Horningsea Park was one of Governor Lachlan Macquarie's large pastoral grants made following the establishment of Liverpool in the 1810s.
The 500-acre property was granted to Lieutenant Joshua John Moore in 1819.
The grant was conditional on 50 acres being cultivated within five years.
Moore was one of the few early settlers allowed to pass through the Cowpastures with cattle in 1821 to his land at Baw Baw.
He was the first pastoralist to occupy land on the present site of Canberra and his is the first written mention of that name.
In the 1840s Polish explorer and discoverer of Mount Kosciuszko, Paweł Strzelecki lived at Horningsea Park.
The place thus has strong links with early exploration beyond the Cumberland Plain, as well as with the early movement of the Australian economy from an agricultural to a pastoral base.

Moore was a Lieutenant in the 14th Regiment of Foot and a Battle of Waterloo veteran.
He arrived in NSW in 1816 and was appointed Clerk to the Judge Advocate.
Horningsea Park was part of an integrated area of large pastoral grants (mainly to military or civil officers or wealthy free settlers) which stretched from Liverpool to the Nepean River.
Horningsea Park escaped the subdivision of the area which took place in the 1880s boom.

Moore's first residence on Horningsea Park was Cumberland Cottage, built in the 1820s.
There were five employees listed as working on the property in the 1828 census: a woman servant, a boot maker, a gardener and two labourers.
As well as indicating the presence of accommodation on the property at the time, a woman servant would imply a homestead.

The present Horningsea House was built in the 1830s, by 1839using convict labour.
An unreferenced map (1882) described by Keating shows the house, grand driveway, and an assemblage of outbuildings around the house.
The Moore family sold Horningsea in 1855 to clear debts from the 1840s depression to members of the Solomon family, who gave the house its current name.

Subdivision of the original 500 acre grant took place in the 1880s.

The house was described in 1907 as having 13 rooms and a detached kitchen and wash house at the rear.
There was a large stable and buildings associated with dairying and grazing.

The house underwent extensive renovations in the 1930s.
The cellars were filled in, the (front) verandah was replaced with the present porch, the eastern part of the house was reconstructed, and some outbuildings were demolished.

In 1947 the house and a sixty-acre block were separated from the remaining (612 acres of) land, which was subdivided in 1949.
The 60-acre house block was later expanded to 90 acres and was bought by Lucile and Michael Polya, dairy farmers.
Following the loss of its pastoral context in the 1950s, by 1960 the holding was reduced to 22 acres (9 hectares), the size and shape it remains today.
It was used as a residence until c. 1974 when the Polyas sold the property.
It had reached a derelict state by the 1970s.

The house was classified by the National Trust of Australia in 1976, when it was also saved from demolition after intervention from the Minister for Planning and Liverpool Council.
After many changes in ownership the house and 22 acres came into possession of a British-based company who proposed development of the site for a caravan park.
Demolition had already started when a preservation order was placed over the property, but not before vandals stripped its internal fittings including cedar doors, windows and shutters, a cedar staircase and all the marble mantelpieces.
The owners erected a new roof and boarded up windows and doors.
The property was put up for sale in 1980.

The house was stabilised, progressively reconstructed (from 1982) and what was the gutted shell was extensively renovated following its recognition as a heritage item and making of a permanent conservation order in 1983.

At that time some of the outbuildings were still standing and the work included demolition of a single-storey service wing on the northern side of the house.
These were visible in photographs taken prior to the reco
Horningsea Park was one of Governor Lachlan Macquarie's large pastoral grants made following the establishment of Liverpool in the 1810s. The 500-acre property was granted to Lieutenant Joshua John Moore in 1819. The grant was conditional on 50 acres being cultivated within five years. Moore was one of the few early settlers allowed to pass through the Cowpastures with cattle in 1821 to his land at Baw Baw. He was the first pastoralist to occupy land on the present site of Canberra and his is the first written mention of that name. In the 1840s Polish explorer and discoverer of Mount Kosciuszko, Paweł Strzelecki lived at Horningsea Park. The place thus has strong links with early exploration beyond the Cumberland Plain, as well as with the early movement of the Australian economy from an agricultural to a pastoral base.
Moore was a Lieutenant in the 14th Regiment of Foot and a Battle of Waterloo veteran. He arrived in NSW in 1816 and was appointed Clerk to the Judge Advocate. Horningsea Park was part of an integrated area of large pastoral grants (mainly to military or civil officers or wealthy free settlers) which stretched from Liverpool to the Nepean River. Horningsea Park escaped the subdivision of the area which took place in the 1880s boom.
Moore's first residence on Horningsea Park was Cumberland Cottage, built in the 1820s. There were five employees listed as working on the property in the 1828 census: a woman servant, a boot maker, a gardener and two labourers. As well as indicating the presence of accommodation on the property at the time, a woman servant would imply a homestead.
The present Horningsea House was built in the 1830s, by 1839using convict labour. An unreferenced map (1882) described by Keating shows the house, grand driveway, and an assemblage of outbuildings around the house. The Moore family sold Horningsea in 1855 to clear debts from the 1840s depression to members of the Solomon family, who gave the house its current name.
Subdivision of the original 500 acre grant took place in the 1880s.
The house was described in 1907 as having 13 rooms and a detached kitchen and wash house at the rear. There was a large stable and buildings associated with dairying and grazing.
The house underwent extensive renovations in the 1930s. The cellars were filled in, the (front) verandah was replaced with the present porch, the eastern part of the house was reconstructed, and some outbuildings were demolished.
In 1947 the house and a sixty-acre block were separated from the remaining (612 acres of) land, which was subdivided in 1949. The 60-acre house block was later expanded to 90 acres and was bought by Lucile and Michael Polya, dairy farmers. Following the loss of its pastoral context in the 1950s, by 1960 the holding was reduced to 22 acres (9 hectares), the size and shape it remains today. It was used as a residence until c. 1974 when the Polyas sold the property. It had reached a derelict state by the 1970s.
The house was classified by the National Trust of Australia in 1976, when it was also saved from demolition after intervention from the Minister for Planning and Liverpool Council. After many changes in ownership the house and 22 acres came into possession of a British-based company who proposed development of the site for a caravan park. Demolition had already started when a preservation order was placed over the property, but not before vandals stripped its internal fittings including cedar doors, windows and shutters, a cedar staircase and all the marble mantelpieces. The owners erected a new roof and boarded up windows and doors. The property was put up for sale in 1980.
The house was stabilised, progressively reconstructed (from 1982) and what was the gutted shell was extensively renovated following its recognition as a heritage item and making of a permanent conservation order in 1983.
At that time some of the outbuildings were still standing and the work included demolition of a single-storey service wing on the northern side of the house. These were visible in photographs taken prior to the reco
Horningsea Park