“Girrahween Estate” 75 Kambala Road

Girrahween Estate – 75–77 Kambala Road – Bellevue Hill – NSW

Late Federation / English picturesque house · Built c.1929 (agent) · Standing — private (sold reported $13.2m) · Individual heritage listing not verified this pass

A large double-block Federation-era house on Bellevue Hill’s Kambala Road ridge, marketed as Girrahween Estate, sold for a headline price. Not the Parramatta Girrahween. Architect and builder still a Trove gap.

At a glance

• Address: 75–77 Kambala Road, Bellevue Hill NSW 2023 (two titles; live “Kambala” typo)
• Built: c.1929 late Federation / English picturesque (Pillinger marketing)
• Site: level c.1,400 m² double block; 38.5 m Kambala Road frontage; north gardens / flagstone terraces; large figs noted in marketing
• Accommodation (marketing): two-storey; bay windows; original fireplaces; soaring ceilings — treat as agent description
• Heritage: No SHR; no individual Woollahra LEP item verified this pass — re-check Schedule 5 before any “heritage-listed” wording. Neighbourhood context includes listed Kambala Road items (e.g. Caerleon) — different houses.
• Fate: Standing — private; sold $13,200,000 (Pillinger “Sold”)
• Disambiguation: ≠ Girrahween, 14 Isabella Street, North Parramatta

Site & setting

Bellevue Hill ridge — Cadigal / neighbouring clan Country; “premier street” marketing places it near Scots College and Cranbrook, walkable to Double Bay. Elevated harbour/city outlook claimed in sale copy. Flanked by large fig trees in marketing photos.

Timeline

• c.1929 – House built (agent dating only).
• Intervening ownership – “Only a handful of owners” (agent) — names not verified here.
• 2010s–20s – Marketed for sympathetic renovation (with previously approved plans) or rebuild STCA; sold $13.2m (Pillinger).
• 2019-12 – Thin live stub on this blog.
• Today – Private residence / estate holding — confirm current ownership only from public sale records if needed at publish.

Architecture & interiors

Late Federation picturesque massing per marketing: bay windows, fireplaces, high ceilings, two storeys. No measured survey or architect attribution located. Do not invent style labels beyond agent “English picturesque” / “late Federation.” Flagstone terraces and north gardens are outdoor fabric noted in sale copy only.

People & anecdotes

None verified beyond anonymous successive private owners. Leave blank rather than invent Hordern/Fairfax neighbourhood colour as if it were this title.

What stands today

Girrahween Estate stands as a private Bellevue Hill house on a large double allotment. No public access. Before publishing “heritage-listed,” re-query Woollahra LEP Schedule 5 for 75–77 Kambala Road.

Sources & further reading

• Pillinger — 75–77 Kambala Road sale page (c.1929 dating, 1400 m², $13.2m sold): https://www.pillinger.com/properties/75-77-kambala-road/
• Woollahra LEP 2014 Schedule 5 — re-check for individual listing before publish
• Live post: https://historicsydneymansionsmanorshouses.blogspot.com/2019/12/girrahween-estate-75-kamabala-road.html
• Disambiguation: Wikipedia / SHR Girrahween, North Parramatta (different house)

Related on this blog

• Caerleon – Bellevue Hill (listed neighbour street context)
• Hordern home – 14 Ginahgulla Road (nearby Bellevue Hill Wilkinson house — different address)
• Fairfax Ginahgulla / Scots College Fairfax House — different house again

Historic live gallery

Images retained from the live Blogger post:

Transcription:

[…]te’ 75-77 Kambala Road

4 Marathon Avenue, Darling Point, New South Wales

4 Marathon Avenue, Darling Point, New South Wales


Contemporary Style, Classic Character And Custom Interiors Define This luxurious Designer Residence In An Exclusive Cul De Sac.


The Home Features Four Large Bedrooms, Three Bathrooms Including A Powder Room, Elegant Living And Dining Area, Custom American Oak Kitchen, Casual Living Area, Bespoke Joinery Throughout, Soaring Ceilings, Black Japan Floors, Plantation Shutters, Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning, And State Of The Art Security.


Standing On A Deep Block With Landscaped Gardens, Spa And Over Sized Double Garage.

Transcription:

[handwritten:] [?W]/Worth Courier – Wednesday 20th Fe[…]

2 Woodstock Street, Bondi Junction - ’Longsight’

Steeped in local history and cherished by notable previous owners, this beautiful freestanding Victorian terrace ’Longsight’ inspires with its character, class and comfort. Soaring ceilings, timber floors and contrasting black and white marble fireplaces pay tribute to the home’s c1890 heritage, while a series of upgrades cater to contemporary life. Panoramic views of the city, Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

raywhitewoollahra.com.au

[Note: this clipping is for 2 Woodstock Street, Bondi Junction (“Longsight”), not 4 Marathon Avenue.]

