Experience The Atmosphere At Roto House By Shane Fritsch

Port Macquarie first became a settlement in the 1820s, and a good many of the houses and buildings that were constructed during that period are a thing of the past. One that survived the tests of time is called Roto House.
It is estimated that Roto House was built around the end of the 19th century by a John Flynn. Flynn did surveying in Port Macquarie and constructed the Victorian Country house for his family. Back in the 1890s, the area where the house was built was considered the periphery of the town. Now, Roto House sits in the middle of Port Macquarie amidst a park area known as Port Macquarie Nature Reserve.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service bought this house and the land around it in 1970 to add to its other landholdings acquired in 1966. This land makes up the rest of the reserve. After some restoration of the verandahs, Roto House was finally opened to the public as a National Parks and Wildlife District Office and Information Centre. This office has since moved to another location, but the house is very much open still. It is considered the key element of an almost completely authenticated and rare glimpse into 19th century life, with the paperwork and documents to back the information up. Members of the Flynn family lived in the house up until 1976, including a daughter of John Flynn. They spoke extensively about their lives in Roto House, and had photographs and papers to supply to the Parks Service.
The large, ten room Roto House was constructed in 1890 out of red mahogany and California redwood. The roof is made from corrugated iron. The extensive property around the house was outfitted with cowsheds, a dairy, stables, a sulky shed, grape arbor, orchard, vegetable and flower gardens. Flower gardens are still in place, and a tennis court has been built, though the locations of the original outbuildings are clearly defined.
Some of the rooms have new names and uses. The former laundry is now a storeroom, the larder, a bathroom, the library and office, a lab, the drawing room, now an office, and the main bedroom is now the Information and Interpretation room.
Visitors are invited toe and take a guided tour of Roto House. Wheelchair access is available here. Park and Wildlife volunteers will guide you from room to room and speak about the history of the building. They can also answer any questions that visitors might have about the house or the period when the family lived in the house.
The house has been carefully and authentically decorated with furnishings and artifacts thate from the 1890s. This gives Roto House an air of the mysteries of days gone by. One almost feels as if they have indeed stepped back in time when they traverse the generous rooms and imagine what stories the walls could tell, if they were able to talk.
Roto House definitely has its own personality! This house has a subtle energy, which is quite cheerful. The ambiance here is one of peace and order. These obviously reflect the former owners, who must have been a happy family.
Come and experience Roto House for yourself!
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