Sydney Morning Herald - Thirsday 22 February 1934 - Page 17
Monday, June 8, 2026
Streets Of Memory - Hostesses Of Sydney - 50 Yrs Ago - Potts Point Was Social Mecca - SMH - Thursday 22 February 1934, page 17
Streets of Memory
Larbert, a fine old stone house built by the convicts for Captain Lamb, and (inset) the late Mrs. John Lamb. with particular pleasure.
Historic Sydney - Sydney Morning Herald - Sarurday 26th December 1925 - PAGE 5
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 26 December 1925, page 5
HISTORIC SYDNEY.
(BY B. R. WILSON.)
Perhaps the most interesting spot about Sydney, from an historical view, is Potts Point. Almost from the top of Macleay-street to Wylde-street, one can see the old residences of those who ranked the foremost In Sydney society, three-quarters of a century
ago.
Potts Point (formerly named Point Campbell by Governor Phillip, in a survey of 1772) was originally reserved for the aborigines, who occupied the foreshores, without molestation, for a number of years. However, Governor Darling, during his term of administration in the colony, caused the land to be taken from the natives, & made over as grants to the leading Government officials. It thus transpired that on November 1, 1822 11 acres of the land nearest the point was granted to Mr. John Wylde who was the last Judge Advocate, & who was also, for a short period, a Judge of the Supreme Court, under the Charter of 1824. Mr. Wylde, however, made no efforts to improve his property, for Governor Darling, when recording his despatch home in 1828, wrote to the effect, that unless some improvement was made very soon he proposed informing the owner that the property would be resumed. It is, however, in evidence in the early State records that the Judge later on complied with the conditions of the grant, for he sold six and a half acres at the extreme point to Mr. J. H. Potts, who was one of the early officials of the Bank of New South Wales, which was established in the year 1817; hence the name Potts Point. It is interesting to note that its native name was Carragheen, a certainly more euphonious designation than the present. At about this time Macleay st was apparently extended from near Dangar Castle to the point, but the extension was then, and still is, known as Wylde-street, after the first owner. It is really a cul-de-sac of Macleay St. In 1858, the large, solid, stone residence, known as Bomera, was erected on the harbour frontage on the point, and occupied by Mr. William McCade. The grounds of the house then extended to the waters of Woolloomooloo Bay, derived from the aboriginal name, "Walla-mulla," indicating a place of plenty (where fish are caught). Since those days, the Sydney Harbour Trust has resumed the beautiful green slopes, and not a vestige of the tennis court, the swimming-bath, or the terraces, fronting the bay, remain.
The McQuade family occupied Bomera from 1858 to 1883, and the records show that the residence became the home of Commodore James E. Erskine In the latter year. About 1911, the old house became the property of the Harbour Trust, & although the hand of commerce has swept relentlessly about, destroying a great deal of its natural loveliness, there still remains the house, with its atmosphere of the past, & its memorable associations. The entrance to Bomera is from Wylde-street, & the drive extends from the large old iron double gates, flagged between two huge stone pillars, through a number of ancient Moreton Bay fig trees to the front of the house, overlooking Woolloomooloo Bay. Walking round the house, & standing upon the lawn facing the harbour, one's eye is arrested by two large plaster images of dogs, sitting upon the slopes, gazing complacently into space. On the stone coping of the verandah at this angle are two conspicuous heads of Neptune, & flanking the steps from the verandah to the lawn are two castings of sphinx-like beings. Strange, how, in the days of this vogue of architectural decoration, it was considered absolutely essential to have complete uniformity.
As one wanders about the remaining grounds, & through the old halls, there appear features of bygone luxury, & the remnants of past convenience on every side. Behind the old brick wall at the side of the drive, & adjoining the servants' quarters, are the last vestiges of the stables & the carriage-house. The concrete trough for the watering of the horse is now completely filled with earth, & the arms of the embracing ficus have almost hidden it from view. On the corner wall of the back portion of the house is a long rusted projecting frame, evidently the support of the lamp that was used to light the stables. The upper storey of the house upon the street line, at its remotest end, contains the loft for the storage of the grain and fodder. It is of the conventional design, roughboarded floor, immense rafters, and large spaciousness, having the usual protruding beam & pulley over the hoistway. The cellar is of the same roomy construction, & extends far beneath the front rooms of the residence. Inside, there is also that characteristic width of construction distinguishing the bygone methods of house-building. The immense interior of the organ-room, which in height is the equal of two lofty floors, opens out into the hall by French doors, & in the upper corridor there is the entrance to a long length of gallery, commanding the spacious apartment. Each individual room of the house is relatively built on the same scale; high ceilings, wide doors & windows, & walls of an amazing thickness. An old-world atmosphere still lingers about the house, & one cannot help wishing it might always be left undisturbed, among the ghosts of yesterday.
Progress Of The Suburbs - XVI - Potts Point - SMH - Saturday 25 October 1913, page 9
PROGRESS OF THE SUBURBS.
XVI - POTTS POINT.
