Fairwater, Double Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fairwater |
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| Location | 560 New South Head Road, Double Bay, Municipality of Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia |
| Area | 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) |
| Built | 1882–1970 |
| Built for | Francis Edward Joseph |
| Architect |
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| Architectural style(s) | Federation Arts and Crafts |
| Owner | Mike Cannon-Brookes |
| Official name: Fairwater | |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 27 March 2000 |
| Reference no. | 1381 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders | Post 1910 alterations undertaken by Stuart Bros. |
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Fairwater is a special house and property in Double Bay, Sydney, Australia. It's listed on a heritage register, which means it's important for its history and unique design. The house was first designed by John Horbury Hunt in 1882 and later changed by J. W. Manson around 1910–11.
The house was built between 1882 and 1970. It was bought by the famous Fairfax family in 1900. After Lady Mary Fairfax passed away in 2017, the house is now looked after by her estate. Fairwater was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 March 2000.
Sometimes, people mistakenly say Fairwater is in Point Piper, but it's actually in Double Bay.
Contents
The Story of Fairwater: A Historic Home
This section tells you about the interesting past of Fairwater.
Early Days and First Owners
The land where Fairwater stands was once part of a large estate owned by Captain John Piper in 1820. Later, in 1830, Daniel Cooper and Solomon Levy bought this land. They started dividing it into smaller blocks in the mid-1850s.
The first lease for the Fairwater land was given in January 1863 to Edwin Thomas Beilby. He was a businessman in Sydney. The lease was for almost 100 years, and he paid about A£52 each year. Beilby faced financial problems in the 1870s, and the land was sold.
The Joseph Family Builds Fairwater
In 1875, James White bought the lease for the land. He was a politician and lived nearby at a house called Cranbrook. In March 1882, Francis Edward Joseph bought the lease from James White for A£500, plus the yearly rent. Joseph was a stockbroker and the son of a well-known politician.
Fairwater was built for Francis Edward Joseph in 1882. The architect was John Horbury Hunt (1838–1904), who was known for his original designs in Australia. Hunt was from Canada and came to Sydney in 1863.
The Joseph family lived in the house, which they named Fairwater around 1884, from 1883 to 1887. They rented it out for a few years, then moved back in 1890 and stayed until 1897. After that, it was rented by others, including the Royal Navy.
The Fairfax Family's Long Ownership
The famous Fairfax family bought Fairwater in late 1900. James Oswald Fairfax (1863–1928) purchased the lease for A£5,350. He was the grandson of John Fairfax, who started The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. In 1909, James Oswald Fairfax bought the land outright, meaning he owned it completely.
After owning the land, Fairfax hired architect John Williamson Manson to make changes to the house after 1910. Manson was a Scottish architect who was considered one of the "greatest architects of our time."
After James Oswald Fairfax passed away in 1928, the house was passed to his wife, Lady Mabel Fairfax, and his son, Warwick Oswald Fairfax. Warwick Oswald Fairfax (1901–1987) became the chairman of the Fairfax media company, which published major newspapers like The Sydney Morning Herald. He was knighted in 1967.
After Sir Warwick passed away in 1987, his wife, Lady Mary Fairfax, lived in the house. Lady Mary (1922–2017) was very involved in supporting the arts and many charities. She hosted many famous people at Fairwater, including actors, politicians, and artists. The Sydney Swans football team was even launched there! In 1973, a huge party for 1000 guests was held at Fairwater to celebrate the opening of the Sydney Opera House.
Lady Mary Fairfax received several awards for her community work, including the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). She lived at Fairwater since 1968 and had a huge impact on Sydney's social and cultural life. She had publicly said she wanted to leave Fairwater to the people of New South Wales when she died.
The Cannon-Brookes Family Buys Fairwater
In September 2018, Fairwater was sold for nearly $100 million to Mike Cannon-Brookes and his wife, Annie Cannon-Brookes. Mike Cannon-Brookes is the co-founder of the Australian software company Atlassian. This sale made Fairwater the most expensive house ever sold in Australia at the time.
Exploring Fairwater: What the Property Looks Like
Fairwater sits on a large piece of land, about 8,000 square metres (that's like two football fields!), facing Sydney Harbour.
Gardens and Stables
The property has old stone walls made of sandstone. The main driveway is paved with asphalt and has brick edges.
The gardens are not a formal style, but they are very large and beautiful. They have big lawns that go down towards the harbour. There are many old and impressive trees, both native Australian trees and trees from other parts of the world. You can find Bunya Pines, Port Jackson Figs, Silky Oaks, Camphor Laurels, and Jacarandas. These trees are very old, some from the 1870s, and they make the property look grand. Their large size and green leaves make them stand out from the harbour and the surrounding area.
