History
Entally House was built in 1819 by Thomas Haydock Reibey, the eldest son of Mary and Thomas Reibey of Sydney.
Mary, who is pictured on Australia's $20 note, has been described as a "plucky Lancashire lass", a "remarkable pioneer" and a "successful and respected merchant".
In 1792, at the age of 13 and disguised as a boy, Mary was convicted of horse stealing and sentenced to transportation to New South Wales for seven years.
Mary met Thomas when he was a junior officer aboard the 'Britannia'. Thomas and Mary were married on September 1, 1794 after Thomas applied for a land grant on the Hawkesbury River and sought permission from the authorities for a wedding.
The couple became very successful business partners and the proud parents of seven children: Thomas, James, George, Celia, Eliza, Jane and Elizabeth.
Following the death of his father the eldest son Thomas captained the family ship sailing to and from Tasmania. Mary obtained a grant of 300 acres and Thomas commenced building Entally on its present site in 1819.
The Landholder's Muster of 1819 says he owned five horses, 92 cattle and 600 sheep on a property with 2430 acres of pasture and 200 acres of wheat.
Thomas Reibey trained 90 horses at Entally and won the 1882 Launceston Cup with Stockwell. Thomas was President of Carrick, Rosedale and Newnham Racing Clubs, as well as the inaugural President of the Northern Agricultural Society.
Thomas was elected to the House of Assembly seat of Westbury in 1874 and held the seat for almost 30 years, including a year as Premier of Tasmania. He retired from politics in 1903 and died at Entally on February 10, 1912.
Entally was reserved as a historic site on December 1, 1948 and the homestead and grounds have been the focus of an ongoing restoration program.
The central part of the present day building was the original Entally and apparently only one storey high. In the late 1850's, Thomas Reibey built the stone chapel to replace the small building, which was used for church services, and altered the house, building a second storey. He also built walls and outhouses using the bricks and stones from the towers.
The lavish furnishings in the homestead include a great deal of cedar furniture, a superb Georgian chandelier, a mahogany mirror made during the first half of the 18th Century, a four-poster Regency bed and a range of portraits and paintings, including works by John Glover.
The gardens of Entally House were established more than 150 years ago and its original outlay still survives today. In the grounds is one of Australia's oldest cricket grounds.