In London, the great metropolis of England, the hub of the world, the West End has always'been the centre of attraction. There the wealth of the country is to be found. There the homes of the leaders or society have been built, & from them the movements of the British race are largely formulated. But with Sydney, the mother city of Australia, it has always been in the east that wealth & power have congre- gated, & dictated the future destinies of the young country. From Darlinghurst to South Head, the homes of the wealthy have from time to time been built along the beautiful foreshores of the harbour. Leaders in commercial centres, people high up in the social circle, & men prominent in the political world of New South Wales, have at all times congregated in the east. It is truly a continuation of the old idea among Britons, that everything Australian is the converse of what it ought to be.
In the early days Potts Point & the heights of Darlinghurst were selected as the natural and proper sites for what an Englishman would term "the West End," but, geographically speaking, the East End of Sydney. Some people today might even question the right of including Potts Point in the suburban area. It is part of the city itself, & it is even true that Potts Point has of late years, in common with other residential portions of Sydney, felt the effect of the rapid advances which the city as a commercial centre is making, & which has necessitated the driving out of the people to what were once long-distance suburbs, but which have been drawn near by the railway & tramway extension & improved ferry services. But less than 50 years, ago Potts Point was the most favoured of the suburbs around Sydney. Before the days of the tram, when the population was small, & means of transit limited, those who had the means of doing it built their homes in Macleay St & the surrounding area. Those were days when
palatial residences were to be found stand-ing within large areas of land & beautifully-kept grounds at Potts Point. Indeed, amongst the more ignorant of the less wealthy section of the community in those early days, it was a common expression, "Oh, he is a Potts Pointer." But within the last few years the scene has changed. These palatial residences, standing within their wellkept grounds, have been removed to more distant suburbs, & closely packed houses, largely used as boarding establishments, together with quite an array of private hospitals now line the streets. At tbe once picturesque Point itself, land has been resumed, tbe Point has been cut away, & huge wharfs are being constructed to make room for the shipping. In fact, into every portion of this once aristocratic residential area, commercialism has, within the last few years, forced its way & destroyed the old homes of the rich & the influential; & modernised the district from end to end, thus converting the once pretty suburb into part of the great city itself.
But Potts Point has an interesting history, & that history was well told in a paper read by Mr. James Arthur Dowling before the Historical Society a year or two ago. Mr. Dowling has by means of his paper to a large extent rescued from oblivion the history of the more important holdings at Potts Point, which is better known today as Darlinghurst. But the locality was not even always Darlinghurst, for in a map of Sydney, compiled by Mr. J. S. Roe in 1822, Darlinghurst was named Henrietta Town, so called by Governor Macquarie after the first Chris-tian name of his wife. This Henrietta Town included Woolloomooloo Bay, then named "Wallabahmullah," meaning a young male kangaroo or a male black kangaroo; yet another name was "Wallamullah," meaning a place of plenty, or where fish were caught. The name "Wallamooloo" was used up to the end of the 1830's, & from that date Woolloomooloo came into common use. Darlinghurst & Woolloomooloo were in the days of Governor Macquarie set apart as a reserve for the blacks, & right up to the 1870's the aborigines inhabitated this area. Late in the 1860's what was then Barcom Glen, the estate of the late Mr. Obed West, more commonly called West's Bush, was a camping ground for the blacks, who dwelt among the tall trees which grow on the sandy slopes of what today are wellmade streets and footpaths lined with hundreds of houses of the terrace type.
But Mr. Dowling tells us that the first house of note in the 1830's at Darlinghurst was Craigend, fronting Upper William St South, now Woolcott St. It was built by Sir Thomas Mitchell, the then SurveyorGeneral, on a Crown grant (dated October 19, 1831) of 9 acres 3 roods and 27 perches, & occupied at one time by himself & later by Mr. G. J. Rogers, solicitor, Mr. Henry Prince, warehouseman, & others. Craigend afterwards became a private hospital, then a first-class boarding-house. There is Craigend St close by, which will per-petuate the memory of this landmark of Darlinghurst. Another very old residence at Darlinghurst or Potts Point was Goderich Lodge, which was built by T. McQuoid, who was sheriff in the 1830's - 1840's. Mr. McQuoid also had a Crown grant dated Octo-ber 19, 1831, & upon this land stood Goderich Lodge. It was north of Craigend. Mr. McQuoid lived there for 10 years until he died In 1841. Then the Bishop of Sydney, Dr. William Grant Broughton became a tenant, also Mr. S. A. Perry, deputy surveyor general, & others. It was in the 1850's that the property passed into the hands of Mr. Frederick Tooth. He subse-quently sold it to Captain Charles Smith, of the firm of McDonald, Smith, & Co. & for very many years the property has been occupied by his widow. At one time its garden extended to the junction of Bayswater Rd, then Upper William St, North & Upper William St South. On the east side of Goderich Lodge stood Waratah, which was in the 'Fifties occupied by prominent citizens. including Mr. Edwin Tooth. It was there Mrs. Tooth died. Right in the midst of those properties stood a number of windmills. Darlinghurst lands being so elevated above the city they were famous for windmills. Mr. Dowling mentions that just behind Craigend or Myrtle Cottage stood the last of the old Darlinghurst windmills known as Hynde's. They were built on his grant of two acres. In addition to these there had been three within a quarter of a mile of Craigend, & just near tho gaol two more. These were of wood, erected so as to enable them to be turned by manual labour to the wind. The larger mills turned mechanically. But the writer remembers the last of the Darlinghurst windmills standing on high land fronting Surrey St right at the back of St. John's
Church. The ruins of this mill wore removed late in the 'Sixties after several children had met with accidents through climbing about the old building.
Coming nearer Potts Point, at the junction of Upper William & Macleay St's, formerly Woolloomooloo Rd, stood the property of the Hon. Richard Jones, M.L.C., known as "Merchant Jones." This land was a grant to Mr. S. A. Perry, dated October, 1831. Adjoining this property is the site of Alberto terrace, owned and built by Mr. John Solo-mon. Beyond It stood Kellet House, which was built by Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson, the first Premier under responsible government. In 1856, Mr. Donaldson lived there for some years, & the property was afterwards owned by Mr. W. F. Buchanan, who pulled down the old house & erected the terrace known as Bayswater-terrace. Adjoining the Premier's residence came Seven Oaks, the home of Judge Dowling, & Eaton, where Mr. Edward Knox, & later Captain Martindale, lived. The name of "Dowling" will always be associated with Potts Point and Darlinghurst. In October, 1831, Mr. Justice Dowling received a grant of'land which extended to & included the site of what is now Forbes St. Upon this land Mr. Justice Dowling erected Brougham Lodge, which he occupied for the first time on February 24, 1831. He named it after Lord Brougham, through whose influence he obtained his ap-pointment as Puisne Judge. He gave portion of the land to make Victoria St, which he named after the late Queen; also another portion to make Duke St, which was so called in honour of the Royal Family. He also gave a portion to make Dowllng St, which he named after himself, and a portion to make Forbes St, which he named after Sir Francis Forbes, the then Chief Justice. The estate was subdivided in 1846, & it sold fairly well, but that por-tion in Victoria St, upon which Brougham Terrace now stands, with a corresponding frontage to Brougham St, containing under an acre, was retained for a residence, & upon Lady Dowling vacating the house it was let to tenants. Many old residents will remember Mr. Horniman's school being conducted there. But in 1882
the property was sold for £7000 cash, which was a big price. It was more than was given for the whole of the other eight acres of the grant. There was a large garden on the estate, but when Victoria St was formed the front portion of this garden had to be taken for the street. It should be mentioned that the fine specimen of coral tree in the front grounds of one of the houses in Victoria Terrace, next to Brougham Terrace, was originally in Brougham Lodge garden. Mr. J. A. Dowling, in his paper to the Historical Society, points out that when Brougham Lodge was built in the Thirties, there was no William St, simply a track for foot passen-gers from Sydney on the site of the present street, which was not extended from its termination in Darlinghurst-hill further east until 1845, when Sir Thomas Mitchell, the Surveyor-General, surveyed the extension, which was by what they termed Upper Wllliam St North & South, now Bayswater Rd & Woolcott St.
Vehicular traffic to Darlinghurst before William St was formed, Mr. Dowling says, came from Sydney along Hyde Park (then the racecourse), up the old South Head Rd (now Oxford St), to the gaol, & across then to Darllnghurst-hill, and any person wishing to travel to South Head would go by Old South Head Rd, being the only route past Bellevue Hill. This road, which is now the main tram line to Bondi, was then crude & rougher. Persons wishing to go to Eliza Point, afterwards known as Point Piper (al-ready dealt with in previous articles) had to
proceed by way of Glenmore Rd by the track known for years afterwards as Point Piper Rd (now Jersey Rd), which commenced at its junction with the Old South Head Rd, Paddington, & passed along Underwood's distillery in the Rushcutter Bay gully, on the Glenmore Estate, until the track to Point Piper was reached. This track started just where the Edgeeliff Rd Post-office now stands.
But in 1845 New South Head Rd, really a continuation of William St, was commenced, under the supervision of Sir Thomas Mitchell, & finally it joined the Old South Head Rd near the lighthouse. The necessary land to construct the new thoroughfare wes given by Messrs. Palmer, Dowling, & Laidley, but for a number of years the new road did not get beyond Rushcutter Bay. Ultimately the work was continued through the Cooper & other grants to the lighthouse.
Potts Point - Historic Homes - To Make Way For A Dock - SMH - Tues 14 Jan 1941 Page 5
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 14 January 1941, page 5
TO MAKE WAY FOR THE DOCK
THE historic homes of Potts Point which have been resumed for the graving dock are a tangible link with the past of Sydney. They were the scenes of former gaieties and the foundations of traditions.
FORMERLY one of the loveliest building sites in Sydney, with green gardens slop-ing to the water's edge, Wylde Street is gradually becoming more dejected as one after another of the old homes is destroyed.
The destruction has been gradual from private homes to boarding houses & apartments & from flats to dockyard extensions.
Standing forlornly near the end of the Point is Agincourt, mourning the loss of its neighbour, Crecy, which has already been demolished. Agincourt, which was built by the Goodwin family in 1901, is aptly described by one of its tenants as an "International Irish stew." It has a French name, British lions in the garden, Italian armoured men as light fixtures, German plaques, a Turkish crescent moon & stars carved in the woodwork, Moorish domes, & a Persian cat!
In the beginning of the century, Agincourt was the scene of many bright parties, & naval guests came by pinnace from their ships to the jetty at the foot of the garden.
