Twynam homestead hosts garden party to celebrate Riversdale Heritage Garden

The fair is being held in Riversdale's large award winning heritage garden which features old fashioned plants and trees which date from the 1830's and 1840's.

ALSO READ:

How Goulburn's referendum ended with 'No'

See the best of horses and go for a run this week

Fatal north-east Yass crash under investigation

Riversdale volunteer and event organiser Marie Kennedy said that the event is a tribute to the Twynam family.

"Edward Twynam was the District Surveyor for Goulburn and was one of the pioneer surveyors of New South Wales," Ms Kennedy said.

"He was appointed Surveyor General of New South Wales in 1888. The family relocated to Sydney while Edward was Surveyor General but retained ownership of Riversdale and the family returned to their much-loved home upon Edward's retirement."

The event will feature live music, carriage rides and ploughing demonstrations, veteran and vintage cars along with artisan, craft and plant stalls.

The Riversdale food court will operate and there will be access to two exhibitions: The Art of Emily Twynam and an Edwardian themed textile exhibition.

Tours of the garden will also be held throughout the day.

The Edwardian period was the heyday of Riversdale, during this period from 1900 to 1920 Edward and Emily Twynam and their family lived in retirement in their much-loved home.

Although the house was built as a coaching inn around 1840 on the sight of the original village of Goulburn Plains, the homestead eventually became a residence and then the home of the Twynam family from 1873 and is presented as the Twynam family home.

It was the Twynam's youngest daughter Joan who sold the property to the National Trust in 1967. The Twynam's had a 94-year association with Riversdale.

Joan Twynam had an adventurous life. After training as a nurse, she worked for the Bush Nursing Association and nursed in outback New South Wales.

During this time, she joined the Australian Army Nursing Reserve and consequently was one of the first nurses called up when war broke out in 1914.

She sailed on the first convoy to leave for the war in October 1914 and was one of the first eight nurses from New South Wales to leave for the war. She did not return home until April 1919.

The National Trust NSW has operated Riversdale as a house museum for a little over fifty years, and the fair is being held as a fundraiser to assist with operating and maintenance costs. In the past, Riversdale has had a number of fairs, but this is the first since COVID.

The property is entirely run by volunteers with an interest in history, and a desire to preserve the past for future generations.

The Riversdale Garden Party and Spring Fair will be held on Sunday 29th October 2023 from 10am to 2pm at Riversdale Homestead 2 Twynam Drive Goulburn.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters