Story: Jo Harrison
Long-time volunteer at Saumarez Homestead Alison Affleck has been awarded the highest honour for a volunteer with the National Trust of Australia (NSW), receiving an Honorary Life Membership for her tireless work in the promotion and preservation of Saumarez Homestead.
Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay, along with Armidale Dumaresq Mayor Jim Maher, presented Alison with her award at a special presentation last Friday.
Alison has volunteered at Saumarez since 1984, when the National Trust took over the stewardship of the property. In the early days, Alison was Treasurer of the Management Committee and later of the Advisory Committee and still works closely with the Property Manager on the financial management.
Alison has also been instrumental in the restoration and maintenance of the beautiful gardens surrounding the homestead.
“The property has changed a lot,” said Alison.
“It had been lived in by Miss Elsie White for thirty years, with a lot of areas marked off and let go to rack and ruin.
“When the trust took over, we had to restore it.”
Much of Alison’s time at Saumarez has been spent in the garden — especially in Mary’s garden, which was in need of significant attention.
“Mary’s garden for many years was a jungle,” said Alison.
“I used to just look after the garden around the house and the blackberries were coming through, so I decided to get over the other side of the fence and mow a strip and discovered a little flat stone.
“So we cleared all the blackberries and privet and followed this path all the way down to what is now Mary’s Garden.”
Saumarez Homestead is dear to Alison’s heart and has kept her extremely busy over many years. She has seen the property evolve to what is now a significant part of New England history.
“It has been well worth putting all the effort into,” said Alison.
Alison’s hope for Saumarez is that more and more visitors will come to the property which will enable more money to be spent on its up-keep. According to Alison when people come to visit they will see a house that is frozen in the Edwardian period, not changing much after FJ White died.
“Elsie his daughter adored her father and kept the house as her father liked it and it hasn’t changed much at all,” said Alison.
“It is not like a museum with everything placed nicely, here you go in and there are funny little ornaments and things that meant something to the family; and that are still there today.
“You get to see exactly how people lived.”
Other Saumarez Homestead volunteers who received recognition were Libby Davis and Kay Love who both received Voluntary Service Awards and another long serving and keen volunteer has received a Trust Commendation.