NEXT to Agincourt is Kismet, a red brick house, covered with Virginia creeper, where Mr. & Mrs. Philip Bushell & their daughters, the Misses Amber & Pamela Bushell, have lived for 18 years. Mr. Bushell bought the house from its original owner, the late Sir Rupert Clarke,
A view from the harbour of Mr. W.A. Crowle's home, Once Upon a Time, which he built over his boatshed in the groups of Wyldefel Gardens. The yacht in which he travelleled for three years can be seen in the foreground.
whose son, the present Baronet, was born in the elaborate nursery wing.
From Kismet, we go to Fairhaven, one of the many homes built by the late Mr. Walter Hall. It was built in 1814, & after Mr. & Mrs. Hall's death it went to an employee, Mrs. Sheppard. She has lived there almost alone for 20 years, & is now lying seriously ill in the old home.
Mr. Hugh Ward's old home, Bellevue, which is now the site for the water-front flats. Bellevue Gardens, was a great social centre several years ago. Mr. & Mrs. Ward still live on the property, but on the land behind the flats.
Chatsworth is another of the old homes which has been resumed. It was built by Mr. C. J. Roberts
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Chatsworth - Potts Point - Evening News - Tues 1st Nov 1921 - Pg 7
Chatsworth - Potts Point
Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931), Tuesday 1 November 1921, page 7
SALE OF "CHATSWORTH"
Gray & Company report having sold one of Sydney's oldest & noted homes known as "Chatsworth," Potts Point. It was originally a cottage built in 1849, & known as "Tor Cottage," & eventually passed into the hands of Mr. Joseph Thompson, sen., who added another storey, & later sold it to the late Mr. Edward Hordern, who changed the name to "Chatsworth." The next Purchaser was Mr. C. J. Roberts, M.L.C., & at one time Mayor of Sydney. During his occupancy of "Chatsworth" the building was enlarged considerably, including a large ballroom with a massive parquet floor, & opened by Lord Carrington, who was presented with a golden key for that pur-pose. Thereafter for some considerable period "Chatsworth" was the scene of many social functions. The property was again sold to Mrs. Wangenheim, who has now sold it to Mr. Scott Fell. Mr. Fell intends making ex-tansive alterations & converting it into a modern home. It is one of the few remaining homes handy to the city with deep water frontage, & adjoins the residences of Mr. Hugh Ward and Sir Jarvie Hood.
Annandayle Historic Homestead - Australian Woman's Weekly - Wed April 4 - 1962 - Pg 21
ANNANDAYLE HISTORIC HOMESTEAD
Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Wednesday 4 April 1962, page 21
HISTORIC HOMESTEAD
A giant pear tree, more than 100 years old, shades the courtyard at "Annandayle." In the foreground is a water-lily pond; at back, left, are golden and silver pheasants in a high-roofed aviary built round an old figtree. The seat was once the front gate.
Pictures by staff photographer Jonathan Evetts.
"Annandayle," century-old homestead belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Bowler, near Holbrook, was built by Samuel Bowler of granite blocks quarried on the property he bought in 1836.
FOR more than 100 years there has been a Bowler
at "Annandayle," a welcoming old homestead in the Holbrook district of N.S.W.
The present owner, Mr. Cyril Bowler, lives there with his wife and daughter, Elizabeth-Ann, 13. The house was built by his great-grandfather, Cornishman Samuel Bowler, one of the first settlers in the district. When he bought the land from George Bardwell in 1836, it was known as the Ten-Mile Creek No. 2 Block of 50,000 acres. Today only 11,000 acres belong to "Annandayle," but five other members of the family have holdings on the rest of the acreage.
Seven rooms of the granite house are as good as the day they were built & form living-rooms & bedrooms. The present Bowler occupants have added extensions. A wide, creeper-framed verandah goes along most of the front.
View of the lovely garden at "Annandayle," looking toward the swimming-pool. Surrounded by shrubs & lawn, the pool is a favorite spot for local young people in summer.
Handsome cedar sideboard dominates the dining - room. The sideboard was made in the 1860s by an old Scottish craftsman, who used to wander round the district working as a cabinetmaker. Doors lead from the dining-room to the shaded courtyard.
Comfortable living-room has a landscape window over-looking the garden and the magnificent old pear tree, which still bears fruit. This is one of the seven rooms of the original homestead, to which Mr. Cyril Bowler has added extensions. Over the mantel is a leather-framed mirror brought to Australia by Samuel Bowler from Cornwall.
House Of mary Putland - Governor Bligh's Daughter - Wrrington - Aust Womans Weekly Wed 27 June 1951 Pg 32
Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Wednesday 27 June 1951, page 32
GENERAL VIEW of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Williams' historic home at Werrington, N.S.W. Of Georgian design, the house was built in 1806 by Mary Putland, daughter of Governor Bligh. Within 12 months of
the death of her husband, Lieutenant Putland, Mary married Sir Maurice O'Connell.
MRS. ALAN WILLIAMS pauses on the old circular brick walk to admire the beauty of her petunias. More than 3000 roses bloom along the drive and in the five-acre garden surrounding the home. Mr. and Mrs. Williams' aim in life is to restore and keep Werrington Park in its original state of splendor.
MR. ALAN WILLIAMS and a friend survey the Countryside and the tiny town of Werrington, which boasts about thirty-seven houses, including the home once owned by Governor King. From this miniature balcony can be seen on clear days Barrenjoey Lighthouse and the entrance to the Hawkesbury River.
