Elizabeth Bay House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elizabeth Bay House |
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Façade of Elizabeth Bay House
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| Etymology | Elizabeth Bay |
| General information | |
| Status | Used as a museum |
| Type | Government home |
| Architectural style | Australian Colonial Regency |
| Address |
Elizabeth Bay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates |
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| Construction started |
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| Completed |
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| Renovated | 1977 (house) |
| Client | Alexander Macleay, NSW Colonial Secretary |
| Owner | Sydney Living Museums |
| Landlord | Office of Environment and Heritage, Government of New South Wales |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect |
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| Main contractor | James Hume |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Fisher Lucas |
| Other information | |
| Parking | No parking; public transport:
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| Reference #: | 6 |
| Official name: Elizabeth Bay House' | |
| Type: | State heritage (built) |
| Criteria: | a., c., d., e., f., g. |
| Designated: | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference #: | 6 |
| Type: | Other - Residential Buildings (private) |
| Category: | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders: | James Hume |
| Official name: Elizabeth Bay House Grotto Site and works; Carriageworks' | |
| Type: | State heritage (built) |
| Designated: | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference #: | 116 |
| Type: | Garden Residential |
| Category: | Parks, Gardens and Trees |
| Builders: | Convict and free artisans under the direction of John Verge |
Elizabeth Bay House is a beautiful old house in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney. It was built in a style called Colonial Regency. The house and its special grotto (a cave-like structure) are now a museum.
The house was designed by John Verge and John Bibb. It was built between 1832 and 1839. The builder was James Hume, who had help from both convicts and free workers. The property also had a long driveway designed by Edward Deas Thomson. It was once surrounded by a huge garden, about 54 acres (22 hectares) in size.
Elizabeth Bay House is famous for its amazing central room. This room is oval-shaped with a domed ceiling and a cool staircase. It's a great example of early Australian architecture. The house was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999.
Contents
History of Elizabeth Bay House
Early Days: Elizabeth Bay / Gurrajin
Before the house was built, Elizabeth Bay was home to a fishing village. Governor Macquarie set it up around 1815 for the Cadigal people, who were the original inhabitants of the Sydney Harbour area. Their leader was Bungaree. The area was named Elizabeth Bay after Governor Macquarie's wife.
Alexander Macleay and His Vision
Alexander Macleay (1767–1848) was a very important person in early New South Wales. He was the Colonial Secretary and also a famous scientist who studied insects. He had one of the biggest insect collections in Britain!
Macleay arrived in Sydney in 1826. Soon after, he was given 54 acres (22 hectares) of land at Elizabeth Bay by Governor Darling. This land had amazing views of Sydney Harbour. Macleay wanted to create a beautiful home and garden there.
Creating the Estate and Garden
In 1826, Macleay started to improve the land. He used his knowledge of plants to create a private botanic garden. He built small stone walls, bridges, and winding paths. He kept many of the native plants and added new ones from all over the world.
People were amazed by his garden. In 1831, The Sydney Gazette newspaper wrote about how beautiful it was. It had a large garden with all kinds of vegetables, a grape vine area, and a flower garden with rare plants. There were also ponds and grottoes (small cave-like structures).
Macleay's daughter, Fanny Macleay, said her father was the main person behind the garden's design. Other people, like Robert Henderson and Edward Deas Thomson, also helped. The architect John Verge designed some garden structures like gates and walls.
Macleay was different from many colonists because he didn't clear all the native bush. He kept it and added to it. He planted special orchids and ferns to make the "wood walk" even more interesting. He collected plants from places like the Cape of Good Hope, India, and New Zealand. His garden was also known for its many fruit trees.
Building the Grand Villa
Plans for the house started in 1832, but building didn't begin until 1835. Elizabeth Bay House was mostly finished by 1839. It was built by the skilled architect and builder John Verge. The inside of the house was inspired by a grand house in London called Carlton House.
The house was meant to have a fancy colonnade (a row of columns) all around it, but this was never built. This is why the outside of the house looks a bit plain compared to the inside. The family faced financial difficulties, which meant the house was never fully completed as planned.
A cool fact about the house is its special alignment. The main part of the house is perfectly lined up with the sunrise on the shortest day of the year (winter solstice). For a minute, the rising sun shines right through the front door, down the main hallway, and out the back! This amazing effect can be seen for a couple of weeks around the winter solstice.
The Macleay Family and Their Legacy
When the house was finished in 1839, Alexander Macleay lived there with his wife, Eliza, and some of their children and grandchildren. However, they soon faced money problems.
In 1845, Alexander's eldest son, William Sharp Macleay, took over the house and helped pay his father's debts. William Sharp was also a famous scientist who studied insects. He lived alone in the house after his parents moved. He continued to welcome scientists and thinkers to Elizabeth Bay House.
William Sharp Macleay died in 1865. He left the house to his brother George and his amazing insect collection to his cousin, William John Macleay.
William John Macleay (1820–1891) was also a scientist and a politician. He lived in Elizabeth Bay House with his wife, Susan. He continued to grow the family's scientific collections. By 1875, the collections were so big that he hired a special curator, George Masters, to look after them.
In 1889, these huge collections were given to the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. This museum was built especially to house the Macleay family's scientific treasures. The Macleay family lived in Elizabeth Bay House until 1903.
Elizabeth Bay House in the 20th Century
Over the years, parts of the large Elizabeth Bay estate were sold off. In 1927, the land around the house was sold, and the kitchen wing was taken down to make way for a new road.
For a while, artists lived in the house. Then, in 1935, it was bought and turned into a place for events. Later, in 1941, it was changed into fifteen small apartments.