"Warwick" - 48 Martin Road, Centennial Park, New South Wales

"Warwick"


48 Martin Road, Centennial Park, New South Wales


Federation Home Reveals Timeless Charm And Luxory At Distinguished Address








Commanding A Distinguished Position Overlooking Centennial Parkland, "Warwick"Welcomes You Into A Magnificent Federation Atmosphere On Timeless Granduer. Affording Pure Privacy, The North Of The Rear Parcel Of Land Is Encased By Lush Gardens That Draw You Inside To Two Generous Levels. Formal And Casual Areas Allow For Large Scale Entertaining, With A Gourmet Kitchen Effortlesssly Extending To a Level Lawn With A Swimming Pool. Enjoy The Recreational Delights Of The Park And The Entertainment Quarter At Your Door, With The Sydney Cricket Ground, Paddington, Light Rail And Randwick Racecourse Nearby





- 5 Bedrroms
- 6 Bathrooms
2 Car Spaces
1 Swimming Pool

Transcription:

THE AGENCY

[handwritten:] [?W]orth- / [?Cour]ier Wednesday February 20th 2019

59 Victoria Street – Potts Point – NSW

59 Victoria Street – Potts Point – NSW

Victorian terrace (LEP group with No. 57) · Architect not attributed here · Standing (Sydney LEP I1165)

On the plane-tree avenue of Victoria Street — one door north of the State-listed No. 55 and paired with No. 57 — a three-storey sandstone terrace still carries the street number 59. Sydney LEP 2012 lists 5759 Victoria Street together as a local heritage terrace group (interiors and front fencing). Welcome to the house in the scrapbook photo — not SHR No. 55 next door; not Hortonbridge Terrace at 61–69; not a named lost villa.

At a glance

• Address / site: 59 Victoria Street, Potts Point NSW 2011; Lot 3 DP 1167537 (pair with Lot 2 = No. 57)
• Built: mid–late Victorian terrace fabric (exact construction year not locked in sources used here do not invent from agent copy)
• Architect: not attributed in the LEP schedule entry used here
• Style: three-storey sandstone terrace in a two-house group; market descriptions stress ~12 m frontage, high ceilings, marble fireplaces and verandahs — treat agent “Georgian grandeur” language as marketing, not a statutory style label
• Heritage status: Sydney LEP 2012 item I1165 — “Terrace group including interiors and front fencing”, 57–59 Victoria Street, Local. Immediate neighbours: 55 Victoria Street (SHR / LEP State listing); 61–69 Hortonbridge Terrace (LEP I1166)
• Modern chapter: renovated as a flexible multi-level residence (Alexandra Kidd interiors noted in the live scrapbook / Belle tradition); recent sales trail includes 2019 and later market appearances
• Fate: standing as a private residence

Site & setting

Victoria Street runs the Potts Point ridge north–south under a canopy of plane trees — the suburb’s densest surviving Victorian terrace belt. Number 59 sits in the low-50s / 60s band: State-significant No. 55 immediately south, the I1165 pair at 57–59, then Hortonbridge Terrace at 6169. The live night photograph shows the arched door with fanlight, timber upper balcony and the gold street number — identity pinned to the façade, not to a romantic house-name.

Keep Juanita Nielsens house (198–202 Victoria Street / Earl Street group) and the Woolloomooloo Heights grant villas off this post. This is a terrace address, not a demolished Macleay Street mansion.

Timeline

• Mid–late 19th century Terrace fabric of the Victoria Street speculative / villa-subdivision boom after the early Woolloomooloo Heights grants were cut down into street lots (context shared with neighbouring listed terraces; exact first-build year for No. 59 not established here).
• 20th century – Typical Potts Point reuse pattern: private dwelling boarding / multi-occupancy chapters common on this street (specific early occupant ladder for No. 59 not locked without Sands / rate-book pass).
• 14 Dec 2012 Sydney LEP 2012 gazettal carries item I1165 for the 57–59 terrace group (interiors and front fencing).
• 2017–2019 – Market listing trail; transfer recorded 2019 (secondary property databases).
• 2010s–2020s – Interior renovation / Alexandra Kidd design chapter noted in live scrapbook and later marketing; house remains a private residence capable of reading as one dwelling or linked self-contained levels.
• Today – Standing; number plate and sandstone street face intact on Victoria Street.

Architecture & interiors

Statutory description: a terrace group at 5759 including interiors and front fencing. The live faade photograph shows an arched entrance with radiating fanlight and sidelights, shuttered ground-floor window, two-storey verandah / balcony with timber posts and balustrade, and a low masonry / iron front fence — consistent with a mid-Victorian Potts Point terrace rather than a freestanding Regency villa.