OLD-FASHIONED PILLARED ENTRANCE porch and verandah. Panelled front door leads into small dining-room. The brass plate on left wall bears the names of owners since the death of Mary Putland.
GLIMPSE of one of the superb four-poster Jacobean beds with its lovely Jacobean-design quilted spread. There are five bedrooms on the upper floor which are very spacious and lead on to balconies.
Historic homestead
. One hundred and forty-five years ago, Mary Putland (later Lady O'Connell), favorite daughter of Governor Bligh, was given a 300-acre land grant at Werrington, 1S.S.W.-just beyond Parramatta, There, on top of a hill, her house was built and named Werrington Park. To-day, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Williams own the house. They have furnished it with grace, and so it stands-a serene link with a stirring past.
WESTERN END of first reception room. The sideboard is mahogany. The solid rosewood table stands majestically in the centre. At left, the
door opens into the second reception room.
THE LONG BALLROOM with its mellow, polished tallow-wood floor has been the scene oj many glittering assemblages. Glorious mountain views can be seen from the circular balconies opening off ballroom.
SECOND RECEPTION ROOM houses lovely old pieces, including the cedar cabinet (left) made by convicts. On the shelves are historical treasures. A massive wall-mirror reflects the richly toned furnishings.
ANOTHER VIEW of the resplendent reception rooms, showing the windows overlooking the undulating countryside and a door to the garden. Here, in the early years of the Colony, Governor Bligh & his aides often forgathered.
THIS PAINTING OF MARY PUTLAND, first owner oj Werrington Park, hangs above the beautifully proportioned fireplace as it did 140 years ago. The panel at the extreme right of fire-place forms a secret door leading to the cellar. The fender-stool and fire-irons are treasured antiques.
A Gallery Of Historic Houses - Beautiful Australia - Australian Woman's Weekly - Wed 14 Oct 1964 - Pg 23
Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Wednesday 14 October 1964, page 23
A Gallery of Historic Houses
BEAUTIFUL AUSTRALIA
The special section, here & over leaf, features three of the historic homes in the Berrima - Moss Vale district, N.S.W. Built last century, they have earned their place in modern "Beautiful Australia." The houses were inspected
this year by the National Trust.
"WINGECARRIBBEE,"Bowral, home of Mr. & Mrs. John Oxley, was built in 1857 by Mr. Oxley's grandfather, Mr. Henry Molesworth Oxley.
Of corrugated iron & timber, the prefabricated house was im-ported from Italy & took the accompanying team of Italian
workmen two years to build. The family still has the plans used in
the construction.
The house is on a hill over looking the grove of trees where John Oxley, the explorer (the present owner's great-grand-father) built a house of stringy bark on land granted in 1823.
Pictures in this section by staff photographer Ron Berg.
View along the front verandah to the bushland beyond shows the graceful curved beams supporting the corrugated iron roof. The front door opens into a wide hall in which church services were held before a church was built in the district. Bowral is about 90 miles from Sydney.
"WINGECARRIBBEE" is a landmark in the district, & its ribbed cast-iron parapet, adorned with ornate urns, can be seen for quite a distance. The house is set on a gentle rise amid lovely gardens. At the back of the house the cemented courtyard, now roofed over, is a workroom-verandah-store.
Furnished almost exactly as when the house was built, the drawing room has windows framed by delicate lace curtains & covered with lacetrimmed linen blinds. Most of the delightful Victorian furniture still has the original upholstery. A small upright piano stands in one corner, & at each end of the marble mantelpiece is a charming Dresden figurine.
The entrance to "Oldbury Farm" leads up through green fields past shady clumps of trees to an old-world garden. Informality is the keynote both inside & outside the charming convict-built farmhouse, which has upstairs bedrooms on three levels. The thick interior doors, set in panelled jambs, & the deep-window casements are all of rich cedar.
A heavy cedar door with small window-panes & an enormous lock & key opens off the porch into a roomy entrance hall with elegant cedar staircase. Under the entrance steps is a door leading to a series of cellars where it is thought convict farm laborers used to sleep.
"OLDBURY FARM" TUCK'ED away beneath giant trees at the foot of Mount Ginginbull, "Oldbury Farm," Moss Vale, with its simple Doric portico, is reminiscent of Georgian farmhouses in the north of England.
Built in 1826 by James Atkinson, it was un-tenanted for long periods until the present owner, Mrs. J. MacDonald, undertook its restoration.
The small-paned casement windows are almost at floor level in the bedrooms upstairs. The original kitchen, now a rumpus room, is at one end of the back verandah, separate from the house.
A handsome cedar colonial fireplace in Georgian style frames a hearth of hand-made bricks in the drawing-room, which has been simply furnished in keeping with the architec-ture. The painting of the farmhouse over the fireplace is by Irene Reid. The study off this room has a cedar cupboard built in the wall.
"SUTTON FARM"
ONE of the oldest buildings in the district, "Sutton Farm," Sutton Forest, owned by Mr. & Mrs. B. S. Swift, was built by the Government about 1820 as a coaching inn.
Sunbaked wire-cut bricks, made from clay taken from the creek at the back of the house, were used for the building, which was erected by a team of convicts brought from the stockade at Berrima & camped on the site.
