History
Benview is a lovely old rural property of about 74 Hectares (182 acres), with views across the Brindabella Mountains and with some of the best cattle and sheep country in the district. It provides powerful images of the Australian countryside as it has been since the first white settlement in 1788.
Benview is a quiet peaceful place. From Dog Trap Road which is along a ridge line, it slopes gently downhill towards the north. The east and west sides are slightly raised so that no buildings on neighbouring properties look across Benview.
As the homestead part of the previous property Spring Flat, Benview was owned by Samuel Davis in the 1880's. Samuel was a descendant of George and Mary Davis, also known as Granny Davis. Mary was transported to Australia in 1814 for stealing a gold watch. George was also transported to Australia in 1813, for a failed bid to help eight Frenchman escape from England.
Around 1828 George and Granny Davis took up a grant of land at Gounyan near Yass in New South Wales. The Davis family subsequently acquired much more land around Yass, including what is now Benview.
The homestead
Today, the historic and rambling homestead of approximately 300 square metres combines high ceilings with cypress timber and stone floors providing gracious living areas. There is separate dining area, and a huge sun room overlooking a picturesque rambling garden. There are five bedrooms and two bath rooms in the homestead, with a separate studio and office supplying an ideal place to work from home. The water supply system to the homestead is rain water which is collected from the large roof areas of the homestead and farm buildings. There is rain water tank capacity to store about 150,000 litres.
Farm Facilities
Benview has four main paddocks stretching around the property, and a fifth main paddock in the centre. The remaining area contains the homestead, farm buildings, cattle yards, and a number of smaller paddocks. Each of the five main paddocks has a dam. There is also a second reticulated water system supplying dam and spring water to all of the smaller paddocks and around the homestead.
There are two springs and six dams, with a full size tennis court and a full complement of farm buildings, sheds, stables, yards and bore. The old shearing shed is about 300 metres from the homestead. Electricity is connected to the shearing shed, which is now used for storage of stock feed. Most of the buildings and associated facilities can be seen in an aerial photograph of the homestead.
Copyright © John Bamford 2009. All rights reserved.