Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 1 October 1906, page 5
IN THE EARLY DAYS.
POTTS POINT AND DARLING
POINT.
NOTES BY MR ARTHUR DOWLING.
At the monthly mooting of the Australian Historical Society, held at the Royal Society's House, Elizabeth-street, on Tuesday evening. Mr. Arthur Dowling read an interesting paper in which he traced the history of many not-able buildings and proporties at Potts Point and Darling Point, associated with the names
of men who have long since passed-away.
Mr. J. H. Maiden presided, and there was a
large attendance.
Mr. Dowling commenced with a reference to "Craigend," fronting Upper William-street South, now Woolcott-street, built by Sir Thomas Mitchell, Surveyor-Goneral, on a Crown grant, dated October, 1831. In time it wns converted into a hospital, and subsequent-ly into a boarding-house. "Goderich Lodge," near tho Windmill-Hotel, in Victoria-street, was built and occupied by Mr. T. M'Quoid, sheriff in the thirties and forties. Dr. Wil-liam Grant Broughton (Bishop of Sydney) at one timo was a tenant at the Lodge. The "Roslyn Hall" property fronted Macleay street. The house was a large well-bullt man-sion with a spiral iron stall case to tho uppor storey, and was built' on land having an area of nine acres. "Barncleuth" (now called "Kin-nell"), adjoining "Roslyn Hall," was occupied by Mr. John Brown, wlno and spirit merchant, and afterwards by Mr. Henry Moore, agent for tho P. and O. Company. "Greenknowe" was, built on a portion of the Macleay grant, by Mr. John Gilchrist, in 1846. The Macleay pro-perty had an area of 54 acres, and was grant-ed to Mr. Alex. McLeay, by Governor Darling, in 1828 "for the purpose of erecting a family house and cultivating a garden." It took in all Elizabeth Bay and tho western frontage of Rushcutter Bay, as far as the eastern boun-dary of "Roslyn Hall." A large portion of land at and near the extreme Potts Point, 11 acres in extent, was originally granted to Judge Advocate John Wylde, on November 1, 1822. Mr. Wylde delayed the fulfilment of the condition of tho grant for Governor Dar-ling, in a despatch dated March 2G, 182S, wrote: "The allotment bearing Judge Wylde's name was granted to that gentleman by Gov-ernor Macquane several years since, and still remains unimproved. . I propose writing to inform tho Judge that it will be resumed by the Government unless the conditions of the grant are speedily fulfilled." However, Judge Wylde ultimately fulfilled the conditions, for he subsequently conveyed 61/2 acres of the grant to Mr. J. H. Potts, one of tho early officers of tho Bank of New South Wales, first established In 1817. The Point Is named after Mr. Potts; and Wylde-street, running botween Macleay-street and the Point is evi-dently named aftor the Judge. "Grantham Ville" was built on the remaining 4½ acres of Judge Wylde's grant. The land had previously passed into the possession of Mr. Caleb Wil-son, father of Felix Wilson, a defendant in the celebrated Newtown ejectment writ of "Devine v Wilson." He built the first house on the property, and called It "Caleb Castle,'' and by reason of its turrets it was also known as the "Pepper-box." Afterwards it was called Grantham Ville, and became tho pro-perty of Mr. F. Parbury. It then passed into the hands of the late Mr. Henry Dangar, and is now owned by his son, Mr. H. C. Dangar, who almost wholly rebuilt it in 1870, and changed the name to "Grantham." Imme-diately opposite "Grantham Ville" was "Cla-rens," purchased in 1847 by Mr. Geo. R. Grif-fiths, father of Mr. F.C. Griffiths, who came out to Sydney as general manager of the Bank of Australasia. Later the property was occu-pied by Sir James Martin, and is now, under the name of "Wilga," owned and occupied by Dr. Faithfull. "Rockwell," now known as "Allanthus College," and "Tarmons," the residence of Sir Maurice O'Connell, and after-wards of Sir Charles Nicholson, were built; on land granted in 1831 to Mr. John Busby, of'the
early Sydney water supply fame. "Tarmons" has been absorbed in the building known as St. Vincent's Convent. Next to this was a grant dated October 19, 1831, to Mr. A. B. Spark of 9 acres 3 roods 33 perches, on which "Tusculum" was built. This property was afterwards in tho occupation of Dr. W. G. Broughton, tho first Bishop of Sydney. Sub-sequently Mr. William Long, the father-in-law of Sir James Martin, became the owner, and lived there until his death. It is now boing subdivided. Mr. Justice Stephen, who was tho first pulsne Judge of the State after the Charter of Justice, and the father of the late Sir Alfred Stephen, built "Orwell" upon a grant of 11 acres 37 perches, dated October 19, 1831. "Orwell"'subsequently fell Into tho hands of Sir William Manning. 'The property has been subivided, but the original house still exists. . ,
