, 277 Hector McWilliam Drive

Historically the Church has high-level local historic significance for two areas of settlement in the region. In the first instance it was erected by the Presbyterians only a year after the government had laid out the town site, in response to the influx of gold rush population. The early town supported Churches of three denominations.

It was relocated to Tuross at the time of the post-was expansion of the town which had only been established some thirty years previously. For these reasons, the Church is historically significant at a regional level. Its aesthetic rarity is not only on its age, but also on the fact that its weatherboard cladding has been reversed at the time of the building's move.

As such it has local aesthetic significance. Socially it has served the Presbyterians of two townships for a total of over one hundred and thirty years and has regional social significance.

Scientifically the building has local significance for its potential to reveal information about Presbyterian worship in small South Coast NSW towns in the later middle 19th and mid 20th centuries and also about local rebuilding skills and techniques in that location in the mid 20th century.

ST. DAVID'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. According to historical records, this Church was actually built in 1869 at Nerrigundah i.e one year after the government had laid out the town site of Nerrigundah in response to the influx of the gold rush population.

In 1953 it was taken down and re-erected on its present site on Hector McWilliam Drive in Tuross by Athol Hawdon and his workforce. Using local rebuilding skills and techniques, all of the sound material of the old Church was used and the outside weatherboards were reversed (turned inside out) when the Church was re-erected.

So historic St.David's Church has served the Presbyterian community of two townships for nearly one hundred and forty years. Its architectural style is described as "Victorian Gothic Carpenter" and it is listed on the Shire's Heritage Register.

The adjoining Church Hall was completed in just over eight months, constructed mostly by voluntary labour and officially opened on 1st March 1997. The hall was named the "Athol Hawdon Memorial Hall" to commemorate the life of Athol who was for over forty years the Session Clerk of the Parish of Moruya/Narooma which includes the Tuross congregation. (compiled by Helen Townend )


6 Description: Progress Association Hall
Location: Lot 131, DP 15425, 1 Jutland Avenue

Demolished in 2013 - The Hall had local historic significance for its role in providing an entertainment venue for local Tuross residents and tourists prior to the advent of television and when access to the Moruya cinema was difficult. It has local social significance for the part it has played in the lives of Tuross residents and visitors for nearly fifty years.

It had local scientific significance for its potential to contribute to an understanding of the form, scale and geographical focus of public social life in Tuross from the mid 20th century.

7 Description: Eva Mylott Memorial
Location: DP 752137, Eva Mylott Park, Jutland Avenue

The memorial has local historic significance for representing the achievements of a locally-born international opera singer Eva Mylott and for its association with the early Tuross settler family - the Mylotts.

It has high-level local social significance for the local family descendants of the Mylott family and also for the residents of Tuross who followed Eva's world-wide success with pride and identify this famous person with the social history of the town.

Photos of other old homes and buildings around Tuross