COWRA residents are fuming over the covert demolition of historic homestead, Shiel.
Built in 1901, the double storey red-brick manor was a landmark building in the Woodstock district, 20km northeast of Cowra and 90km southwest of Bathurst, NSW.
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The Weekly Times understands the Fuller family recently bought the property, which has no heritage overlays or protection, and flattened the manor on Good Friday to make way for a new home.
According to the Cowra Shire, there was no relevant development application submitted to council, no Workcover authorisations and no consent from council obtained prior to the demolition.
Instead, a meeting to discuss the future of the manor was scheduled for later this month.
Previous occupant Annette Lawson lived in it from 2004 to 2009 with her late husband, Andy, before moving out in 2010.
Mrs Lawson described the home as in need of updating, but "a great house to live in''.
"Certainly, if I owned the place, I would have wanted to put in a new kitchen, but it was functional, I was able to prepare Christmas lunch for 24 people the first time I was there,'' she told Cowra News.
"It was a beautiful house to live in and we really loved it.
"I am totally devastated that such a beautiful part of our heritage is gone. There was no reason to demolish it.''
