Beaumont House Hall Table

Dating from around the time Beaumont House was built in 1849, the table is featured in the entrance hall of the State Office of the National Trust of South Australia.

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

Built in 1849, the Beaumont House was the home of the first Anglican Bishop of Adelaide, Bishop Augustus Short, and later Sir Samuel Davenport, politician, horticulturalist and founder of the olive oil industry in SA.

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.

**Please note during office hours Beaumont House is not open for public viewing. For details contact Chris Perriam on (08) 8362 3036.