Monday, September 21, 2026

Parklands - Castle Hill - New South Wales

The Cedars - st John's Parramtta - New South Wales

The Cedars - st Johns Parramatta - New South Wales.

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Lost Victorian Landmark - The Cedars

Waverley House - New South Wales

Waverley the suburb was named after a private home, Waverley House, built by Barnett Levey. He was the first free male Jewish settler in Australia.

Levey arrived in Sydney in 1821 from the East End of London full of Grandiose Plans. He was an enterprising figure. At various times of his life he was a windmill proprietor, developer, speculator, vegeatble grower, jeweller.

He also was the Originator of Sydney's first lending library. He is often called the Father Of Australian Theatre. He founded the first permanant Theatre - The Theatre Royal in the Royal Hotel in George Street in 1829.

In 1827 work was started on what was described as a cottage, but was actually a Grand structure on his South Head property. The plan included a garden from which Levey supplied Sydney with Vegetables a third cheaper than the Markets

The cottage had three large Cellars & a Kitchen in the basement, two parlours, two bedrooms, a Lobby on the first floor, & a bedroom in the attic.

There were stables and other offices, and a well with a plentiful supply of water.

Despite its grand design Levey never lived in Waverley House, it was always leased.

Levey also went on to become on the earliest building promoters in Sydney.

Waverley House was demolished in 1904, but the name Lives on

A Bit Of Old Sydney - SMH Friday 1 July 1904 Pg 5

One of the most notable of the old land-marks of Sydney that are fast disappearing in order to make way for more modern buildings, is Waverley House. For over three quarters of a century this relic of early days, which was erected as a mansion for Mr Barnett Levy in 1827, has occupied a commanding site on the Old South Head-road near the Bondi Junction. The house was constructed at a period when building was brisk, & when convict labour was largely availed of by the early residents of Sydney. Upon a foundation of solid stonework three feet thick, was raised a superstructure with stone walls about two feet in thickness. Mr James Vickery, the oldest resident In Waverley, has a recollection of Waverley House during the past 71 years, and is also in possession of many interesting facts relating to the history of this remarkable building. Mr Levy, for whom it was built, did not remain long in possession, and in 1929 the building was sold for £705, & 20 lots adjoining portion, of Mr Levy's 40-acre Crown grant-realised £24 each. Owing to the progress of the municipality of Waverley, the area of the land surrounding Waverley House was many years ago reduced to three acres. Mr Young (formerly sheriff of the colony) and Mr Henry Clarke, M L A. (father of the Legislative As-sembly) were formerly occupants of the house. Mr Clarke was in possession at the time of the wreck of the ill-fated Dunbar on August 20, 1857. Many years ago, when the old house was used as an orphanage by the New South Wales Government, the building was struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm and three of the children who were in the base-ment at the time were killed. Miss Hall for some years conducted a girls' high school, and subsequently the Kilburn sisters carried on an educational establishment for 10 years, the Sisters of the Church having vacated the building in April last. Since the death of Miss Hall the property passed into the possession of Mr T E Hall, of Randwick. The land having been recently sold in building allotments, the old landmark has been de-molished. In the pulling down process several interesting relics of "convict" days were unearthed. These included portion of a prisoner's leg-irons and chain, a convict's chisel (with name stamped on), old coins, a gold brooch, and other articles. The stone and wood work was in excellent order. Although but a few have passed since the land was sold by auction, already several new residences are in course of erection and the

site upon which Waverley House stood for 77 years is now but a mass of debris.

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Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 13 July 1904, page 93

