Wivenhoe is an historic house built in 1837 at Narellan, near Camden, in New South Wales, Australia.

Charles was educated privately and at the age of 18 he entered the Commissariat Department of the Government of New South Wales.

[3] In 1836 Cowper began building Wivenhoe at Camden on land that had originally been granted by the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, to his father.

On the ground floor a spacious hall 9 feet wide entered from a tastefully designed portico.

The cellars are of immense strength and thickness 9 feet in height and were especially built for their present use being capable of storing a very large quantity of wine.In 1870 Cowper became Agent-General for NSW which was a position situated in London.

After their marriage the couple went to live in Armidale on a property called Saumarez and had a family of five boys and six girls.

[9] While he was in Armidale, Thomas was a local magistrate, foundation president of the pastoral and Agricultural Society and involved with Anglican Church affairs.

In 1876 an advertisement appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald for some of the wines that were produced from the Wivenhoe Vineyard.

In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, Walter joined the French Foreign Legion and was awarded two military honours.

When the Sisters of the Good Samaritan bought Wivenhoe in 1910 they made it an orphanage for the disadvantaged children in the inner city areas of Sydney.