Further down the road another stone structure meets you and you wonder if, among the cottages, brick and tile homes and waterfront palaces, there are any historic homes.

Then you find ‘‘The Temple’’a rotunda-like structure, which the impressive Tanilba House looks out to.

Built by convicts for Lieutenant William Caswell who received a land grant of 50 acres in 1831, the historic home still stands today offering scenic vistas of Tanilba Bay.

Originally constructed as a family home, Tanilba House has a long history of owners, but the half-metre-thick stone walls, decorative edges and high ceilings are all part of the colonial charm.

Current resident and owner Helen Taylor said she came to Tanilba House more than 30 years ago.

‘‘Walking across the damaged floor boards of the front verandah and looking at the forlorn appearance of the mostly unfurnished rooms, I wondered what possessed my parents to lease the property,’’she said.

‘‘However Tanilba House has become a part of my life now.’’ 

In addition to the land at Tanilba Bay the Caswells also had 920 acres on the Williams River granted to them – this became known as Balickera.

Lt Caswell was known to leave Tanilba at 3am each day on horseback to ride to supervise his other farm.

In the early 1840s the Caswell’s returned to the Balickera farm and Tanilba House was leased intermittently until 1897.

In 1882 a visitor described the house as a ‘‘deserted residence fast moulding into decay’’. Lt Caswell died in 1859 and

Mrs Caswell in 1886 at the age of 81. It was after Mrs Caswell’s death that the home was sold to Elizabeth Holmes in 1897 who started restoring the old residence.

Mrs Holmes then sold Tanilba House to W.J Ebbeck in 1905 who converted it into a holiday house for fishing parties from Newcastle and Maitland. 

It changed hands again in 1913 and became residence of Walter W. Clift who in turn sold it in 1920 to property developer Henry F. Halloran. Mr H.F. Halloran was a real estate agent, developer and landscape architect in Sydney and other parts of NSW.

Many say he envisaged a flourishing town surrounding Tanilba House and it was under his guidance that the old house was updated, the conservatory added, ornate fences built and the adjoining ‘‘temple’’ constructed.

Mr Halloran died in 1953 and the house began to go downhill.

For almost 20 years Tanilba House was used as a holiday destination before being leased to a religious group ‘‘The Gospel Fisherman’’.

The Oberland family took over the lease in the mid 1950s using it as a guest house and riding school. They bought the property in the late 1960s.

Current resident and owner Helen Taylor was one of the people who helped save it from demolition along with coowners and the community.

Nowadays the house is open for inspections at selectedtimes. 

Those wanting to visit or to find out more information on opening days and times can contact Helen Taylor at Tanilba House on 4982 4866