Cobham Hall in Morphettville. Leadlight Windows Boarded Against Vandals
Joseph Bell was an early English settler in South Australia, arriving via Tasmania in 1837. After working as an undertaker and carpenter
in Gawler Place, he "retired to the country" in 1841. He settled in the area we now call Morphettville and built a house on his 160-acre property "Cobham" - named after
Cobham in Kent, England.
After farming at Cobham for 30 years Bell died, and the property changed hands several times before the house burned down in a fire: only some bluestone walls and brick foundations remained. In 1927 Cobham Hall rose from the ashes, built on the ruins of the old house. It was described as a Gentleman's Residence by Adelaide architect Philip Claridge and built in Grand Tudor style - one of the grand
mansions of Adelaide.
The Original Cobham Residence in 1880
A newspaper writer described Cobham Hall enthusiastically: "Tapley's Hill bluestone in the base has a pleasing contrast in the white stucco, and the long frontage of four rooms and a wide hall is broken by the massive blue chimney. The layout of the living rooms is a model of compactness, while the roof contains ample attic accommodation with a balconette facing west and lit by dormer windows in the rear elevation.
All the verandas have been finished with terazzo floors and the same material has been used in a white and blue tiled bathroom. A feature of the frontage is the diamond-leaded windows, which break the glare of the summer noon day sun but give sufficient light even in the depth of winter".
Cobham Hall For Sale in 1937
Newspaper Advertisement For Cobham Hall
Pastoralists
Mr and Mrs Bennett owned Cobham and its large estate in the 1930's and parties at the house were regularly reported in
newspaper social pages. It's believed that the upper floor was a ballroom in those days.
In 1948 Mr. H.C. Nitschke
bought Cobham Hall, converting it from a dairy farm to a horse breeding stud farm. The need for more housing after the war saw most of the remaining 80 acres of
Cobham estate sold to the SA Housing Trust, and subdivided for 300 homes in 1951. Cobham Hall survived on a modest landholding.
Amber Lodge Aged Care Home at Cobham Hall
Around 1980 Cobham Hall became Amber Lodge - an aged care home, and additional new accommodation was built for residents. Sadly in 2017 Amber Lodge closed and the property was sold. After being left vacant for a year it has been infested with vandals and graffiti artists who have caused much damage to the house.
The new owner of the property has
applied to demolish the Local Heritage listed Cobham Hall, with plans to replace it with high-density housing. This is despite a
1990 heritage report which described it as a "fine example of the Tudor style of residence in the grand manner. The house stands as a good example of its kind, certainly the best in the City of Marion".
Side View of Cobham Hall Morphettville
Local residents and neighbours of Cobham Hall agree: everyone that I spoke to was vehemently opposed to the demolition of this historic heritage building. They feel that it complements the neighbourhood and adds value to it, and would love to see it returned to use as a private home.
Heritage buildings are only listed after a rigorous and thorough assessment of their historical value. Despite that, in recent years an increasing number of heritage buildings in Adelaide
have been demolished - or refused listing on minor technicalities. The previous government attempted to gut local heritage but was overwhelmed by National Trust led opposition from the community.
Parliamentary Inquiry Into the South Australia Heritage System
The previous government pushed the line of "demolition on merit" for heritage buildings, but we must resist that. There is no point having a heritage system if it does not protect the buildings that we treasure.
The South Australian Parliament's Environment, Resources and Development Committee (
ERD Committee) is currently holding an Inquiry into the Heritage System in SA, and the Local Government Association of South Australia has produced a
discussion paper in response.
Individuals and organisations are invited to put submissions before the ERD Committee by Friday September 14, and it's our chance to have a say. You can make your voice heard in Parliament.
Heritage Buildings Must Not Be Demolished
Will we let the grand heritage buildings and rich history of our past be demolished? If countries overseas can earn massive incomes from
heritage tourism, why can't we? Or will we look back in 40 years and wonder why Adelaide suburbs are filled with ugly and dilapidated housing, that was never built to last like the buildings they replaced?
It's your call.