The bricks are now hidden under the cement rendering, although the general exterior appearance is thought to be little changed.
A large wing added to the house was carefully placed at one side so the original appearance from the front would not be spoiled.
INTRIGUING Romeo and Juliet balconies at the sides of
the house which are part of the original design, add a whimsical note to the spacious residence. For many years the house was unoccupied, & although the cedar fire-places were still in place when the house was restored by
Mr Ken Hunter-Kerr, they have since been removed.
"SUTTON FARM," set back from the road behind a curtain of poplars & reached by a sweeping circular drive, was once on the main road. Until 1937 part of bar counter was still in place. These attic windows belong to bedrooms.
MAGNIFICENT cedar staircase (below) was brought from Ireland (it was taken out of a church near Dublin) by a former owner, William B. Dalley, for his home at Manly, "Dolley's Castle." But the trip took so long he had another stair installed there & this one put in at "Sutton."
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Historic House Exhibition - Australian Women's Weekly - Wednesday 2 May 1962, page 14
Historic House Exhibition - Australian Womans Weekly - Wednesday 2 May 1962 - Page 14
Exhibition
A pictorial exhibition of historic buildings in & around Sydney will be presented by the Women's Committee of the National Trust of Australia (N.S.W.) at David Jones Art Gallery. After a preview on May 15 it will be open to the public from
May 16 to May 24.
Called "No Time to Spare," the exhibition is designed to draw attention to buildings of historical & architectural value which the Trust believes must be saved far posterity. Among these buildings are seven fine old houses, & mementoes, which will be specially featured.
These pictures by Max Dupain show five of the houses. The Trust plans to send the photographic part of the exhibition to country towns in New South Wales.
"CAMDEN PARK," Camden, was built for John Macarthur, founder of the Australian wool industry. He died in a small wooden cottage before this fine Regency-style house was completed in 1835. His descendants lived here, & it is now the home of Lady Stanham, who was formerly Miss Helen MacarthurOnslow. Designed by John Verge-the architect of Elizabeth Bay House "Camden Park" is built of sandstock brick & has fine cedar joinery. It houses some valuable mementoes of early life in Sydney, including political prints & cartoons collected by Sir William Macarthur, a member of the Legislative Council. These have been lent for the exhibition. Other noteworthy exhibits are sketchbooks of early Australian artist Conrad Martens & his pupil, Elizabeth Macarthur.
OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE, Parramatta, was the home of early Governors, from Hunter to Fitzroy, & is now part of The King's School. Built before 1800, it was enlarged by Governor Macquarie to the design of John Watts. The elegant entrance porch with Doric columns is the work of Francis Greenway, the ex-convict architect. Mementoes of Governors King, Bligh, & Fitzroy have been lent for the exhibition, including the four-poster bed & wardrobe of Lady Mary Fitzroy, the Governor's wife. She was killed when carriage horses bolted in Parramatta Park & her carriage overturned. After this tragedy in 1847
the house was not used as a residence for the Governors of the colony.
of historic houses
"NEWINGTON," Silverwater, was completed in 1832. Built for pioneer John Blaxland, it is distinguished by beautiful cedar joinery. Not only did Blaxland establish farming & grazing on the estate but also a salt works, lime works, mortar works, & a small woollen factory. A school was built for the children of employees, & a chapel which still remains. "Newington," with its two large reception-rooms which convert into a ballroom, was the centre of a gay social life. It was once the scene of a dramatic bushrangers' holdup, in which John Blaxland was rescued by the arrival of his daughters. Later Newington Boys School was first established there. Today the house is a Home for the Aged.
"HOBARTVILLE," Richmond, completed in 1828, is thought to be designed by Francis Greenway. It was built for William Cox, jun., son of William Cox, who built the road over the Blue Mountains in 1816-1818. William, jun., then went to England to fight in the Peninsular War with the Duke of Wellington. He returned to Australia in 1814 & bred racehorses at Hobartville. Keeping to tradition, Hobartville is still a stud for race-horses, & is now owned by Mr R. Payne.
"BLIGH HOUSE," Millers Point, was built in 1834 for Robert Campbell, a leader of the movement to stop transportation of convicts. Now the headquarters of the Australian College of General Practitioners, it is being restored. A two-storeyed colonial town house with Doric columns, it is built of sandstock brick, stucco-rendered. Campbell's father was a merchant & owned "Campbell's Wharf" in Sydney Cove. Exhibits include an early Conrad Martens painting.
Annandale House - Sunday Times - Sunday 18 August 1907, page 4
SOME HISTORIC HOUSES OF N.S.W.
II.— ANNANDALE HOUSE.
(Written for the 'Sunday Times' by MARY SALMON.)
