Avery Terrace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Avery Terrace |
|
|---|---|
Avery Terrace, pictured in 2009
|
|
| Location | 2-4 Atherden Street, The Rocks, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architectural style(s) | Victorian Regency |
| Owner | Property NSW |
| Official name: Avery Terrace; Former Ebsworth's Terraces; Ebsworth's | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 10 May 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1529 |
| Type | Terrace |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Avery Terrace is a group of historic terrace houses located at 2-4 Atherden Street in The Rocks, a suburb in Sydney, Australia. These houses were built in 1881 and are also known as Former Ebsworth's Terraces or Ebsworth's. They are owned by Property NSW, a government agency in New South Wales. Avery Terrace was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002, meaning it's officially recognized as an important historical site.
Contents
History of Avery Terrace
The land where Avery Terrace stands was once part of a large area given to Robert Campbell Senior in 1834. Campbell was a successful businessman who used the land for wharves and trade. In 1841, he divided his land into smaller blocks to sell them.
One of these blocks was bought by George Atherden in 1878. He already owned other properties nearby. Around 1875-1876, Union Street, where the terraces are, was renamed Atherden Street after him.
In 1878, George Atherden sold the land to Edward Stanley Ebsworth. Around 1881-1882, Ebsworth built the two-storey, four-room brick houses at 2-4 Atherden Street. These houses were a common style for the time, known as Victorian Style. They were built for people to rent.
Early Residents and Life in The Rocks
The first tenants of 2 Atherden Street in 1882 were Walter Bell, a sailmaker, and George Cook, a wharf worker, at No. 4. Many people living in The Rocks during the 19th century worked in jobs related to the harbour, like sailors, wharfingers (people who manage wharves), and storemen. Tenants often moved every one to three years.
In the early 1900s, there was a health crisis in Sydney, including an outbreak of bubonic plague. Because of this, the government took over many properties, including Avery Terrace, to improve the city. The houses at 2 and 4 Atherden Street were kept because they were in good condition.
Later, the Sydney Harbour Trust (and then the Maritime Services Board) managed these properties. Over time, some streets in The Rocks were changed or renamed to improve the area.
The Avery Family's Connection
The history of 2 and 4 Atherden Street is closely linked to the people who lived there. From around 1917, the Avery family became long-term tenants in one or both of these houses. Because of their long stay, the buildings became known as "Avery Terrace." This was unusual, as houses were usually named after their owners, not their tenants.
The Avery family had lived in The Rocks since the late 1800s. John "Yankee Jack" Avery and his wife Margaret settled there in 1878. Many Avery family members lived in different houses on Atherden Street over the years. Unlike some other residents, William and Eva Avery, part of the family, ran a tobacconist shop before World War I.
No. 2 Atherden Street Residents
After several short-term tenants, the Avery family began living at No. 2 Atherden Street around 1917. John Avery, a coal-lumper (someone who loads coal onto ships), lived there with several family members, including Eva Frances Avery, Charles Avery (a publisher), Stephen Charles Avery (a labourer), Florence Avery, and Gertrude Rebecca Avery. It was common for several generations of a family to share a house.
In 1928, fifteen adult members of the Avery family lived in four of the six houses on Atherton Place (as Atherden Street was sometimes called). These small two-bedroom houses often held large extended families.
Joseph Edward William "Teddy" Avery, another member of the family, took over the lease of No. 2 in 1945. Like many men in The Rocks, he worked on the wharves. Later, Dolly Bonnette, Teddy's sister and a key figure in the community, moved into No. 2 in 1972. She was born in The Rocks and was proud of her family's history there.
No. 4 Atherden Street Residents
George Cook was the first tenant of 4 Atherden Street in 1883. After several short-term tenants, George Craig lived there for almost a decade, which was unusual for the time.
In 1928, William James "Cocka" Avery, a wharf labourer, took over the lease of No. 4. His wife Agnes and younger brother Teddy also lived there. By 1937, the house was home to William, Agnes, William's uncle Charles, and Dolly and George Bonnette, along with Dolly's two young children.
Nita Louisa Allen (later Nita McCrae), a descendant of the Avery family, lived at No. 4 from 1957 until the late 1960s. Nita McCrae became very important in protecting The Rocks. She helped start groups like the Millers Point Action Group and The Rocks Resident Action Group. She worked with unions to create "Green Bans," which were protests that stopped new buildings from being built and saved many historic sites from being demolished.
Thanks to Nita McCrae and the Resident Action Group, the original plans to redevelop The Rocks were changed. This saved many important buildings and kept the oldest residential area in Sydney from being destroyed. A plaque honoring Nita McCrae was put up in 1996.
The Avery family descendants no longer live in Atherden Street, but Avery Terrace remains a residential area.
Description
Avery Terrace consists of two two-storey terrace houses. They are made of brick covered in stucco (a type of plaster) and have simple iron roofs. The windows have single glass panes and flat arched tops. These houses are built very close to a ten-meter high sandstone cliff at the end of the street.
Renovations and Changes
Avery Terrace was restored and renovated in 1975. This work included removing old fences and parts of the outdoor toilet and chimney. New pipes and electrical wiring were also installed. These renovations might have disturbed some old archaeological remains in the backyards, but it's thought that important historical information could still be found there.
Heritage Listing
Avery Terrace is very important to the history of New South Wales. It's valued by the local community and by people across the state. This is shown by its listing on heritage registers and by the efforts in the 1970s to save it from being torn down during the "Green Ban" movement.
The site of Avery Terrace shows how Sydney developed from a colony, starting with the land grant to Robert Campbell in 1834. The houses themselves show how residential areas were built in the late 1800s. Avery Terrace is also important because it survived the demolitions that happened after the government took over land in the early 1900s.
Avery Terrace is significant because it has a long history of being rented out, especially to working-class families who often worked in jobs related to the harbour. It has a very special connection to the Avery family, who lived there for many years until 1993. It's also linked to Nita McCrae, who led the community's fight to protect The Rocks.
The design and details of Avery Terrace show the Victorian Regency architectural style. It's well-built and, even with some changes, is a good example of this type of house in The Rocks. It's considered rare because of its "bald-faced" style (meaning it doesn't have a decorative verandah) and its high-quality construction for rental housing of that time.
Avery Terrace is important because:
- It shows the history of land ownership and development in Sydney.
- It has a strong connection to the Avery family and Nita McCrae, who played a big part in saving The Rocks.
- It's a good example of Victorian Regency style architecture and is rare for its quality and design.
- It has a special meaning to the community because it represents Sydney's rich history and the working-class families who lived there.
- It might still hold archaeological information that could teach us more about the past.
See Also
Images for kids
-
Avery Terrace, pictured in 2009