Adjoining the grant to Justice Stephen was a grant of 9 acres 3 roods (October 19, 1831) to Mr. Alex. Baxter, tho second Attorney General under tho charter. Upon this land, "Springfield," was erected. "Springfield" has had as tenants Mr. Robert Campbell, Mr. Robert Fitzgerald, and Mr. M. J. Macnamara, and is now used as a boarding-house. "Tel-ford Place" was bullt on a grant of 9 acres 22 perches to Mr. Edward Hallen, Government surveyor. "Brougham Lodge" was erected by Justice Dowling on a grant of 8 acres (Octo-ber, 1831). It was named after Lord Brougham, through whose influence Justice Dowling received his appointment. Justice Dowling gave the land for the present Vic-toria-street (named after tho late Queen), for Brougham-street (named after Lord Brougham), for Duke-street (so-called In honour of the Royal Family), for Dowling street (named after himself), and for Forbes street (named after the then Chief Justice. Tho land was subdlvldod in 1846, and sold fairly well, but that portion In Victoria-street on which Brougham-terrace now stands, with a corresponding frontage to Brougham-street, containing under an acre, was retained for a residence, in which Justlce Dowling lived. In 1882 £7000 cash was aecopted for the house and land. This was considered a good price, and was larger than the amount realised for tho other portion of the eight-acre grant. When "Brougham Lodge" was built there was no William-street, but only a track for foot passongers from Sydney on the site of the street, which was not opened for use until 1845. Vehicular traffic till then carne from Sydney along Hyde Park, up the old South Head-road, to the Gaol, and across thence to Darlinghurst Hill. Any person wishing to go from Sydney to the South Head had to travel by tho Old South Head-road (part of which Is now known as Oxford-street), this being the only route past Bellevue Hill. "Barham," the resldence of the late of Sir Ed-ward Deas-Thomson, was built on grants bearing date January, 1835. West of the Dowling and Deas-Thomson grants lay the grant to Mr. John Palmer, Commissionary Genoral, by his Honor Francis Grose, Lieu tenant-Governer, on February 25, 1793 of "one hundred acres of land lying at the head of Garden Island Cove (known as Garden Cove), on the east side of the line laid down as a boundary for tho common ground appropriat-ed for the town of Sydney," to be known as tho "Wallamooloo Farm." This land, sold to tho Riley family on May 3, 1822, for £2290, was afterwards known as the "Riley Estate." The original native name,of Woolloomooloo was "Wallahahmullah," meaning a "young male kangaroo," or a "male black kangaroo." Another narne was "Wallamullah," meaning "a place of plenty," or "where fish were caught." The name Wallamooloo was used up to the end of tho thirties, when that of Woolloomooloo came into common use.
On tho east sido of Darling Point-road, in the vicinity of what was known as Mrs. Dar-ling's Point (named after tho wlfo of tho Go-vernor), lay the grant of 8 ncres made by the Crown to Mr. Thomas Holt in November, 1833. "Canonbury," tho residence of - Mr. Harry Rickards, stands upon a part of tho Holt grant. At the gate leading to "Carthona" was a cot tage, in which Sir (then Mr.) Daniel Cooper lived. "The Willows" was bullt on a grant (November 28, 1833) to Mr. Jamos Holt. 'When Mr. Mitchell purchased tho bush land be-tween Daniel Cooper's cottage and Mt. Ade-laide he also purchased ,"The Willows," and made one property, known as "Etham." "Etham House," whoro Sir Matthew Harris now resides, was built by Mr. Mitchell on tho edge of the slope fronting Double or "Keltie" Bay, and behind where "The Willows" origin-ally stood. Next to "The' Etham" Estate was "Mount Adelaide" Tho house was originally a large, comfortable cottage, known as "Derby Lodge," built by Mr. W. M. Lewis, Colonial Architect in 1848. It was subsequently pur-chased by Mr. Henry Mort, youngest brother to Mr. T. S. Mort. "St. Mark's" Cottage was built by a well-known solicitor named Calla-ghan, who died some 60 years ago. It lu sup-posed to bo tho first dwelling built on Dar-ling Point, and is now occupied by Mr. E. M. Paul, Consul for Russia. To the oast, and ad Joining tho Double Bay portion of "Green-oaks," was situated "Brooksby," built by Mr. Cooper Turner on portion of Elizabeth Pike's grant. It Is now the residence of M. Pinard, the Consul for France. Adjoining "St. Mark's Cottage" came the entrance lodge to "Green-oaks," and then St. Mark's Church and St. Mark's-crescent. The church was opened for service in 1847, with the Rev. Thomas Cusack Russell, B.A., In charge. The church and St. Mark's-crescent are built on a portion of T. W. Smith's grant, dated April 8. 1835, of 14 acres 2 roods. In tho early fifties-and, in deod, at a much lator date-there woro very few well-known families living In the neigh-bourhood, and they were almost all wor
shippers at St. Mark's. Up a right-of-way from tho "Greenoaks" prívate road into the Glenrock proporty is a house claimed to bo tho oldest on Darling Point, and is called tho "Octagon," by reason of the shape of tho main portion of it. It was originally a guard house, and was purchased by Mr. Henry Gil-bert Smith. It was added to, and subsequently carno Into tho possession of Professor Liver-sidge, the present occupant. Land in the early fifties at Darling Point was thought of no value It wass stated that tho Hon. George Thornton, who lived at "Longwood," adjoining Mr. Hordern's property, and now owned by Mr. Tillock, purchasod tho bulk of tho land surrounding his property for £80, and "on being told that it was too far from town, -and of no prospective value, resold It for £100. Darling Point was at night a dark, dismal place, without gas and other modern conveni-ences, and for tho safety of travellers, who at night generally carried lanterns, It was like the South Head-road, patrollod by a body of mounted police.
At the conclusion of the address Mr. Dowl-ing was accorded a vote of thanks.
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