It is just two years last April since old Annandale House was demolished, & the outbuildings, together with the long, low-roofed cottage forming the main building, ceased to exist. No one, outside of a lover of antiquities, would have mourned the destruction of what had long been comparatively useless, & the streets & terraces of houses now forming a greater part of two suburbs are practically of far greater benefit to the district than was the remnant of the family mansion of the Johnstons, & the garden & pasture grounds. But it is of interest to the rising gene-ration to know the genesis of their sub-urb, the local history of which belongs to the very earliest story of the founding of Australia as part of tho British Em-pire. Annandale got its name from the town in Dumfrieshire, North Britain, where Lieut.-Col. Johnston, eldest son of a cap-tain in the King's Own Regiment of foot, was born. March 19, 1764. The Colonel may be said to have always been a fighter, for he entered the army at twelve, & at fourteen seized the colors of the dying standard-bearer at Bunker's Hill, & bore them in triumph off the field. His father being killed in battle, the Duke of Nor-thumberland became his guardian, & there may be seen in the National Art Gallery the silver cup which the Duke presented to his ward in acknowledgment of his bravery, it being given, with other historic trophies, by Mrs. Fanny John-ston to the State. After being an officer against the French in the East Indies, Capt.-Lieut. Johnston CAME WITH THE FIRST FLEET, to Australia, & was aide-de-camp to the first two Governors, Phillip & Hunter ; but it was his services at the Castlehill rising of convicts which gave him his greatest kudos, which was rewarded, by a grant of 400 acres along what was then described as the 'desolate and rocky headlands' of North Shore and Mosman. He also received another 2000 acres at the Cow-pasture (Camden), and it was at Thursley Park, in that district, where his daughter, Mrs. Blanch Weslin, died in 1904 at the extraordinary age of 98. South Annandale, where the house was built, became his about 1804, with 146 acres of forest land, and a little later a further grant of North Annandale was given, down to what is known as Johnston's Bay. A considerable part of this was afterwards sold to Mr. John Young, the contractor, by Commander Johnston, son of the original grantee. The picture in this issue — probably the last one taken before the demo-lition — shows the main building, which was merely a well-built cottage of a type common for superior semi-country residences a hundred years ago. A wide verandah was reached by a
flight of freestone stairs, the hardwood pillars supporting the roof and in the large entrance hall being in perfect pre-servation after a full century of wear and tear. The bricks had been made on the estate, and were of the small, quaint, red type, which distinguished those made by convicts of the day. The clay was from the local seam, unexhausted even now near Camperdown, where the pottery still uses it. But it was the extensive out-premises which gave the establishment on the hill SO IMPOSING AN APPEARANCE, for there were at one time a considerable number of soldiers stationed on the es-tate, as well as many convict laborers. It will be remembered that such stations as Annandale were miniature townships com-plete in themselves. There everything necessary for keeping a number of people was provided, including a slaughter-yard and butchery, a bakery, smithy, and a wheelwright's shop. A mill for grinding corn was also needed, and a store where rations could be given out. Under the entire flooring were huge cel-lars, capable of holding provisions for half an army. Popular tradition declared THERE WERE ALSO DUNGEONS, where numbers of re-convicted prisoners, who had perpetrated local crimes, had been kept in durance. But these state-ments are totally unauthenticated by any records, and are of the same degree of truth that the oft-repeated story was that men had been continually hanged on the pine trees, which formed a beautiful avenue, shady and delightful, on a warm Summer day, but gruesome & appalling if but one of the many tales had been true. The strong-rooms, guarded by stone walls & iron bars, were absolutely ne-cessary in the early days, when provisions were scarce, & when currency was in liquor, equally, if not more so, than in coin. Under all the old houses of any size were these cellars, where firearms, strong drink, & the like were stored. Only one large tree now remains of all the beautiful garden, shrubbery, vineyard, & orangery, of which so many notices are made in early literature, when Colonel Johnston's house ranked little below Go-vernment House in social prestige. The 'great Annandale Ball' was an important society function, when SEDAN CHAIRS AS VEHICLES are first mentioned in use in Sydney, & when the magnificence of illuminations were seen for miles round by the few settlers of the district. Under the overhanging roof of one of the square red-brick buildings was a large bell, which was used to call out the farm laborers at 6 o'clock a.m. (there were no eight hours for labor then), & it might, until the late 'seventies, be heard clanging at different hours during the day. As was customary on estates, the family vault was in a retired part of the spacious ground, & when the historic head of the family (Lieut.-Col. George Johnston) passed away in 1826, Governor Macquarie or-dered his own architect, Greenaway, to design a suitable memorial stone as a mark of sympathy with the family. In 1878 the contents of the family vault were re-moved to Waverley. SOLDIERS VERSUS CIVILIANS. The troubles of Governor Bligh's time are now distant just one century, for it was exactly 100 years ago that the commotion was raised against the liquor traffic, which brought about the re-bellion of January 26, 1808, the deportation of Bligh, & the upsetting of civil rule. The military class in N.S. Wales at that time influenced society very greatly. Writers favorable to the N.S. Wales Corps praise their gallant deeds, their devotion to the advancement of colonial interests. Detractors say that from the time the corps was called into existence by Grose, they were meddlesome in their interfer-ence, commercially, judicially, and poli-tically.
