I love guided tours, especially at heritage-listed places when the guides are passionate about their subject and enthusiastically regurgitate their patter to each fresh busload of arrivals.
Named after an estate in the Channel Islands, Saumarez Homestead in Armidale, in northern NSW, boasts one such trusty custodian in Les Davis, who has been associated with the property for more than 20 years.
We arrive for our tour of the National Trust homestead, garden and farm running desperately late. Our flight back to Sydney leaves in an hour and so Les has just a small window in which to provide an insight into the history, lives and antiques that make Saumarez one of the nation's most important heritage properties. He is annoyed at the tight time frame but he is a pro and dives into his subject with the passion of a true believer and the alacrity of a livestock auctioneer.
Outside the homestead sits a sundial with a bright message engraved on its sides: "I'll only count your sunny hours; Let others tell of storms and showers." Les seems to live by this creed and recounts the tale of F. J. White, who took over the property in 1878, aged just 23. Riding on the sheep's back, FJ built a mini-empire, which he handed on to his unmarried daughters, Mary and Elsie. The National Trust took over the property following Elsie's death in 1981 at the age of 97.
We don our plastic protective shoe coverings as if we are about to investigate a crime scene on NCIS and Les starts his forensically truncated tour. He shows us the bell system that summoned the servants and the press metal ceilings, allowing our eyes to linger for a few seconds before drawing our attention to a magnificent miniature bullock train made from papier mache, beeswax and bullock hair. We are ushered past original furniture, curtains, paintings, sepia pictures of the family and ornate wood engravings carved by the White sisters themselves.
Les' fondness for the family is clear. He tells of FJ's faithful maintenance of a daily diary, the 35-year contents of which he distils into a 30-second account, and he refers to "Miss" Elsie with reverence. He describes Saumarez at the height of its grandeur, when the fortunate would spend summer days on the tennis courts, golf course and polo field. It was very glamorous to be invited here for a weekend stay.
Les describes the daily operation of the estate and the lives of the servants, revealing a Downton Abbey-esque existence. It seems incongruous that we are learning about the long, unfolding history of the property at such breakneck speed.
Rushing through stories he would normally dwell on, Les' accounts of the history, personalities and resident curios run into each other like the lush, unfenced paddocks that surround the homestead. He may sound like he was recorded at 33⅓ and is being played back at 78 on an era-appropriate gramophone but fascinating anecdotes and personal asides are pouring out of him as if he is calling the Melbourne Cup.
Saumarez is right next to the Armidale Airport so Les cuts it pretty fine and we make it to the departure lounge just in time to hear the flight-delayed announcement.
Guided tour of Saumarez homestead: $12 adults and $8 concessions. Open weekends and public holidays from August 31 to June 15.
The writer was a guest of Destination NSW.
