Hawkesbury Council Calls for Feedback on Unique Slab Barns
Hawkesbury City Council will host a public exhibition featuring a new study of timber slab barns and outbuildings from the early days of the colony, running from 28 January to 9 March 2025.
The slab barns and outbuildings in the Hawkesbury Local Government Area hold historical importance as some of the few remaining examples of the area’s agricultural development dating back to 1794.
The barns exhibit a uniform shape and construction that clearly identifies them as a distinct building type.
The survival of many 19th-century slab barns, despite the severe consequences of recurrent flooding, showcases the durability of these basic timber buildings.
Heritage architects Lucas Stapleton Johnson and Partners conducted a study that expanded on previous studies, locating 112 slab barns across 86 properties.
The study suggests nominating 13 barns for the State Heritage Register. These barns are located in Cattai, Freemans Reach, Pitt Town, Pitt Town Bottoms, St Albans, Upper Colo, Wilberforce, and Windsor.
The study also suggests listing an additional 12 barns in Bowen Mountain, Cattai, Freemans Reach, Lower Portland, McGraths Hill, Richmond, St Albans, Upper Macdonald, and Wilberforce as local heritage items.
The Council’s Your Hawkesbury Your Say offers additional insights into the draft study, explains the implications of heritage listings for property owners, and outlines the funding available to owners of heritage-listed properties from both the State Government and Hawkesbury City Council.
