DARTON RESIDENCE AT YACKANDANDAH

The following notes were provided in 2005 by then owner, the late Joyce Leitch:

James Lionel Hill Darton

The name comes up in 1866 in my deeds of the house I still live in, 23 Hammond (street) Yackandandah.* He bought it for £50. He may have been the one to put the house up. All Yack blocks were sold first in 1857 this one was £16 then. James lived here till he died in 1897 then Agnes Darton his widow owned it. She later lived at Lisson Grove Hawthorn & sold it in 1910** to Alex McCombe for £300. My dad* bought it in 1932 for £400. I was 9 then & loved it & it became mine in 1952. Over the years I learnt a little. Like an old neighbour told me they had goats here. Then I found in a Yack School History book a Catherine Darton aged 7 started school in 1865 & left in 1873 & she was No 12 on the roll. Catherine later taught at Back Creek school in 1888 & 1889 & James Darton was mentioned on the Committee of the Presbyterian Church 1887 to 1891 it was just across the road from where he lived & still used today, a stone church built 1869. I have a photo of our house taken 1953 so I got one taken off for you. Open fireplace in 3 rooms still there. Old wood stove in the kitchen I wouldnt give up. 2 big blocks out the back, free range chooks & 2 sheep & just me. Tom my husband died of cancer 5 yrs ago aged 71. Im 81. 

Joyce Leitch

*Purchased from James Mudge Cole, Blacksmith on 2 January 1866

**10 January 1910, Deed 492, Book 407

*** Frederick William Arnold

Structural alterations made to the Darton house have apparently rendered it ineligible for heritage listing. The front windows have been enlarged and replaced by aluminium frames. The original soft mortar had to be restored. The timber veranda has been concreted. The original wallpaper in the front rooms had been applied directly to the brick surface but the walls are now finished with tinted plaster. There had been a weatherboard extension at the rear which fell apart and was removed and replaced by a cement brick bathroom. A kitchen with wood stove has been included under the veranda line on the western aspect. The original kitchen was a separate weatherboard construction behind the house.

There are two spacious front rooms separated by a hallway. The two rear rooms are quite dark, the gloom enhanced by original dark stained timber dado and ceilings. 

The original mortar crumbled and required repair.

Apart from this property in Hammond Street, James Darton also owned land in Church Street, next to the Church of England, purchased in 1867 and 1871. 

1894 CLEARING SALE

Yackandandah Times, Friday 30 November 1894, page 2

Sale, — It will be seen by advertisement in another column that Mr W Moore, auctioneer, will on Monday, 17th December, hold a sale of household furniture and effects at the residence of Mr J. H. Darton, Yackandandah, who is leaving the district. Householders will be afforded the opportunity of replenishing their houses for the Xmas holidays. 

Yackandandah Times, Friday 21 December 1894, page 2

Clearing Sale — W. Moore reports having held a very successful clearing sale on account of James Hill Darton, Esq., at Yackandandah, on Monday last, when there was a very large attendance of buyers and everything sold well.