Baddeley's Cottage, Pambula | Encyclopedia Of South East History

Baddeley's Cottage, Pambula:

Erected in 1881, the building now known as Baddeley’s cottage is an important link with the family of the same name.

The family first arrived in Pambula from the Monaro in 1866 after Charles Henry Baddeley purchased the Post Office Stores late the previous year. With the intention of establishing “…an extensive tannery…”, a local newspaper noted that “…Mr. Baddeley is a gentleman well known on Monaro as an enterprising and energetic business man and will prove a beneficial acquisition to Panbula, which only wants a few more men of his stamp to revive its drooping prosperity.”

In March, their impending arrival was noted, along with their plans to reopen the general store and “…carry on an extensive leather manufactory…”

Having acted as Postmaster on the Monaro prior to his move to Pambula, Charles Henry Baddeley’s name had been raised as a potential candidate to carry on the office by 1871. By that time, the then postmaster, Mr. J. H. Bennett, had become increasingly unpopular with the local population. The same year, Charles Henry wrote to the Postmaster General’s Department to apply for the position and on 1 January 1873 was duly appointed.

Baddeley's Cottage, C. 2010.

The family initially resided in the original Post Office Stores building which stood further down the Monaro Street hill in what is now the swampy area. However, soon after their arrival, they became aware of the problems associated with flooding and it is evident from correspondence between various local individuals, Mr. Baddeley and the Postmaster General’s Department that it was an ongoing issue. In 1873, when heavy rainfalls affected the district, local media reported that “Our correspondent speaks of Panbula being visited

by the heaviest flood he has known for 28 years…The water rose three feet in Mr. Baddeley’s house…”

By 1881, Charles Henry had made moves to rectify the situation, writing to the Department “I do myself the honor to inform you that I have completed the erection of a building specially intended for a Post Office and fitted up with every convenience for carrying out the duties of the office, situated 60 yards from present site, adjoins the Court House, is immediately opposite the Public School premises and is in every respect more central and convenient to the public… [I] beg leave to request permission to remove the Post Office to the new site.” The building referred to is that which is now known as Baddeley’s cottage.

By this time, however, pressure was mounting to combine the town’s post and telegraph offices, Postal Inspector Moyse recommending that they be combined in the telegraphic headquarters with telegraph master Mr. E. J. Cornell appointed to both positions. Despite objections from Mr. Baddeley, the amalgamation went ahead on 1 January 1882 and Mr. Cornell was appointed to the combined positions.

Although the Monaro Street cottage only served its intended postal purpose for a brief period, it remained the home of five generations of the Baddeley family until 1995 – a period of more than 100 years.

A weatherboard house with a hipped corrugated iron roof and partly enclosed verandah to the front, the building is now one of the few tangible reminders of the presence and activities of the Baddeleys, a family so important in the early European development of the Pambula district. Members were involved with an array of local associations, organisations, departments, and facilities, including business and industry, justice, education, communication, sports and recreation, cultural, government and political, religion and health. The land at the rear but now alienated from the cottage was associated for many years with Baddeley’s Tannery enterprise, as well as local Chinese market gardeners.

The building, with its largely intact interior and exterior, has a high level of integrity and is a particularly valuable and increasingly rare representative example of local architectural styles and building materials. It has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the aesthetic appeal of the Monaro Street heritage precinct.

NOTE: This property is privately owned. Inclusion in this encyclopedia does not indicate or imply any general or specific permission regarding right of access.

Approximate location of site.

References & bibliography:

Baddeley, Ben, pers. comm.
Baddeley, C. H. and Baddeley, W., Public notice, witnessed by S. Woods, Sergeant of Police, Panbula, Baddeley Family Records, private ownership
Bega Gazette and Eden District or Southern Coast Advertiser
Bega Standard
Bench of Magistrates, Pambula Bench Book, private ownership.
Candelo and Eden Union
Cornell, John Bernard, Most Obedient Servants on the Monaro and Far South Coast, J. B. Cornell, 1994.
Dowling, Terry, pers. comm.
Dunn's Almanac
Eden Magnet
George, A. C. ("Bubby") (comp.) History of Pambula - Old Records, Early Days, unpublished notebook.
George, Allan, pers. comm.
George, Angela, From Bark Hut to Brick Veneer – 150 years of Public Education at Pambula, Pambula Public School, 1999.
Goulburn Herald
Lambie, John, Itineraries
Liscombe, John, John Liscombe to Charles Henry Baddeley, correspondence, 3 October 1840, in Baddeley Family Records, private ownership
Lloyd, Arthur, Arthur Lloyd to John Martin, correspondence, 30 December 1873, private ownership
McGee, Allan, Allan McGee to Charles Henry Baddeley, correspondence, 11 January, 1848, Baddeley Family Records, private ownership
Moore's Almanac and NSW Country Directory
NSW Births, Deaths and Marriage records
NSW Government Gazette
NSW Land Titles Office records
Pambula Post Office files, [Box 501], National Archives of Australia, 3258109, C3629/2.
Pambula River Aquatic Club minute book, private ownership
Pambula School, AONSW 5/17264.3,
Pambula Voice
Raymond, Pat, pers. comm.
Receipt, 22 April 1875, Baddeley Family Records, private ownership
Sands Sydney and NSW Directories
Southern Star
Sydney Mail
Sydney Morning Herald
Under Secretary, Colonial Secretary’s Office to Charles Henry Baddeley, correspondence, 3 September 1858, private ownership
Webster, Danny, Police and Early Settlers of the Pambula-Merimbula and Eden Districts of NSW, 1788 to 1901, Merimbula Imlay Historical Society, 1988.
Whelan, Betty, pers. comm.
William, James, James William to Charles Henry Baddeley, correspondence, 5 September 1840, in Baddeley Family Records, private ownership