Brough House 
Located in Maitland, NSW, Brough House is a fine Victorian Regency townhouse built for prosperous business owner Samuel Owen and his family, in 1871. Located on Church Street, one of the prettiest streets in this pleasant Hunter Valley community, Brough House is the architectural mirror image of its neighbour, Grossmann House, once home to the Beckett family. Grossmann House is now largely restored to its original form and may be visited by the public.
Click here for Grossmann House visiting details.
Built by merchants in partnership, the houses are of historical significance for the city of Maitland; the textile industry in the Hunter; the domestic life of the mercantile class; and for the history of early public education in regional NSW.
Samuel Owen and Isaac Beckett were not only neighbours but grew up together in Sheffield, England and were great friends. They travelled out to NSW as adventurous lads in their 20s and together set up a successful general store selling groceries, tobacco and other sundry items in the town centre. Their harmonious relationship, both business and personal, was to endure all their lives.
The two partners were attracted to the development of the commercial centre of Maitland, then Australia’s largest inland town and the commercial heart of the Hunter Valley. By 1840, Maitland’s population was second only to that of Sydney.
Over the years as their enterprise grew and they prospered, Owen and Beckett overcame several natural disasters in Maitland including devastating floods, severe droughts and the 1840s Depression. In 1864 they bought the adjoining plots of land where both houses now stand. Family life and the arrival of several children meant domestic responsibilities became paramount for both.
As with Grossmann House, Brough House was designed by architect William White who also supervised the construction of both homes in the early 1870s.
Beckett and Owen were both in their 60s by the time they moved into their respective townhouses. Their time at Church Street was to be sadly limited however, for in December 1884, Samuel became ill and died. His wife, Margaret Eyre, lived on at Brough House with their children until her death in 1888. Their son, Samuel, would reside in the family home until his death in 1904.
Brough House was then sold to a John Rigrey and it is believed that he bought the house as a rental property as there is no evidence he ever lived there. In 1918, the Department of Education purchased the property to serve as a boarding home for the students of Maitland’s Girl High School, located next door in Grossmann House. Miss Campbell, the headmistress at the time, energetically immersed herself in organising the property for its new use as a hostel, ensuring it would be ready for boarders by the beginning of the 1919 school year.
In 1963, the school era ended at both Brough and Grossmann House, and by the mid 1960s, the NSW Education Department had given permissive occupancy of both residences to the National Trust of Australia (NSW). While Grossmann House became a house museum, Brough House became the home of the Maitland Regional Art Gallery for over 20 years and was managed by Maitland City Council. The gallery moved in 2003 and Brough House is currently used to display National Trust travelling exhibitions and as a venue for the charity’s many events.
The National Trust is a charity. The income required to look after and maintain this property and the many others you can look up here on our website comes largely from membership and donation. Please help us care for these properties on behalf of future generations. JOIN NOW and experience the benefits of membership.
