Booloominbah, Mansion in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Booloominbah is a two-storey mansion of brick and stone at 60 Madgwick Drive, Armidale, designed by John Horbury Hunt in the Federation Arts and Crafts style and built from 1884 to 1888 by William Seabrook and John Thomas Brown. It has a complex roofline, tall chimneys and verandahs, and now serves as the administrative heart of the University of New England.
Frederick Robert White bought land north-west of Armidale in 1880, and plans for Booloominbah were drawn up by 1882–83. Builders Seabrook and Brown began work in 1884 to John Horbury Hunt's design, but White halted construction for a year-long family trip to Britain and Europe; the family moved in only in 1888. The house later became the first building of New England University College.
The grand rooms of Booloominbah display decorative details drawn from Jacobean, Renaissance, and Japanese sources, which is unusual for a rural Australian property of this period. Visitors who walk through the accessible spaces can see these different visual influences directly in the woodwork, windows, and ornamental details.
Booloominbah stands at 60 Madgwick Drive on the University of New England campus, and the building is used for university administration as well as a cafe, bar and function venue. Visitors should check with the university before planning a look inside, since administrative use takes priority on working days.
The White family's money also built three churches and stables designed by John Horbury Hunt, the same architect as Booloominbah. Frederick Robert White died in 1903 leaving an estate valued at £55,134, and his eldest daughter Kate returned to the house to give birth to each of her children.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,373 contributors worldwide.