Beaumont House Hall Table
The Table
A rare example of Colonial period Australian furniture and constructed entirely from Australian cedar (Toona Ciliata Australis), the table top is edged with a thumbnail moulding and is made from a single piece of cedar 590mm wide.
This indicates that the timber was milled from a larger tree, typical of early Australian furniture, which often used wider planks as larger trees were still available. The table frame is fixed to the legs by mortise and tenon joints.
The legs with their typical collars and more comprehensive turnings are substantially thicker than later tables, and were turned on a pre-electric and most likely foot-powered lathe. This, along with its single-slab top, dates the piece to circa 1850.
Length: 910mm
Width: 590mm
Height: 735mm
Table restoration I
The Restoration
Step 1: Ready for restoration and conservation
Table restoration II
The Restoration
Step 2: Careful preparation using 240 grit sandpaper preserving around 170 years of patina
Table restoration III
The Restoration
Step 3: Using a vintage #78 stanley rebate plane to gently redefine the thumbnail edge
Table restoration IV
The Restoration
Step 4: At its finest after 60 years. A French polishing mop is used to apply the first coat of button shellac as would have first been applied around 170 years ago
Table restoration V
The Restoration
Step 1: Returned to its former glory and back in the entrance hall of Beaumont House the State Office of the National Trust of South Australia
The House
The house has a distinctive Mediterranean character with an open brickwork parapet in soft terracotta colours and a central flat roof originally accessed by a staircase.
Beaumont House is now the State Office of the National Trust of South Australia. The office opening hours are from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
