Introduction
Drury Street was originally named Lower Row or Lower Pensioners Row and was possibly named after Lieutenant Joseph DRURY who arrived in 1869 in charge of a detachment of marines. Pioneer Row was originally named Upper Row or Upper Pensioners Row.
This cluster of cottages, spread over two streets, date back to 1849 with the majority of the original 30 surviving to date and although modernised and extended the original part of the buildings are still recognisable.
From the Memorandum of Conditions on Which it is Proposed to Enrol Pensioners for Service in the Falkland Islands “They will be provided at the Falkland Islands with a cottage of two rooms, for each family, so soon as the same can be erected after their arrival; the materials are to be taken out, in framework, for this country, and put up by the Pensioners on the ground allotted to them…
On the termination of the seven years’ service for which the enrolment is made, the land and cottage occupied by the Pensioner will become his absolute property, provided he has fulfilled the conditions of his agreement; and he shall, thereafter, be subject to no further military duty than may be exacted from any other resident in defence of the colony.
In case of the death of any Pensioner while belonging to this Company, and the Governor of the Colony considering it necessary to resume possession of the cottage and ground for the benefit of the Pensioner’s successor to the vacancy, the wife and children of the deceased shall either receive a free passage home, or a grant of land of the same extent as was originally held by the deceased Pensioner, together with £15, to cover the expense of erecting a suitable residence for them…”
Thirty “two roomed kit houses worth £50 each”, along with the military pensioners and their families, were sent out on board the Victory which arrived 13 October 1849. The contractor also furnished each cottage with 2 top long plates, 2 bottom long plates, “also floor boards, doors, partitions, joists, rafters, windows, beaded stops, locks, fastenings, outside roof board, also extra board for inside lining of lower rooms, extra glass, nails &c and 750 bricks for each house.” Twelve cottages were built on Drury Street (or Lower Row as it was originally called) and eighteen cottages were built on Pioneer Row (or Upper Row as it was originally called and Upper Pensioners Row in the latter part of the 19th century). Also on board were the Barracks which were built first so that the men and their families had somewhere to live while their cottages were being built. After they moved out the Barracks were intended to be the quarters of Captain Reid, the Staff Officer of Pensioners, however he asked to be transferred and left 31 August 1852.
By 31 January 1850 the foundations for 6 or 7 cottages had been prepared. By February 1851 fourteen cottages were still unbuilt due to the Governor being unable to procure enough artisans to complete more than two cottages monthly.
“On either side of the Barracks are two rows of six cottages each and behind one row of 18 cottages, divided in the centre by a wide road leading to the Peat Banks. These cottages will in about 15 months from this time (May 1855) become the property of the Pensioners except such as may from circumstances belong to the Crown, which already possesses three of them.” These three cottages were 3 Lower Row (14A Drury St), 6 Lower Row (11 Drury St) and 13 Upper Row (6 Pioneer Row); the latter was still unfinished in May 1855.
Part of the 1923 Crown Grant Map showing the Barracks and the Pensioners Cottage Allotments on Drury Street and Pioneer Row
These files are not a complete representation of the buildings now on Drury Street and Pioneer Row as they are mainly concerned with the history of the original 30 kit houses and are not necessarily a complete history but are intended to give a timeline for some of those that have been researched to date and will be added to from time to time. Later properties may be added from time to time.
NB: The cottages were originally numbered from East to West on Drury Street then West to East on Pioneer Row. The street numbers have also changed over the years. The file names reflect the original numbers first.
Drury Street
1 Drury Street or 12 Lower Row.pdf(345.37 KB)
2 Drury Street or 11 Lower Row.pdf(363.37 KB)
3 Drury Street or 10 Lower Row.pdf(390.23 KB)
4 Drury Street or 9 Lower Row.pdf(475.99 KB)
5 Drury Street or 8 Lower Row.pdf(405.76 KB)
6 Drury Street or 7 Lower Row.pdf(510.46 KB)
7 Drury Street or Workmans Dwelling No 1.pdf1.5 MB
8, 9 and 10 Drury Street - The Barracks or Marine House or Trinity House.pdf(856.02 KB)
11 Drury Street or 6 Lower Row.pdf(300.56 KB)
12 Drury Street or 5 Lower Row.pdf(378.23 KB)
14 Drury Street or 4 Lower Row.pdf(195.91 KB)
14A Drury Street or 3 Lower Row.pdf(215.55 KB)
15 Drury Street or 2 Lower Row now 1A Brisbane Road.pdf(508.56 KB)
16 Drury Street or 1 Lower Row - Star Hotel or Rose Hotel - now 1 Brisbane Road.pdf(919.58 KB)
Pioneer Row
1 Pioneer Row or Workmans Dwelling No 2.pdf(1.16 MB)
1 Pioneer Row or 18 Upper Row or 13 Pensioners Cotta(ge Allotments now 1 King Street.pdf(426.85 KB)
2 Pioneer Row or 17 Upper Row or 14 Pensioners Cottage Allotments.pdf(338.99 KB)
4 Pioneer Row or 15 Upper Row or 16 Pensioners Cottage Allotments - Myrtle Cottage.pdf(348.68 KB)
5 Pioneer Row or 14 Upper Row or 17 Pensioners Cottage Allotments.pdf(456.4 KB)
6 Pioneer Row or 13 Upper Row or 18 Pensioners Cottage Allotments.pdf(428.47 KB)
9 Pioneer Row originally or 10 Upper Row or 21 Pensioners Cottage Allotments - now 8 Pioneer Row.pdf(1.32 MB)
10 Pioneer Row originally or 9 Upper Row or 22 Pensioners Cottage Allotments - now 9 Pioneer Row.pdf(366.7 KB)
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While every effort has been taken to ensure accuracy the Jane Cameron National Archives does not accept responsibility for any errors in these records.
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