Highbury, Centennial Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Highbury |
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| Location | 20 Martin Road, Centennial Park, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1912–1913 |
| Architect | William Nixon |
| Architectural style(s) | Federation Bungalow |
| Official name: Patrick White House, The; Highbury; Patrick White's House | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 19 November 2004 |
| Reference no. | 1719 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
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Highbury is a special house in Centennial Park, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was built between 1912 and 1913. This house is famous because it was the home of Patrick White, a very important Australian writer. He lived there for about 26 years until he passed away in 1990.
Patrick White is known for being the first Australian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. This is a huge award for writers! Because of its connection to him, Highbury is also called the Patrick White House. It's a heritage-listed building, which means it's protected because of its historical importance.
Patrick White and his partner, Manoly Lascaris, moved into Highbury in 1964. They had lived in a different suburb called Castle Hill before. The house and the area around Centennial Park became very important in White's novels. He and Manoly loved to host dinner parties and had many friends visit. Manoly Lascaris continued to live in the house until shortly before his death in 2003.
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History of Highbury
Highbury was built on land that used to be part of Centennial Park. In 1908, a jeweller named William Kerr bought the land. Around 1913, he moved into the house, which was designed by a well-known Sydney architect named William Nixon.
William Nixon was a busy architect in Sydney. He designed many homes and other buildings. The government wanted the new area around Centennial Park to have high-quality houses. So, large, separate homes like Highbury became common there. William Kerr lived in Highbury until he died in 1954. Later, in 1964, Patrick White bought the house.
Patrick White's Life at Highbury
Patrick White (1912–1990) is considered Australia's most famous writer. He is the only Australian to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature. His books are studied in schools and universities all over the world.
White and Manoly Lascaris moved to Highbury because the suburbs were getting too close to their old home. They wanted to be nearer to the city, where White could enjoy music, theatre, and friends. They used some of White's inheritance money to buy the house in 1964.
Patrick White loved the open spaces of Centennial Park. He also liked that the house was close to the city. He chose Highbury carefully for his writing. He once wrote to his publisher, "I hope to take root in this new house... It will be closer to the source of something I want to write during my remaining years."
Many of White's important books were written at Highbury, including The Vivisector and The Eye of the Storm. The house and the park even inspired scenes and characters in his stories. For example, the house in The Eye of the Storm was based on Highbury. During his 26 years there, he published six more novels and two collections of short stories. He also wrote plays that were performed by famous Australian directors.
White also became involved in protecting the environment in the 1970s and 1980s. He was especially worried about threats to Centennial Park. At one point, there was a plan to build an Olympic sports complex that would have meant demolishing Highbury. Patrick White strongly protested this. He even said in 1972, "No snail likes to have his house crushed. Unlike the snail I can build another. But, unlike the snail, part of me would be left behind."
He often hosted famous Australian figures at Highbury. His house was filled with his furniture and art collections. After his death, some of his art was given to the Art Gallery of NSW. Patrick White's ashes were scattered in Centennial Park, a place he loved.
What Highbury Looks Like
Highbury is a single-storey house built in the Federation Bungalow style. It was built in 1913 and has lovely gardens around it. Inside, you can still find many of the post-war furniture, artworks, and books that Patrick White collected.
Inside the House
When Patrick White and Manoly Lascaris moved in, they made some changes to the inside of Highbury. They wanted a modern look. They kept the original layout of the rooms but removed old decorations like fancy glass doors and ceiling designs. They also covered up fireplaces and removed old wallpaper and carpet.
Instead, they painted all the walls white. White believed white was "the only background for pictures." They added special rails to hang artworks in every room. They replaced the carpet with polished timber floors and added beautiful Persian rugs. The hall and some other areas had black and white tiles. They used electric heaters instead of fireplaces and put bookshelves everywhere for their many books and small treasures.