No architect is named on the Schedule 5 line used here. Do not credit Verge, Blacket or anyone else without a primary attribution.

People & anecdotes

This post does not yet carry a verified first-owner name. Leave the Sands / rate-book ladder for a later pass rather than inventing one from neighbouring No. 55’s well-documented Busby-grant / boarding-house / Juanita-era street politics.

Modern colour (design renovation, multi-generational layout, recent sale prices) belongs in the late chapter only — useful for “what stands today,” secondary to the LEP identity spine.

What stands today

Number 59 stands as a private residence within the LEP I1165 pair. Walk Victoria Street under the planes; read the gold number; do not confuse it with State-listed No. 55 or with Hortonbridge at 61–69. No public museum hours.

• Map pin: 59 Victoria Street, Potts Point.
• Statutory pair: 57–59 (I1165).
• Do not merge with 55 Victoria Streets SHR narrative.

Sources & further reading

• Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 — Schedule 5 item I1165 (Terrace group including interiors and front fencing, 57–59 Victoria Street, Lots 2 and 3 DP 1167537)
• Sydney LEP 2012 — neighbouring items I1164 (55 Victoria Street, State) and I1166 (61–69 Hortonbridge Terrace)
• Heritage NSW / Wikipedia — 55 Victoria Street, Potts Point (SHR context for the street band only)
• Secondary sale / design coverage — Highland Property and Belle / Alexandra Kidd tradition (modern chapter only)
• Existing scrapbook post: https://historicsydneymansionsmanorshouses.blogspot.com/2019/02/59-victoria-street-potts-point-new.html

Related on this blog

• Rockwall – Potts Point
• Osterley – Fitzroy Gardens
• Prestonville / Cairo – 81 Macleay Street
• Maramanah – Macleay Street
• Elizabeth Bay House

Historic live gallery

Images retained from the live Blogger post:

26-28 Cranbrook Road, Bellevue Hill, New South Wales

26-28 Cranbrook Road, Bellevue Hill, New South Wales 

This Exclusive And Substantial Residence Is Rich In Timeless Appeal And Elegance. Set Across 974 Metres, This Magnificent Family Home Is Embraced By Established Gardens And Private Courtyards. Upon Entry Through The Grand Foyer, It Opens Into A Vast Selection Of Sun Bathed Living Spaces That Extend To Rooms And Secluded Terraces Capturing Sweeping Views Across Main Harbour And Rose Bay. 

Located In One Of Sydney's Most Prized Harbourside Suburbs And Coveted Residential Streets, This Stately And Stylish Home Has Been Closely Held By Only A Privaleged Few. 

- 6 Beds - 3.5 Bathrooms

- DLUG- Plus Off Street Parking

- Swimming Pool Encased By Romantic Gardens

- Upstairs And Downstairs Terrace Areas With Harbour Views

- Modern Open Kitchen With Butler's Pantry

- Stunning Staircase Feature - Period Charm

- Formal / Informal Living Original Wood Panelled Library 

- Close To Elite Schools, Amenities And Transport

"Tresco" - Historic Waterfront Estate - 97 Elizabeth Bay Road - Potts Point - New South Wales

Tresco – 97 Elizabeth Bay Road – Elizabeth Bay (often filed under Potts Point) – NSW

Victorian Italianate sandstone villa · Thomas Rowe 1867–68 + Westgarth east wing/garden 1883 · Standing — private · SHR #00780

One of the few MacLeay Point allotments still on its original harbour parcel. Rowe built it for himself, named it after the Scilly isle, lost it financially; Westgarth made the garden and east wing; for a century the Flag Officer slept here opposite Garden Island; then private money again.

At a glance

• Address: 97 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011 (City of Sydney). Often listed as Potts Point; the official suburb is Elizabeth Bay.
• Land: Part of Alexander Macleay’s 1831 Elizabeth Bay grant → 1865/67 MacLeay Point leasehold subdivision; Rowe secured lot (SHR).
• Built: 1867–68 Thomas Rowe — two-storey pick-axed sandstone Italianate, slate roof, ~13 rooms, coach house/stables (SHR). Name Tresco from Scilly Isles / family association (agent / Rowe biography).
• Major additions: 1883 George Charles Westgarth — east wing (incl. billiard room), kitchen upper floor, garden layout, summerhouse, fernery, boat pound / boathouse (SHR).
• Navy: Leasehold to Crown 1902; Captain-in-Charge residence from 1903; Commonwealth freehold 1922; Flag Officer-in-Charge RAN residence through WWI/II until Defence Housing era; conserved 1991–97 (Otto Cserhalmi & Partners); sold Commonwealth 1997 (~$9m Anstee) then 2004 Waterhouse (Wikipedia / SHR / Naval Historical Society).
• Site: c.3,300 m² wedge to Elizabeth Bay; terraced garden; Moreton Bay figs (incl. outstanding upper-terrace specimen), carob, evergreen magnolia scheduled on City Significant Trees / SHR; tidal pool, jetty, boat pound (SHR).
• Heritage: NSW SHR #00780 “Tresco, grounds and trees” (2 Apr 1999); National Trust; RNE; Sydney LEP.
• Fate / current use: Standing  private. Feb 2025 City of Sydney LPP refused DA D/2024/471 (two new dwellings + subdivision) after Heritage Council refused general terms of approval.

