Early Residents - Signor Achille Simonetti

 

The Nepean Times (15 August 1894) mentioned that Simmonetti, who was an eminent sculptor, had commenced operations on his land facing the Western Road nearly opposite Mr M. Chapman. He had erected a room on the property prior to building his cottage and had also been busy planting some vines.

It is likely that the Signor was in fact Achille Simonetti who was born in Rome in 1838 and died at his home at Birchgrove in March 1900. He was the son of Louis, also a sculptor, under whom he trained. He was educated at the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca and  migrated firstly to Brisbane and moved to Sydney by 1874. Simonetti established a large studio at Balmain and worked on St. John’s College within the University of Sydney.

During the period 1874–80, he won many prestigious awards and travelled overseas and interstate to exhibit. In London he exhibited a bust at the Royal Academy of Arts. He was befriended by Sir Saul Samuel and soon became the most fashionable sculptor in Sydney.

Simonetti received many commissions like the one (photographed above) from Sir Henry Parkes to construct a monument to Governor Phillip that would be sited in the Botanic Gardens. The cost of the piece was to be £10,000 and it was to be completed by 1893. After several delays the work was completed and unveiled in June 1897. Unfortunately, the fifteen-foot statue of Phillip and his companions was unfavourably received. Although talented and productive, Simonetti’s estate was valued at only £529 when he died in 1900. He died of heart disease at the age of 62.

The Art Gallery of NSW, the Legislative Council and the University of Sydney all hold examples of his work.

Article from Biographical Dictionary of the Springwood District
* It is likely that Simonetti was responsible for the statues that once graced Michael Nason Chapman's garden at Faulconbridge.  These were discovered in recent years by the owners of Phoenix Lodge.  One is thought to be the bust of General Gordon
Pamela Smith

 

 

Early Residents - Honore & Camille Marie

Honore Marie was born about 1828 at Dinan in the north west province of Brittany in France. He migrated to Noumea, New Caledonia, where he took the position of Chief Warder at the prison. Together with his wife, Camille, he migrated to NSW arriving on the ship Colonial in 1869 at the age of 41. They took up residence at Stanmore.

       

Over the years the Maries acquired a number of properties in Wilson St, Newtown. They expanded their holdings by acquiring a number of portions in the vicinity of White Cross, North Springwood. A homestead, Bombanoi, of 4 rooms and roofed with iron, was erected on part of these holdings (portion 9) and an extensive orchard and vineyard was developed.

       

The Marie property portion 121 was sold in the late 1890s to John Walker who built a cottage called White Cross. On portion 9, site of Bombanoi, the first school in North Springwood was established in 1899 but it closed in 1906 due to lack of pupils. The equipment was transferred to Singles Ridge Subsidised School.

       

Meanwhile, Camille Marie, born in about 1831, was engaged as French teacher at Miss Jane Thetis Hooper’s school for young ladies at Fort Street, Sydney. Camille encouraged Miss Hooper to buy land at North Springwood and establish the school Hartlands there in 1889, and Camille continued to teach French there.

       

By the turn of the century, Honore Marie, now in his seventies, was suffering ill health and was unable to work. The family moved to one of the cottages in Wilson Street, Newtown. At this stage Camille kept on teaching, fully supporting her husband and paying his debts out of her own income. Honore Marie died in 1910.

       

Bombanoi was later demolished and by 1915 there was no trace of the improvements made by Honore to the property. The freestone front fence was carted away by Thomas Summerhayes in the 1940s to build a new cottage, now known as Wits End. The Winmalee High School occupies the land (portion 9) on which Honore Marie started his North Springwood orchard and vineyard.

Shirley Evans

From: The Making of a Mountains Community