Carrawobitty
WHAT
Homestead
WHERE
Forbes
WHEN
1926
The Coward family first brought land, including 14,758 acres and the original Carrawobitty Homestead, from the Rawsthornes in 1889. The current Carrawobitty Homestead was built on the site of the old homestead in 1926.
A large portion of land was sold in 1935; before the Closer Settlement Act was enacted to resume land for the purpose of settlement of ex-Servicemen after World War II. In 1947 the following was noted “with the exclusion of the homestead area of about 250 acres from Carrawobitty, about 5805 acres of this property will be made available for settlement of 18 to 20 farms. The homestead block has been reserved for the use of the Child Welfare Department”.
Mr and Mrs Coward moved to Sydney during this periodand did not execute their right of retention of any part of the property. Shortly after the land was resumed, Mr Coward died in his Sydney home in 1948.
The homestead and 250 acres was acquired by the NSW State Government and used for a time as a delinquent boys home. However, there was much protest over this use, and the property was sold to the Catholic Church in 1951. The Catholic Church developed the homestead into a home for the aged, before selling it in 1969.
The house has then passed through private ownership before the current owners purchased it in 2012. The house has been lavishly restored with most of the original features remaining.
