Hereford House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hereford House |
|
|---|---|
Hereford House
|
|
| Location | 53 Hereford Street, Glebe, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1870–1879 |
| Architectural style(s) | Victorian Filigree |
| Owner | NSW College of Nursing |
| Official name: Hereford House | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 460 |
| Type | historic site |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Hereford House is a special old building located at 53 Hereford Street in Glebe, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was built between 1870 and 1879. Today, the NSW College of Nursing owns this historic property. Hereford House was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, which means it's officially recognized as an important heritage site.
Contents
History of Hereford House
The Story of Glebe
Glebe is a suburb in Sydney with a long history. Thousands of years ago, Aboriginal people from the Guringai tribe lived here. When Europeans first arrived in 1788, they found Blackwattle Creek and Blackwattle Bay. Sadly, many Aboriginal people died from diseases brought by the Europeans. Survivors had to move away as their traditional way of life changed.
The land in Glebe was mostly rocky with sandy soil. It had tall eucalyptus trees and other native plants. Early European settlers found it hard to farm here. In 1790, Governor Phillip set aside about 400 acres of land for the Anglican Church. This land was called a "Glebe," which means land given to the church.
In 1826, a group called the Clergy and School Lands Corporation took over this land. They decided to sell parts of it to make money. The land was sold in different sections. Wealthy people bought land closer to the sea breezes and built large homes. Areas near Blackwattle Swamp became home to industries like slaughterhouses. Smaller houses for working-class families were built around these industries.
Over time, Glebe changed a lot. In the early 1900s, some large houses were divided into boarding houses. Wealthier families moved to new suburbs as railways made travel easier. By the 1960s, younger professionals started moving into Glebe. They wanted to live closer to the city. This led to efforts to protect the old buildings and heritage of the area.
Building Hereford House
In the 1820s, a man named A. K. Mackenzie bought a large piece of land in Glebe. This land included the spot where Hereford House now stands. Later, Frederick Unwin bought most of this land. He then sold a part of it to John Wood. John Wood's son, John William, eventually took over the property.
John William Woods owned the land until the 1870s. He had a house, gardens, and an orchard nearby. It's likely that the area where Hereford House is now was part of his garden or orchard. When Woods passed away in 1875, his property was divided and sold.
On November 27, 1875, William Bull bought two lots of land. These lots are where 53 and 55 Hereford Street are today. William Bull was born in Liverpool, New South Wales, in 1819. His father was one of the First Fleet settlers. In Glebe, William Bull was known as a wheelwright, someone who made and repaired wheels. Later, he became a Justice of the Peace or a solicitor.
William Bull quickly built a new two-story house on his land at 53 Hereford Street. He named it Hereford House. He was living there by the mid-1870s. By 1889, six people lived in the house.
Hereford House Over the Years
An early map from 1888 shows Hereford House with fences separating it from the empty block next door. It had a wide verandah (a covered porch) at the front and back. There was also a small brick extension at the back. Behind the house, there was a large brick stable and a shed.
William Bull died in the early 1900s. In 1909, his family sold Hereford House to Alice and William Goldsmith. William Goldsmith was a butcher. In 1924, the Goldsmiths sold the house to Alexander Levi. Mr. Levi then leased the house to Ernest Arnold.
A map from 1926 shows that the buildings at the back of the property had been expanded. The shed was much bigger, and another brick building was added. The toilets were moved to a block at the very back fence. Some changes were also made to the back of Hereford House itself.
In 1928, Mr. Levi sold Hereford House to Louise and Phillip Leonard. Ernest Arnold continued to rent the house until the early 1930s. In 1951, the Leonards sold Hereford House to the McCormacks.
It's been said that a Mayor of Glebe, Mr. McCormack, lived in this house from the 1920s. He supposedly used the stables at the back for horses. These horses would transport goods from Darling Harbour to the city markets. However, there's no clear proof that the McCormacks owned the house before the 1950s. There's also a story that famous tennis player Lew Hoad learned to play on two tennis courts at the back of the property. This might be true, but there's no official evidence to confirm it.
The McCormack family company owned Hereford House until 1981. That's when they sold it to the NSW College of Nursing, who still own it today.
What Hereford House Looks Like
Outside the House
Hereford House has a simple, sloped roof made of slate tiles. It has two chimneys behind the main roof. At the back, there's a single-story section with a sloped, corrugated iron roof.
The walls of the house are smooth and rendered. There's a two-story verandah at the front, facing the street. This verandah has a corrugated iron roof. Cast iron posts support the verandah roof and the second floor. The second-floor verandah has a decorative cast iron railing. Both levels have pretty cast iron decorations.
The windows are usually double-hung, meaning they slide up and down. They have stone sills that stick out and single glass panes. On the second floor of the front of the house, there are two pairs of French windows.
Inside the House
Inside, Hereford House has a central hallway on both floors. This hallway leads to two rooms on each side. The hallway has an archway in the middle and a wooden staircase with turned balusters (decorative posts).
The kitchen would have been at the back of the house originally. A lot of the original features are still there. These include plaster ceilings, decorative ceiling roses, and cornices (decorative moldings where walls meet the ceiling). You can also see marble fireplaces, wooden skirtings (baseboards), picture rails, doors, and architraves (moldings around doors and windows).
Why Hereford House is Special
Hereford House is important for many reasons:
- Historical Importance: It shows how Glebe developed in the mid-1800s. It's also linked to William Bull, the first owner, who was a wheelwright and started the Glebe Rowing Club. It's also connected to Stephen Patrick McCormack, a Mayor of Glebe, and his family.
- Beautiful Design: Hereford House is a great example of a Victorian Filigree style house. This style is known for its decorative cast iron work. It's a key part of the old-fashioned street look of Hereford Street.
- Community Value: People in the community see Hereford House as an important Victorian-era building. It adds a lot to the look and feel of Glebe.
Hereford House was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because it meets several important criteria:
- It shows the history of how land was divided and sold in New South Wales.
- It has strong connections to important local figures like William Bull and Stephen McCormack.
- It's a beautiful example of Victorian-era architecture.
- It's an important part of the early residential development in Glebe.
- It helps us understand the history of New South Wales through its style and use.
