[1] A report on the history of Bella Vista prepared by Ms Jenny Pearce, a descendant of the family which owned it for over 100 years, was made available to the Heritage Council of New South Wales' Restoration Steering Committee in 1982.

Mr. Michael Lehany of that section prepared a preliminary report on aspects of the landscape and Ms. Caroline Burke commenced recording physical evidence of the garden.

[1] Ms. Cathy Pinchin was engaged as consultant to interpret available aerial photography of the property from 1930 onwards to aid preparing garden evolution plans.

A grid system was devised to enable accurate location of structures, garden elements and archaeological features and artefacts on survey plans prepared by the NSW Department of Lands.

[1] Cultural plantings are generally located close to the homestead complex, and running south along the entrance drive are a row in places an avenue of Bunya pines (Araucaria bidwillii).

Sections of this pasture land have been cultivated in the past, for instance for orchards and vines to the west of the homestead complex, crops to the north east of it.

[1] This is divided into two distinct sections: the working yard formed between the barn, stables, implement shed and the drive, which is bounded by mature Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla) trees.

[1] The distinctive character of this precinct is created by the slab buildings and their rusted corrugated iron roofs and verandahs as well as the post and rail fences and the Moreton Bay fig trees.

The stump of a Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) which appears in photographs from the late 19th century also survives, adjacent to the garden gate.

The majority of the plantings surviving in a 1992 survey included mature shrubs such as may bush (Spiraea cantonensis), cape honeysuckle/tecoma (Tecomaria capensis), citrus trees, roses, Nile lilies (Agapanthus orientalis) and irises.

[1] The earliest form of the house appears to be a single-storey cottage, with a jerkin head roof and dormer windows, a verandah with timber posts, a fretted valance and stone flagging.

The blacksmith's shop is a small structure constructed of wooden slabs with the entrance on the east side and with a gabled corrugated iron roof.

Internally the additional rooms have wide slab boards except for the western end of the building which has a stone flagged floor in part and the remainder earth.

It comprises a central weatherboard gable with mainly slab walls, iron covered roof and skillions on the north, east and south sides.

The original entrance in the western elevation has been modified by the construction of a secondary gable roof to create a wider and higher access, possibly for the loading of vehicles.

The location of the sheep dip was identified as a result of that archaeological testing program which was initially undertaken to provide data to assist with run-off problems associated with building N in July 2002 (application no.

[1] The Bella Vista homestead site was developed as follows:[1][7][8] Known modifications to these developments were made as follows:[1] As at 23 December 2003, Bella Vista is of at least state significance to NSW as follows (See separate entries at end for ARCHAEOLOGICAL and ABORIGINAL heritage significance):[1] As a rare example of an intact rural cultural landscape on the Cumberland Plain, continuously used for grazing since the 1790s: evidence of patterns of agricultural use of the farm over the last 200 years survive including field patterns, post and rail fences, vernacular slab farm buildings and evidence of the alignment of its traditional transport route, Old Windsor Road, as well as cultural plantings and remnant woodland tree.

[1] For containing an increasingly rare surviving example of the endangered ecological community, open Cumberland Plain woodland, with indigenous eucalypt trees, providing evidence of the park-like character of the pre-European landscape between Parramatta and the Hawkesbury, achieved by periodic burning to improve access and visibility.

Indicating early experiments at grazing sheep by Grimes, Foveaux and the Macarthurs that failed due to insect plagues, low stock per acre ratios, droughts and the unsuitability of hoofed animals to Australian conditions.

[1] For providing evidence of the increasing wealth of local pioneer families during the nineteenth century, evidenced by the expansion of houses of the citrus growers: Chelsea Farm, Orange Grove and Bella Vista.

[1] For providing an indication of changes in architectural taste, from Colonial Georgian / Regency to High Victorian Italianate, reflecting also the increased wealth and status of the Pearce family.

Changing taste in interior decoration is also evident in the surviving layering of paint, wallpaper, plaster, built-in fittings and chimney pieces.

The cultural plantings on the site provide an indication of fashionable landscape design in the late nineteenth century in addition to mitigating against local climatic extremes: heat and drought.

[1][13] Bella Vista is a rare surviving record of rural development on Sydney's Cumberland Plain, with associations of Aboriginal occupation in the area from East Coast European settlement (1795) until recent times.

A series of test excavations trenches were dug around the main building and several other locations in order to provide information about the nature of the deposition in those places with the view to reducing the ground level to positively affect run-off.

In summary Bella Vista Farm Park[1] has a high and rare degree of potential scientific archaeological significance vested in data that can contribute to the understanding of the history of NSW and the locality, the rise and decline of stock farming and orchards in the district and, its associations with the Pearce family and to a lesser extent Joseph Foveaux, Charles Grimes, John Macarthur and James Robertson, (though only Robertson appears to have developed or used the property in any way other than for the grazing of stock).

If a larger sample of artefacts was found in topsoils across the site their analysis may contribute towards our current knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal occupation at Bella Vista Farm.

Bella Vista is a rare surviving record of rural development on Sydney's Cumberland Plain, with associations of Aboriginal occupation in the area from East Coast European settlement (1795) until recent times.

[20] The complex of farm buildings is prominently sited within a park-like rural landscape created by the cultural plantings and remaining indigenous trees.

The late nineteenth century rude timber slab construction and masonry homestead enable comprehensive interpretation of bygone farming life and work.