Notable Trees at Fairwater
The 1991 Woollahra Significant Tree Register lists several important trees at Fairwater:
- One Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii)
- Three Camphor Laurels (Cinnamommum camphora)
- Two Port Jackson Figs (Ficus rubiginosa)
- Two Silky Oaks (Grevillea robusta)
- One Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
These trees are very old, some over 100 years, and are in good condition. They add a lot to the beauty and history of the property.
The Stables and the Main House
The stable building is made of dark red bricks and has a timber roof. These bricks are a different colour from the main house.
The main house has two floors and is built of pale yellow bricks with a slate tile roof. It was first built in 1882, with more additions made around 1901 and especially from 1910–11. The additions from 1910–11 often used reddish sandstone, like in the verandah and carriage porch.
The windows are made of timber, some sliding up and down (sashes) and some opening outwards (casements). Many windows have wooden shutters. Some windows have clear glass, while others have beautiful diamond-patterned leadlight or stained glass.
The roof has several timbered gables (the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof). These gables were added around 1910–11 by architects Manson and Pickering. They are in the Federation Arts and Crafts style, making Hunt's original design more decorative with bay windows and balconies. The front of the house has a large sandstone carriage porch, and the side facing Double Bay has a wide verandah with sandstone columns.
Inside, the house has different areas for living and for staff. It's a mix of the designs by John Horbury Hunt and Manson and Pickering. The ground floor has living rooms and service rooms, while the upper floor has bedrooms and bathrooms. Some special features inside include stained glass windows from 1882, old chimney-pieces, fancy door furniture, a painted ceiling from 1882, and a mosaic floor from 1882.
Condition and Changes Over Time
As of 2013, Fairwater was in excellent condition. The property has kept its original large size from 1863 and continues to be used as a large family home with separate areas for the main family and staff. It's a great example of John Horbury Hunt's original design, improved by the later changes from Manson and Pickering.
Over the years, several changes and additions were made:
- Around 1900, a library was added, and the stair hall was moved.
- Around 1900, the stable was built.
- Around 1910–11, a drawing room, a port-cochere (a covered entrance for vehicles), a verandah on the harbour side, and an upstairs sitting room were added.
- In 1924, changes were made to the staff's living area upstairs.
- In 1926, another verandah was added to the second floor.
- In 1930, a garage was built, and the stable was changed.
- In 1936, a new bathroom was added off the main bedroom.
- In 1952, a window in the library was changed.
- Around 1966, bathrooms and staff quarters were updated.
- In 1970, a swimming pool and a concrete retaining wall were built.
The land title for Fairwater is one large block, very similar to the original lease from 1863, with some small additions in 1924 and 1936. It includes Seven Shillings Beach.
Why Fairwater is a Heritage Site
Fairwater is considered very important for its history, beauty, and social value. It was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 March 2000.
Historical Importance
Fairwater is historically important because of its long connection to the Fairfax family, who founded a major Australian publishing company. Members of the Fairfax family lived in the house from around 1901. It's also important for its connection to the Joseph family, who built the house in 1882, and the architect John Horbury Hunt.
Beautiful Design and Features
Aesthetically, Fairwater is a fantastic and rare example of the combined work of John Horbury Hunt and James Williamson Manson. Manson carefully enlarged Hunt's original house to create the building we see today. The outside has beautiful brickwork and sandstone details. The inside still has many original features like stained glass windows, a painted ceiling, a decorative mosaic floor, and old fireplaces, which are rare to find in such good condition. The grounds also have old sandstone walls and many mature trees, some dating back to the first European settlement of the area.
Social and Community Value
Fairwater has social value because people recognise it as a place of great historical interest due to its connection with the Fairfax family. It also shows how wealthy families lived in the past, a lifestyle that has mostly disappeared today.
Research and Unique Qualities
Fairwater is valuable for research because it's a rare example of a large Victorian/Edwardian house and grounds that are still very much in their original state.
It's also unique because:
- The Fairfax family owned and lived in it for a very long time, for two generations of newspaper leaders.
- The Joseph family, known for their business and political achievements, built it.
- The property still has its original land boundary that faces Sydney Harbour.
- It's located in an area with many other heritage buildings, adding to the beauty of the waterfront.
- It offers amazing views of Port Jackson.
- The old stone retaining walls are a key part of the house and garden's design.
- The large land holding with its old trees on the foreshore of Port Jackson is very special.
Fairwater also shows the work of J. W. Manson, as it's one of several buildings he designed in the local area between 1900 and 1912.