Waverley House.
AN HISTORIC LANDMARK DE-MOLISHED.
With the continued progress in buildings going on in the different suburbs, many old landmarks are being removed to make way for more modern residences. Of the old-time dwelling's probably none has a more interesting history attached to it than "Waverley" House near Bondi Junction. A two-storied house with basement rooms in addition, it stood upon an elevated spot in the centre of a spacious area. The main frontage was to the Old South Head Rd, whilst there were others frontages along Pine & Waverley streets. The history of Waverley House dates so far back that few indeed, if any, now 1iving, remember its erection. In the year 1827, a a time when building was brisk, Mr. Barnet Levy built the house, which was regarded as a mansion, & was oft referred to as Levy's 'folly.' Mr. Levy was a man of many parts, & in addition to his commercial transactions as merchant, he was regarded as 'father of the stage,' & could give a monologue entertainment, as he often did at his "at homes." Building construction also took the attention & he, amongst other places, built the Sydney Royal Hotel. Waverley House was the first dwelling erected in the eastern suburbs by that name, & took its cognomen from Sir Walter Scott's novel. Mr. Levy obtained a Crown grant of 40 acres, & built his residence upon the highest position, from which splendid panoramic views of the distant parts could be had. Convict labour was used in its erection. The foundation walls were of solid stone, 3ft thick, & the superstructure throughout measured 2ft in thickness. The faithful manner in which the building was erected is shown in the fact that when demolished last week; the stone was in good order, & the hardwood interior had no semblance of having been attacked by white ants. In the year 1829 Waverley House changed hands, and, with a limited area of land, brought £705; whilst twenty building allotments of the estate were disposed of for £24
each. Mr. Levy died September 30, 1837. Waverley House has rendered good service, for it at one period was turned into an hotel; again it was used as an 'orphanage' by the Government. Amongst the tenants who have resided within its walls are Mr. Henry Clarke, M.L.A. (father of the House), who was there, & well remembers the night
WAVERLEY HOUSE, BUILT 1827, DEMOLISHED JUNE, 1904.
when the Dunbar was wrecked at South Head. Mr. F. W. Bowden, auctioneer, was also a former occupier. Miss Hall for some years was proprietor, & conducted a girls' high school in the old house, & up to recently the Sisters of the Church successfully taught the children of local residents in it for ten years, until their removal to Paddington in
April last. Upon the death of Miss Hall the property came into the possession of Mr. F. E. Hall, of Randwick, & it was recently subdivided and sold in modern-sized building allotments. During the time that the orphan-age was in existence a very severe thunder-storm passed over the district. Waverley House, from its exalted position, was visited by the storm in all its severity, the building was struck by lightning, & of a number of the orphan children who were hiding in the basement, three were killed by the elec-tric current. Many are the rumours that have gone abroad regarding the old house, & not a few of the more superstitious have spoken of the dwelling as the 'haunted house.' Its associations with the convict days of New South Wales were more recently brought to light, as during the work of pulling down, portion of legirons, and a convict's chisel, with name of the owner on it, were unearthed. Since its erection slight additions had been made, & when last tenanted Waverley House contained eight rooms & four basement rooms. It was only during the last ten years that water & gas had been laid on, so that for the first 65 years these later advantages were not availed of. Notwithstanding that only a few weeks have passed since the land was subdivided, the ruins of the oldest landmark in the district are now surrounded by a number of work-men engaged in building uptodate tenements, which will shortly be occupied, & what for the past three-quarters of a century has been known as Waverley House will be a thing of the past.

Wavereley House - Syd Mail & NSW Advertiser - Wed 13th July 1904 Page 93

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Hellespont - Lavendar Bay - New South Wales

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Sydney Morning Herald - Saturday 5th September 1936 - Page 13

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Saturday, September 19, 2026

Friday, September 18, 2026

Newmarket House – 7 Young Street – Randwick – NSW

Victorian Italianate · Built from c.1861 (wing 188083) · Standing — adaptively reused · Heart of the Newmarket racing precinct

Randwick’s racing world needed more than a course: it needed stables, yards and a house that ran the show. On Young Street, what began as John Dillon’s unsuccessful Newmarket Hotel (c.1861) became the managerial residence of a thoroughbred complex modelled on Newmarket in Suffolk — later tied to James White, Michael Fennelly, trainer Thomas Payten and, from 1917–18, William Inglis & Son. The Big Stable nearby played Phar Lap’s film set; the house itself still stands, conserved and reused as a childcare centre inside the modern Newmarket redevelopment.

