This week, with holidays well under way Roy decided it would be a perfect time to take you to a lovely little cottage up the coast, near Gosford (NSW). He loves the Central Coast and would visit at every opportunity if given the chance, and when he discovered this lovely little cottage a few months ago, he was immediately enthralled by it. Even better, the cottage was once the home of one of his favourite famous Australian poets, Henry Kendall, and the building next door is filled with all sorts of interesting historical bits and pieces about the area. The whole museum complex is run by the Local Historical Society whose friendly members are more than happy to answer any questions.
If you would like to visit Henry Kendall Cottage, the Museum is open on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 3pm. It is also open on Public Holidays (except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Good Friday), also from 10am until 3pm. You can find out how to get there by clicking here. While you are in the area, why not head to one of the beaches for a swim (it being Summer) or to a local cafe for Fish and Chips. Otherwise, you could bring a picnic and have a picnic in the grounds of the cottage - there's lovely grassy areas and picnic tables.
Although the cottage is known as Henry Kendall Cottage, this name is actually just a tad misleading. Henry Kendall never owned the cottage, but was cared for by and worked for the family who owned the cottage and land, the Fagans. The first of the Fagans, Peter, came from Ireland and arrived in Sydney in 1821. In 1830 he took up a land grant at Point Clare and 6 years later took up a grant at West Gosford where he built Red Cow Inn, which later became known as Cooranbean. Today, this is the house we know as Henry Kendall Cottage.
So, if the cottage belonged to the Fagans, why do we know it as Henry Kendall Cottage? Although both the Fagan family and Henry Kendall are important Australians in their own right, Henry Kendall is the more famous and so tends to be the one which people focus on. He was born in 1839 in Ulladullla. After his father died, he supported his mother, twin brother and sister, but found himself in debt because his brother was dishonest and his sister liked extravaganant things. He went to Melbourne for a time, but returned to Sydney and in 1870 was charged with forgery, though he was let off on grounds of insanity! By 1873 he was in Gladesville Hospital for the Insane, but then he was befriended by the Fagans who took him to their home, now known as Henry Kendall Cottage, to care for him. After his health recovered he worked for them too and it was during this time that Kendall wrote some of his most famous poems. One of his most famous poems is called Bellbirds and if you listen carefully, you can hear them around the area today! If you would like to learn more about Henry Kendall click here.