Darlington, part 2

Sections in italics are from the Parks and Wildlife Visitors Guide.

 

The Rangers Station (12) was the school master’s house in the 1920s. Whether that means that classes also took place in there, I don’t know. I haven’t seen any other reference to a schoolroom elsewhere, either in the 1920s or earlier. So that shall have to remain a mystery until someone comes past who know or (as usually happens) I come that information while looking for something else.

Senior Assistant Superintendent’s & Assistant Superintendent’s Quarters (12 & 13)

The Senior Assistant Superintendent was in charge of solitary confinement prisoners, mess arrangements and the whole station in the absence of the Superintendent. The house was built in 1847 to a design used in a number of probation stations. The Assistant Superintendents were each in control of a gang of about 250 convicts. The building was erected in 1849, with two similar buildings alongside and another partly completed. In later periods it was joined to the cottage next door.

From memory, the part joining them was, according to a plaque nearby, used for dining.

Inside. If I recall correctly, the door opens into this room. There’s another room that opens off to the right (you can see the door on edge of the photo) . There’s another room behind , that also has a door opening of it to the right.

That would be the back-right room.

Have I mentioned I don’t like my camera? This is why. Simple photo of a rock or a brick wall on a sunny day – nope, can’t do it, how can you even ask me? Perch on a windowsill or stand on tippy-toes and take a quick snap though a dirt window – sure, no problems! Bah. Not that this involved any perching or stretching

because the back windows are easily accessible, but at other times…

View through doorway of the enclosed area between the two cottages.

Next are the Convict Administrative Offices (1), built 1842.

The large office [on the left] belonged to the resident Magistrate (where convicts were tried for minor offences) and the other to the Superintendent. Originally the roof was hipped and the building had no verandah. The Industrial era saw the building used as a Post Office.

Inside there was some sort of art display. The shelves and counter obviously date from its use as a shop/post office.

I am thinking that the swing down section of the door was put in at the same time, but I vaguely recall it having something to do with security so maybe it was earlier.

What I found more interesting: if you come out (eep, picked up a couple of ghosts)

and go around to the side door (note that the orb and figure have changed slightly and still occur despite me facing a different direction, thereby indicating they are genuine ghosts and not lens flare or marks on lens. Really.)

and through the smaller side room

you come out on the other side of the counter!

Well, one of us found it interesting anyway.

Nice view of the rest of the site from here too.

Coffee Palace (2). From the leaflet rather than the website this time:

This stylish, large 1888 weatherboard building was the Coffee Palace, frequented by tourists fascinated by the still-fresh convict past and by Signor Bernachhi’s styling of the island as a Mediterranean paradise. During the 1920s-30s the building was used to house senior cement company officials and was alter a boarding house. Today the Coffee Palace has been partially restored for use as a museum.

Coffee palace is usually used for the temperance alternative to a pub, so I’m not where the name of this place comes from.

Now I believe this back section (you might be able to see the doors opening onto the verandah) was the accommodation section.

Through the front door. To the left is the Reading Room (virtual tour here)

To the right is this room, which leads into the dining room.

There are three tables, from three different eras (Bernacchi era – 1880s, Cement Works era – 1920s, Guest House era – 1950s (I think)) and the light focuses on one at a time, with accompanying audio.

Part 1
Part 3