Artworks were hung all over the house. Many were bought from galleries or were gifts from friends. There were also photos and posters from White's plays. Even the kitchen and bathrooms had small artworks! Patrick White loved cooking, and the kitchen's careful decoration showed this. He sometimes donated artworks to the Art Gallery of NSW to make space for new pieces. In the entrance hall, there was a collection of Greek icons and artworks, which Manoly called his "shrine."
The house also held many gifts from friends and special items that showed White and Lascaris's lives and interests. For example, there were special feathers from a lyrebird, a gift from White's former nurse. A small trunk in White's bedroom held old papers belonging to her.
The furniture in Highbury was mostly modern, bought from a famous Sydney store called Artes Studio. White chose pieces like tables, chairs, and sideboards. The house also had special light fittings and beautiful floor rugs from different parts of the world. One special rug was bought with the prize money from an award White won in 1958.
Patrick White's house was full of books. He had a huge collection of 20th-century literature, biographies, art books, and travel books. Many of these books were signed by other authors, and some had White's own notes inside. His collection also included almost all of his own published works, even rare first editions and translations into many languages. These books were later given to the State Library of NSW.
Even though some small changes have been made since Patrick White's death, like replacing worn items, the inside of Highbury still looks much like it did when he lived there.
The Gardens
When Patrick White and Manoly Lascaris moved to Highbury, the garden was quite plain. They worked hard to create the beautiful garden that is there today. They planted gum trees and two pine trees. The pine trees grew from seeds Manoly collected in Rome! They also planted a bay laurel tree.
They changed the paths with a special mix of pebbles and cement. They also replaced the old front fence with a new brick and concrete one. In the back garden, they added a brick wall for privacy and built a wooden pergola over the garage roof. They planted a grape vine on the pergola, which came from Manoly's old garden. This pergola area was a favourite spot for outdoor dining and social gatherings with friends. They also had many potted plants, especially herbs, which Patrick White used for his cooking.
White and Lascaris also added a small copper and stone fountain near White's study. It was designed by a friend, the artist Garlad Lewers. They even brought it from their old house! Other special items in the garden included two small clam shells and a sandstone bird bath carved by Manoly. They also arranged "field stones" and paving stones to create nice areas in the garden.
Condition of the House
Highbury is in good condition and still looks much like it did when Patrick White lived there from 1964 to 1990. Over the years, there have been some small changes, like updating the kitchen floor or replacing some curtains. However, the house has been well looked after.
Why Highbury is Important
Highbury is very important because of its long connection to Patrick White, Australia's most famous author. He is the only Australian to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature. White was special because he wrote about Australian life, landscapes, and history in a new and proud way. The Nobel Prize committee even said his work introduced a "new continent" to world literature!
The house, its interiors, and gardens show us how Patrick White lived, what inspired him, and how he worked from 1964 until his death in 1990. Many of his artworks, books, and furniture are now in public collections like the Art Gallery of NSW and the State Library.
Many of White's major books were written while he lived at Highbury. The house and the area around it inspired scenes and ideas in his stories. This makes Highbury a very important place in the history of Australian literature. It helped an Australian author achieve worldwide fame and helped shape how Australians saw their own identity in the 20th century.
The house itself, built in 1913, is a good example of a Federation bungalow designed by William Nixon. It's part of a well-planned, high-quality neighbourhood in Centennial Park from that time. The way the inside was changed in the 1960s also shows a great example of modern design from that era.
Highbury is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register because:
- It shows an important part of New South Wales's history as the home and writing place of Patrick White.
- It has a strong connection to Patrick White, a very important person in Australian culture.
- It shows great design as a Federation bungalow and a modern 1960s interior.
- It is valued by people in Australia and around the world because of its link to Patrick White and his famous books.
- It helps us understand Patrick White's life, writings, and interests.
- It is a rare and well-preserved example of the home of Australia's most famous author during his most successful period.
- It represents an excellent example of a creative environment for a leading Australian writer.
Patrick White was very attached to Highbury and Centennial Park. He even fought to protect the park in the 1970s. He chose to live in Australia when many successful people moved overseas. He said that if his house was ever destroyed, "part of me would be left behind."
