Thomas and Jane Rose and their family of four were the first free settler family to arrive in Australia on 16 January 1793. Rose Cottage

at 18 Rose Street Wilberforce NSW is the oldest (1811)  timber slab dwelling still in its original position with a Rose family descendant living in the house until 1961. The Thomas & Jane Rose Family Society now owns the property. 

Volunteers open Rose Cottage each Sunday and have welcomed locals, descendants, and international tourists from as far away as Transylvania (that was a very interesting visit!)

The Resource Centre Story
 

The continuance of The Thomas and Jane Rose Society depends on attracting young and old to tell the history of Thomas and Jane, as the first free settler family to arrive on the Bellona and the importance of their arrival to the Colony.  
 
The aim of a Resource Centre, in keeping with the look of Rose Cottage, is to have facilities for our wonderful group of volunteers and a place where we are safely able to display gathered descendants photos and memorabilia. In time, with the help of donations, we would love to hold exhibitions where we can focus on a particular family line.  

After nearly ten years of thought and the last five years of persistence, we have finally come to a point where our Resource Centre can be built. Many things had to be changed with our submission to Heritage and after that was finalised the DA and Construction Certificate had to be approved by Council. In the interim, we were awarded a $30,000 Community Building Partnership Grant. 

Our 2018 Annual General Meeting approved the construction of the concrete slab with plumbing and electrical (approx $64,000). 

We also have a quote for the building to lock upstage. (approx $180,000) 

We were required to use the $30,000 grant by March 2019 so on Monday 26 November 2018 the work finally began.
 

As an NFP, we are reliant on fundraising ideas, donations, and bequests.

We are a registered charity and currently seeking DGR status through Treasury.
 
To kick-start further funding we have established a donation page and encourage descendants and the general public, interested in Australian Heritage, to give to this wonderful cause to maintain and show to future generations.

All funds will go to this building project and we will be itemising all costs. The sooner we get the funds then we can at least get most of the way to lock up stage as we continue other ideas for fundraising.

If anyone would like to contribute "work in kind" to achieve stages of the Project that would be very gratefully accepted

All funds will go directly into the Society's bank account.
We are also considering different incentives for your generous donation(s) but the main one would be to be able to write a message and place it in a time capsule to be opened at an appointed time and read by your descendants.