Discover charming Saumarez Homestead, a beautifully preserved late Victorian and Edwardian style mansion and former grazing property near Armidale, in the New England region of NSW. The homestead was built between 1888 and 1906 and is set on ten acres. This historic 30-room mansion features the original furnishings, along with family memorabilia and period details, offering a glimpse into Australia’s pastoral heritage and early rural life.
Take a guided tour of this National Trust property and hear fascinating stories of the White family who lived there for over a century. Take time to explore the outbuildings, including the stables, blacksmith shop, and slaughterhouse that once supported a thriving pastoral estate. Stroll through Saumarez Homestead’s stunning heritage rose garden, home to over 600 rose bushes. It’s a magnificently maintained property, steeped in history.
Strolling through the immaculately preserved rooms and outbuildings of Saumarez House is taking a step back into the world of Australian pastoral life of a century ago. It’s a time capsule of the White Family’s life, which has been beautifully maintained then and since.
Saumarez Homestead was home to the Dumaresq family from 1834 to 1856, then the Thomas family until 1874, before being bought by Frank White, second son of James White of Edinglassie, Muswellbrook, establishing it as the White’s family home ever since.
Sadly, Frank died the following year, aged 45 years, leaving his eldest son, Francis John ('FJ') White to run the sheep farming property, which then spanned 20,000 acres. FJ, a bachelor at the time of his father’s death, continued to build valuable rural land holdings and grew Saumarez Homestead and Farm into one of the largest and most successful rural properties in the New England region.
At almost 1,000 meters above sea level, Armidale is Australia's highest city and a popular halfway stop between Brisbane and Sydney. Known for its wide leafy streets, diverse culture and colonial architecture, Armidale also has two heritage-listed cathedrals - the Anglican St Peter’s Cathedral (1871) and Roman Catholic Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral (1911.)
Home to the University of New England, Armidale also boasts the stunning New England Regional Art Museum, displaying an impressive collection of Australian art. Visitors can also experience Australian Indigenous arts and cultural diversity at the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place.
Head to the wineries and cellar doors for wine tasting and gourmet dining, or explore the New England region’s spectacular waterfalls, rivers and gorges in four spectacular national parks, all part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. A standout is Wollomombi Falls, one of the highest falls in Australia.
Saumarez Homestead is a heritage-listed homestead designed by J. W. Pender in the Federation Edwardian style and built between 1888 and 1906 by H. E. Elliott. The beautiful gardens were established by Mary White.
The homestead was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2002 and is currently owned by the National Trust of Australia (NSW), who operate it as a museum and function venue.
Saumarez is a place name and family name from the Channel Islands, Crown Dependencies of the United Kingdom since the Napoleonic Wars. The name was chosen by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Dumaresq, whose men and stock first occupied this part of the New England tableland from 1834 to 1835.
Saumarez Homestead is located on land traditionally belonging to the Anaiwan people, also known as Anewan or Anēwan. For tens of thousands of years, the Anaiwan people have been the traditional custodians of the land around Armidale and the New England Tablelands.
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