In the 1960s, people realized how important Elizabeth Bay House was. The National Trust of Australia (NSW) listed it as a historic place. In 1963, the Cumberland County Council bought the house to protect it.
Restoring the House
In 1972, it was decided to restore the house to its original glory. Architects Fisher Lucas oversaw the restoration, which began in 1977. In 1981, the house became part of the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales (now Sydney Living Museums).
The house was refurnished to look like it did between 1839 and 1845. This helps visitors imagine what life was like for the Macleay family in early Sydney. Many original items or copies of them were used. The large library even has some of Alexander Macleay's original insect cases and desk!
Today, only a grotto, some stone walls, steps, and a few trees remain from the original huge garden. But a special notebook listing "Plants received at Elizabeth Bay" helps us know what a wonderful collection it once was.
Modern Use and Fun Facts
Elizabeth Bay House is still a popular place today. It's used as a museum where you can learn about its history. It's also a popular spot for events like wedding receptions.
You might have even seen it in music videos! In 2010–11, it was used for Jessica Mauboy's song "What Happened to Us". More recently, in November 2020, Hayley Mary from The Jezabels filmed her music video The Chain there.
What Elizabeth Bay House Looks Like
Elizabeth Bay House is a grand house with two main levels, plus cellars and attic rooms. It's built from soft Sydney sandstone and painted to protect it.
When you enter, you step into a square hall that leads to a stunning oval-shaped room called the saloon. This room has a domed ceiling and a beautiful staircase that seems to float up to a balcony. The wooden parts inside the house are made of Australian Cedar and are polished simply with wax. The floors are made of Australian Blackbutt timber.
The outside of the house looks quite simple because it was never fully finished. It was meant to have a fancy row of columns, but this wasn't built because of money problems in the 1840s. The small entrance porch you see today was added much later.
The inside of the house is very detailed. The doorways have fancy carvings, and the windows have special wooden shutters. The staircase is made of Marulan sandstone, and its iron railings are painted to look like bronze.
As mentioned before, the house is perfectly aligned with the winter solstice sunrise. This means the rising sun shines directly through the house, lighting up the central corridor for a short time.
The drawing room has special curtain decorations called pelmets. These were copied from the original ones that William Sharp Macleay ordered from London in 1839. Some of the original furniture from the drawing room, like rosewood tables, are now at Government House in Sydney.
In the past, the house also had a kitchen, laundry, and servants' rooms in a separate wing (which was later taken down). There were also stables and a planned bathing pavilion that looked like an ancient Greek temple!
The main designer of the house is believed to be John Verge, but he might have used ideas from plans brought from Britain. His partner, John Bibb, also helped with the fine details.
Condition and Changes Over Time
Elizabeth Bay House is in good condition today. Many of its original plaster walls and wooden features are still there.
Here are some of the changes that happened to the house and land:
- 1841: Some of the land was sold.
- 1865, 1875, 1882: More parts of the land were sold off.
- 1892: A balcony was added to the house.
- 1927: The last big part of the land was sold, and the kitchen wing was removed.
- 1935: The house was fixed up and used for events.
- 1941: The house was changed into fifteen apartments.
- 1963: Important repairs were done.
- 1972–1976: The house was fully restored to its original grand style.
Why Elizabeth Bay House is Important
A Masterpiece of Architecture and History
Elizabeth Bay House is considered one of the most amazing buildings from the early 1800s in New South Wales. It was once called "the finest house in the colony." The fact that it wasn't fully finished shows how tough times were during the economic downturn of the 1840s.
The house is also important because of its connection to the Macleay family. Three generations of this family lived there, and they were all very interested in science, especially insects and plants. They helped make Sydney a center for scientific study in the 19th century. The Macleay family's collections eventually became a key part of the Australian Museum and the Macleay Museum at Sydney University.
The way the Elizabeth Bay estate was planned helped shape the modern suburb of Elizabeth Bay. The house's location and the remaining parts of its garden show how clever landscape design was in early Sydney. The garden was famous around the world for its beauty and its collection of rare plants.
The house has also played a big role in protecting historic buildings in Australia. It was one of the first places recognized as important by the National Trust, and its restoration in the 1970s was a major step for saving old buildings in Australia.
A Place of Culture and Community
Elizabeth Bay House is loved by the people who live in Elizabeth Bay and the wider Sydney area. Its history is linked to the original Aboriginal settlement of Elizabeth Town, making it an important site for understanding early Aboriginal-European contact.
The house has also been home to many artists over the years, including Donald Friend. It has a special connection to the Jewish community in NSW, as it was once home to the Michaelis family and was close to the Great Synagogue.
Learning from the Past
Elizabeth Bay House helps us learn a lot about life in early New South Wales. Even though it's not exactly as it was, many original features and clues remain. We can learn about how people lived, what their homes looked like, and what they valued. The house also helps us understand how architects like John Verge worked and how buildings were designed in that era.
A Rare and Special Place
Elizabeth Bay House is rare because it's one of the best examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in New South Wales. It's a top example of the grand homes built by important people in the colony during that time.
The Grotto and Walls
The grotto (a small cave-like structure) and the stone walls and steps around it are also very important. They were built between 1832 and 1835 to make the garden even more beautiful. They are some of the last remaining parts of what was once the most amazing garden design in New South Wales in the 1820s and 1830s.
The grotto and walls were designed to make the most of the stunning views of Sydney Harbour. They show how architects like John Verge combined grand house designs with beautiful natural landscapes.
Gallery
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Elizabeth Bay House, interior
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Elizabeth Bay House staircase, designed by John Verge
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Photograph from around 1927 of the staircase
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Alex Rigby's 21st Birthday Party in 1937
See also
- Australian National Heritage List
- Australian residential architectural styles
- List of museums in Sydney