At a glance

Address: 7 Young Street, Randwick NSW 2031 (precinct bound by Barker, Jane and Young Streets)
Built: Victorian Italianate house from c.1861 on the Newmarket Hotel site; single-storey wing added 188083 for the White / Fennelly training era
Early names / use: Newmarket Hotel (commercial failure) → training / managerial residence for the Newmarket stables precinct
Key figures: Joseph Fowles (early training stables, 186162); Sydney United Omnibus Co. (187678); Michael Fennelly & pastoralist James White (from 1878); trainer Thomas Payten; William Inglis & Son (purchase c.1917 for £50,000)
Style: Victorian Italianate residence at the centre of stables, training grounds and sale rings linked to Randwick Racecourse
Heritage / precinct: Part of Randwick’s historic Newmarket Precinct (Council heritage plaque, Young Street); house conserved through precinct redevelopment
Fate / use today: Standing — adaptively reused as a preschool / childcare centre (Montessori Academy; SUPERCONTEXT architect; Weir Phillips heritage advice); principal elevation, verandah and slate roof restored

Site & setting

On Bidjigal / Gadigal Country beside Randwick Racecourse (racing from 1833). The ten-acre Newmarket holding grew into one of Sydney’s best-known training and bloodstock addresses. Barker Street stables once served the Sydney Omnibus Company’s horse-drawn buses. Today apartment buildings and public domain surround the conserved house and remnant precinct fabric.

Timeline

Jul 1861 — John Joseph Watts leases ~10 acres to artist–author Joseph Fowles; training stables begun on the Newmarket (Suffolk) model.
1862 — Fowles insolvent; property advertised as Newmarket Hotel; successive lessees to 1876.
c.1861 onward — Hotel fabric becomes the core of what Randwick documents as Newmarket House.
1876–78 — Sydney United Omnibus Company ownership.
1878 — Purchased by horse auctioneer Michael Fennelly and pastoralist / AJC figure James White; thoroughbred training expands.
c.1880 — “Big Stable built; 1880–83 single-storey wing added to the house.
After White — Trainer Thomas Payten owns and trains here until sale to William Inglis & Son (c.1917–18).
WWII — Big Stable used as detention barracks; postwar industrial use; mid-1980s stable restoration (RAIA Greenway Award).
Film — Big Stable used as a set in Phar Lap.
Into early 2000s — House remains residence / racing-management centre; Inglis sales culture on and around the site.
2010s–2020s — Precinct redevelopment; Newmarket House conserved and adaptively reused as childcare with rear contemporary wing.

Architecture

A Victorian Italianate house of staged construction: mid-Victorian core associated with the 1860s hotel/stables phase, and an 1880–83 wing from the WhiteFennelly racing peak. Conservation for the preschool project retained the principal dwelling, restored the verandah, slate roof and landscape setting under significant figs, removed later accretions, and added an L-shaped contemporary rear wing around a courtyard (basement pick-up to meet council requirements).

People & racing lore

James White — wealthy grazier and racing patron; Newmarket as Randwick base for a famous string.
Michael Fennelly — leading trainer linked to Sydney Cup, Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup successes in the White era.
Thomas Payten — long resident trainer-owner before the Inglis purchase.
William Inglis & Son — bloodstock auctioneers who made Newmarket a national sales address; house as managerial headquarters for major yearling fixtures.

What stands today

Newmarket House stands at 7 Young Street, adaptively reused and publicly visible as part of the Newmarket residential precinct. The wider historic stables story continues through remnant fabric and Randwick Councils Newmarket Precinct plaque. Respect private childcare operations — view from the public domain.

Sources & further reading

Randwick City Council — Our Story: Newmarket House (7 Young Street): ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au
Randwick City Council — Newmarket Precinct heritage plaque text (Young Street)
Dictionary of Sydney — Newmarket Precinct Randwick: dictionaryofsydney.org
Weir Phillips Heritage — Newmarket House, Randwick (adaptive reuse project note)
SUPERCONTEXT — Randwick Preschool / Newmarket House project description

Related on this blog

Other Randwick houses and racing-suburb villas
Demolished and surviving eastern-suburbs estates

Clairvaux House – Dalley Avenue precinct – Vaucluse / Rose Bay ridge – NSW

Victorian stone mansion · Built c.1871–72 · Architects O. H. Lewis & Sons · Demolished 1929

On the ridge above Rose Bay, on land cut from the Wentworth estate, politician and barrister William Bede Dalley raised a Gothic-touched Victorian stone house with a machicolated tower, carved fruit and flowers, and a Virgin Mary at the ogive porch. Guests, newspapers and later school boarders filled its rooms; subdivisions ate the grounds; in 1929 the house was sold for demolition at fifty pounds. Street names and Mitchell Library drawings are what remain of Clairvaux.