Site & setting

Cadigal harbour Country; fishing village era under Bungaree noted on SHR before Macleay’s estate. Tresco sits high on MacLeay Point with harbour outlook toward Clark Island / Garden Island — the reason the Navy wanted it. High stone wall to Elizabeth Bay Road; terraced lawns to the water. Rare intact original subdivision parcel among 20th-century apartment walls (SHR rarity).

Timeline

• 1831 – Alexander Macleay grant; Elizabeth Bay House 1839; foreclosure path to George Macleay (SHR).
• 1865–67 – MacLeay Point subdivided leasehold with build covenant; Thomas Rowe takes lot; builds Tresco 1867–68; resides to 1876 (SHR).
• 1876 / 1880 – Lease to Gilchrist then George Westgarth; major works 1883; Westgarth family to 1891 then tenancies (SHR).
• 1902–03 – Crown acquires lease; NSW hands house to Navy as Captain-in-Charge residence (Naval Historical Society / SHR).
• 1913 / 1922 – Commonwealth leasehold then freehold; Flag Officer-in-Charge residence (SHR).
• 1991–97 – Defence Housing conservation/restoration (SHR).
• 1997 / 2004 – Private sales (Anstee; Waterhouse) (Wikipedia citing public reporting).
• 2024–25 – DA for two additional houses refused (City of Sydney LPP / Heritage Council).

Architecture & interiors

Victorian Italianate sandstone: hipped slate roof, Italianate entrance portico, north verandah to the bay (later enclosed in naval period), cedar joinery, fireplaces to main rooms (SHR). Westgarth east wing and service south wing create the compound plan. Naval-era bedroom reconfigurations and plasterboard ceilings; 1990s conservation reinstated finishes; later private works converted stables to office/cellar and added garage apartment (Wikipedia).

People & anecdotes

Thomas Rowe (1829–1899) — Penzance-born architect-builder, City alderman, first mayor of Manly, founder Institute of Architects NSW; overreach on a natatorium nearly ruined him (agent biography). Named sons after Wren, Leonardo, Ruskin — and Tresco. George Westgarth — Australasian Steam Navigation manager; the garden-and-east-wing man. Naval Flag Officers made it Sydney’s “first naval residence” opposite Garden Island (Naval Historical Society).

What stands today

Tresco stands as a private State Heritage waterfront villa. No public access. Views from the water and distant street wall only. Feb 2025 refusal reaffirmed that new houses on the curtilage would permanently harm historic, aesthetic and rarity values — report the decision, don’t re-litigate.

More on Tresco

From a 2018 real-estate listing for the house (previously posted separately on this blog as “Trisco”):

• Described as one of Sydney’s most beautifully preserved waterfront estates, on a site of 3,326 m².
• A magnificent example of early Victorian Italianate architecture, privately positioned in the exclusive Elizabeth Bay loop.
• Designed and built in 1868 by [?] Thomas Rowe, with [?] Italian stonemasons.
• The grand sandstone manor was used as the residence of the naval officer in command of the [?] Royal Australian Navy.
• Its architectural integrity remains; the residence has stately rooms including seven bedrooms, two studies and two kitchens.

Sources & further reading

• NSW SHR — Tresco, grounds and trees (#00780, DB 5045193): https://apps.environment.nsw.gov.au/dpcheritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=5045193
• Naval Historical Society — “Tresco – History of the First Sydney Naval Residence of the RAN”
• City of Sydney Local Planning Panel — D/2024/471 refusal (5 Feb 2025)
• Wikipedia — Tresco, Elizabeth Bay (portal; verify against SHR)
• Live post: https://historicsydneymansionsmanorshouses.blogspot.com/2019/02/tresco-historic-waterfront-estate-97.html

Related on this blog

• Elizabeth Bay House / Macleay Point estate posts
• Potts Point / Elizabeth Bay villa scrapbook
• Other naval / harbour official residences only when separately sourced

Historic live gallery

Images retained from the live Blogger post:

Transcription:

[Handwritten:] W/Worth Courier / Wednesday 20th February 2019

[Print, partly legible:] 97 ELIZABETH BAY ROAD / ELIZABETH BAY · [illegible] · [agent banner, reversed:] Hooker

Transcription:

[Handwritten:] [W/]Worth Courier / Wednesday February 20th 2019