Hay’s many heritage buildings reveal the ingenuity of early pioneering architects attempting to tame a harsh outback.

Located on the corner of Roset Street and the Sturt Highway at 351 Moama Street, is the iconic and eye-catching Bishop's Lodge Historic House which was the residence of the first Anglican bishop of the Riverina.

Award-winning and nationally significant, the lodge and kitchen blocks have 24 rooms in total. Image: Back Country Bulletin.

The house is 115 square feet, with 45 squares taken up by the veranda and 14.5 squares for the kitchen.

Used as a hostel for school boys in the 1930s, Bishop's Lodge shares its unique history and serene atmosphere with travellers and locals alike.

A popular venue for weddings and community events, the historic house and garden are maintained by a dedicated group of community volunteers and Hay Shire Council.

Open 10am-4pm Monday to Friday and Saturdays 9 -12 noon.

Bishop’s Lodge offers self-guided tours through the house with a remote entry.

History

When the Diocese of the Riverine was formed, the Right Reverend Sydney Linton was appointed in England, and began the trek over water to Australia. In tow was his wife, five children, nurse and governess in January 1885.

They first rented Czar Lodge, a home built in 1897 for Mr H.L. Lindsay who owned the Red Lion Brewery, which was next to his house.

Bishop Linton was very impressed with the design of the Czar Lodge, and Bishop’s Lodge was created with many of the same features.

Sawdust insulation, rigged gapping, window screens, ventilated ceiling roses and good under-floor ventilation were introduced to counteract the harsh summer heat. The house was built of iron fabric with diagonal bracing timbers to offset the clay soil.

Bishop Linton boasted that the temperature in the house never rose above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cost

When Bishop’s Lodge was built in 1888-89 it was at a cost of over six thousand pounds.

Bishop Linton was the only one of the three Bishops who had independent wealth.

Two thousand pounds of the cost of the building was paid by Bishop Linton and his father Canon Linton. Bishops were responsible for the maintenance of the building and associated costs, and to pay the interest on the remaining sum until the debt was cleared thirty years later, in 1918.

The gardener Arrives

Bishop Linton was 53 when he passed in 1894.

The next year heralded the arrival of avid gardener, Bishop Ernest Anderson, his wife Amelia and their six children.

Amelia sadly passed in 1917 and is buried in Hay.

Bishop Anderson, remained in the residence until 1925, when he retired and moved to New Zealand.

When Bishop Anderson made it known he intended to retire, the Diocesan council began enquiries into selling the building, but it was not successful.

Bishop Halse

Bishop Halse was the third Bishop for the Diocese.

During Bishop Halse’s tenure the lodge was used for a hostel for boys attending Hay War Memorial High School.

From 1935 to 1946 it accommodated at any one time, two dozen boys and attendant staff.

Most of the boys slept along the western veranda which had been gauzed in for this purpose.

In 1946 the church sold Bishop’s Lodge. The fourth bishop, Murray did not want to live in the house and found housing in Hay township more suitable.

Two couples Greek couples, Mr Nick Panaretto and his sister Mrs Harry Carides, with their respective spouses, decided to buy the house, and lived there four decades, making minimal changes to the building.

Many original finishes remained when the Hay Shire Council purchased the building in 1985.

Since then, a group of hardworking and faithful volunteers came together to ensure the Lodge and its gardens are maintained.

Museum

The small but significant collection of items in the museum is based around the families who lived there. There are letters to Mary Anderson from her father, Bishop Anderson and letters and cards from her brothers, Sleeman and Ralph sent during active service in World War I.

Hugh Linton’s dental tools. Hugh Linton was a relative of the first bishop, Linton, who returned from England to the Riverina in 1910.

Linton worked with Bishop Anderson, and ministered to many.

Roses

Each year, a trusty and loyal band of volunteers sharpen their secateurs to keep the Bishop’s Lodge heritage roses in their glory.

The enclosed rose garden has a rose-covered archway over the central path leading towards the little wooden summer house.

Another striking aspect of the Bishop’s Lodge Garden is the heritage roses.

There are 18 varieties of roses which are unique to Bishop’s Lodge; a mix of hybrid perpetuals, teas, and hybrid teas.

The second Bishop, Ernest Anderson was a prolific rose aficionado and it is strongly believed he introduced them to the garden.

They bloom in an enclosed area named the hidden garden and along the northern border in front of the house.

Each rose has the preface Bishop’s Lodge (B.L.) attached to its name.

The roses are named for people who were associated with the Lodge or the area.

Contact

Phone: 02 6993 1727.

Facebook: bishops lodge.

Email: [email protected]

Website: bishopslodgehay.com

Colleen Houston is one of the dedicated Hay locals who helps prune the heritage roses at Bishops Lodge in Hay every year. Image: Back Country Bulletin.

This article was written with assistance from The Ringer Tales of Hay and Western Riverina by The Hay Historical Society, and Bishop’s Lodge – Hay New South Wales Australia by The Bishop’s Lodge Management Committee.