It was to Col. Johnston and the corps that Governor Bligh appealed when he found matters coming to a head with his disaffected official subordinates, but the Colonel sent word by messenger that he was too ill to leave his house at Annandale, or even to write, which was his way of telling the Governor 'he might go to the d___l for him.' History tells us all about the only rebellion of repute in the State, & the defeat, ultimately, of the military. Since then, no dangerous militia has ever interfered with the safety of the Governor or the peace of the citizens. It was when Col. Johnston returned from Britain a cashiered & bitterly disappointed man that his real usefulness as a private citizen was chiefly shown. He took up 'Annandale' as a life work, & soon turned it into a model farm. As a stock-raiser, he had few equals, & his efforts were assisted by his great friend, the Duke of Northumberland, who sent him, from time to time, PRESENTS OF CATTLE AND HORSES, agricultural implements, seeds, & any helps to improve his large estate. That he was severe & arbitrary to his dependents literature states, but the many stories circulated about him & his treatment of assigned servants were the fault, rather, of the 'system' than of the individual. That military discipline even prevailed in his domestic circles, stories told by his relatives state, but it was the fashion when good old King George ruled, for the strong to oppress, & the weak to go to the wall. The Colonel's eldest son was killed while riding in 1823, & the second, Commander Robert Johnston, born in Sydney, 1792, who took over the old family mansion, & died in in 1882, at the age of 90, was a worthy son of an intrepid father. He was in the bombardment of Cadiz, was present at the taking of Washington, at the bloc-kade of Baltimore, & the attack upon New Orleans. When peace was declared in 1816, he came back to Sydney to live permanently. As an explorer, he had note, having traced the Cox & Warrangamba Rivers to their sources. He took the 'Queen Charlotte' to South Africa for grain when supplies in the young colony ran short. Like his father, he became an ardent farmer in later years, &, though offered a seat in the first Legislative Assembly, took no interest in politics. There is but one tree standing on the summit of the rise where Annandale House only lately stood, and it has been suggested that the municipality should carefully conserve that relic of the past, as all else locally connected with the original owners of the great estate has now become a memory only.
Stately Homes Of Old Potts Point - Daily Telegraph - Saturday 12 August 1933, page 4
Daily Telegraph - Sat 12 Aug 1933 - Pg 4
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STATELY HOMES of Old POTTS POINT
To Sydney residents of half a century ago, the name "Potts Point" conjured up visions of broad tree-lined streets, stately homes, trim gardens, & the clippety-clop of thoroughbred horses drawing luxurious rubber tyred carriages.
MACLEAY STREET, sweeping in-unbroken line down the centre of this exclusive residential section, was once devoted exclusively to the homes of Sydney's aristocracy. Today, Potts Point, with its treelined streets, still remains "genteel," but gone are the stately homes. In their places are tall, modern blocks of flats. Sedate old terraces, once the homes of the "haute monde," are hung now with notices announcing "Vacancies" or "Rooms to Let." In Darlinghurst Road, now one of the most cosmopolitan thoroughfares in the world, many old homes once stood. "Sterling," the home of the McDonald family, the grandparents of Miss Pauline McDonald, a well known Sydney society beauty, has given place to the King's Cross Theatre Next door, at 107 Darlinghurst Rd, is an unpretentious grey-stoned villa, now the home & professional rooms of Dr. R. A. Eakin.
This little house, wnich once be longed to the Dent Estate, is over 70 years old, & its outside walls, 18 inches thick, were built by convicts. Mrs. Eakin is the proud possessor of one of the original fire-grates from the old home. Opposite is the once famous Alberto Terrace, originally owned by John Solomon, & now a honey comb of modern shops & flats "Springfield," now a modern guest house, its sweeping grounds cut up into streets of huge flat buildings, was once the home of the Suttor family, & many were the balls & receptions held in its lofty rooms In Macleay Street, on one corner still stands "Maramanah," an imposing mansion of the Victorian period, once the home of Mr. S. A. Josephs, which has been in possession of the Hollander family for over 40 years, & is still kept up in the style of its early days. Opposite "Maramanah" is "Ca-hors," a square stone mansion, now converted into genteel bed-sitting rooms. "Cahors" was the home of Mr. & Mrs. L. W. Levy, the parents of Mr. Sep. Levy. Many will recall the picture of the lovely Mrs. Levy, sweeping through the stone entrance-gates in her rubber- tyred carriage. Heaps of masonry & the remains of a "Minnie" golf links mark the grave of "Osterley," in turn the stately home of Sir Alexander Gordon, of Dr. Foreman, & of the late Sir Adrian Knox. The old house was demolished several years ago, &, as yet, no modern flat building has been erected on its ruins, "Kingsclere," an exclusive flat building, on the corner of Macleay St & Greenknowe Ave, stands on the site of "Bishopscourt," once the home of the Anglican Bishops of Sydney. Its broad acres & gardens have been cut up into a street of modern homes.
Opposite"Kingsclere" is "Larbert," standing with its lovely garden hidden by a high stone wall. Formerly the home of Abraham Cohen, "Larbert"' is now in possession of Mr. L. M. Phillips. Around the corner from Macleay St is "Tusculum," a lovely old white Colonial mansion. Once own ed by the late Mr. & Mrs. Walter Long, the grandparents of Mr. Oswald Cheeke, "Tusculum" is now a fashionable nursing home. Its lofty rooms, hardwood floors, & spacious verandahs are a testimony to the thoroughness of old time architecture. Standing in its own fine grounds, facing Macleay St, is "The Cairo," formerly known as "Prestonville." Originally built by the Little Estate, it was later owned by the Thorne family, of which Mrs. Spencer Brunton is a member. "The Cairo" is now a fashionable boarding establishment. "Jenner," now a hospital & for merly the home of John Nield, who built it, & "Tarana," once the home of Mr. Harry McQuade, are two other stately old homes that have given way to the progress of years.
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