Lyndhurst, Glebe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lyndhurst |
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A side view of Lyndhurst, pictured on 2011
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| Location | 61 Darghan Street, Glebe, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1833–1837 |
| Architect | John Verge |
| Owner | Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales |
| Official name: Lyndhurst | |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 158 |
| Type | Villa |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
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Lyndhurst is a very old and important house in Glebe, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was designed by a famous architect named John Verge and built between 1833 and 1837. Over the years, this building has been many things: a home, a school, a laundry, a hospital for new mothers, and even a factory! Today, it is a heritage-listed building, meaning it's protected because of its special history and design. The Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales owns it.
History of Lyndhurst
Early Days of Glebe
The area around Lyndhurst, called Leichhardt, was first home to the Wangal Aboriginal people. After Europeans arrived in 1788, diseases and losing their hunting lands greatly reduced their numbers. They moved further inland.
The first official land grant in Glebe was 400 acres given to Richard Johnson, the colony's first chaplain, in 1789. This land was called the "Glebe," which means land set aside to support a church minister. The area had hills, sandstone cliffs, and swamps. Creeks like Blackwattle Creek flowed through it. The swamps had mangroves and blackwattles, which is how Blackwattle Bay got its name. Early settlers hunted kangaroos and emus here.
In 1828, the Church and School Corporation divided Johnson's land into 28 lots. The Church sold 27 of these lots. The part of Glebe where the Church Estate is now was kept by the Church until the 1970s. Wealthy people built villas near the sea breezes. Poorer working-class houses were built near industries like slaughterhouses.
Wentworth Park opened in 1882 on reclaimed swamp land. It was first used for cricket and lawn bowls. Rugby football was played there later. Dog racing started in 1932. In the early 1900s, many large villas in inner Sydney, including Glebe, were divided into boarding houses. Wealthier families moved to new suburbs as railways made travel easier.
Building Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst was built on land that was part of the original 400-acre grant to Richard Johnson. In 1828, this land was divided. Lot 5 was sold to Charles Cowper.
In 1833, Dr. James Bowman bought the land for Lyndhurst from Cowper for £1500. Dr. Bowman was the main surgeon in the colony. In April, John Verge, a leading architect known for his Greek Revival style, chose the site and started designing the house. The plans were ready by May and June.
Lyndhurst was built between 1834 and 1837. It was designed as a "suburban villa" with views of Blackwattle Bay. Dr. Bowman and his wife, Mary, lived there. Mary was the daughter of famous landowners, John and Elizabeth Macarthur. No expense was spared in building and furnishing the house. The records from this time make Lyndhurst one of the best-documented homes of that period.
The property also had large service buildings, stables, beautiful pleasure grounds, and a kitchen garden. Francis Newman, the gardener at Lyndhurst, later became the Superintendent of the Royal Society of Tasmania's garden in Hobart. This garden is now known as the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
Changes Over Time
The Bowmans did not live in their new home for long. Dr. Bowman faced financial problems in 1842. The Macarthur family took over the property and leased it to the St. James Theological College. Later, the Bank of Australia took possession of the house.
In 1852, the bank sold Lyndhurst to the Roman Catholic Church. It became St Mary's College, an important Catholic school in Sydney. St. James was Australia's first theological college. St. Mary's College was known for its high academic standards. However, it closed in 1877 due to competition and other issues.
After the college closed, the estate was sold and divided in 1878 and 1885. Terraced houses were built around the main house. The service wings and stables were removed. Morris Asher, a businessman, bought the house in 1878. For some time, Lyndhurst was used as a maternity hospital. In 1890, Asher changed the house, removing verandahs and dividing the inside into many small rooms. These changes were later reversed, adding to the confusion of the house's layout.
Between 1890 and 1905, one part of the house became the Lyndhurst Private School, run by Miss Agnes Watt.
In 1925, Aubrey Bartlett bought Lyndhurst. He owned it until 1972. By this time, the building was no longer a home. It had been used as a factory for brooms, soap, and even an ice cream shop. It was almost destroyed in 1972 to make way for a freeway. However, it was saved by a Builders Labourers Federation green ban. A "green ban" is when workers refuse to work on a project that would harm the environment or a heritage site.
Public support and a change in government led to the freeway plan being dropped. The house was then restored by Clive Lucas, Stapleton and Partners between 1979 and 1988. The goal was to save this important building. The restoration included fixing structural damage, adding a temporary roof, and making it suitable for public viewing. In 1983, the building was given to the Historic Houses Trust of NSW to be their main office and a resource center. The garden was also restored.
In 1990, Clive Lucas Stapleton & Partners received an award for their excellent restoration work. The property was sold again in 2005 for $3.3 million. The new owners continued restoration work and sometimes opened the house to the public.
What Lyndhurst Looks Like
Location and Surroundings
Lyndhurst is about 2.5 kilometers southwest of the Sydney city center. It is on flat land, and from the second floor, you can see views of the city. The area around it has older semi-detached and terrace houses.
The house sits on 1507 square meters of flat land.
The Garden
The garden at Lyndhurst is much smaller than it used to be. The original estate had a large parkland and carriage drives. It was designed to be seen as a grand villa garden from the city. Today, there is a green yard around the north and east sides of the house. The southern side is mostly paved. Darghan Street is very close to the western side of the house. The current garden was largely designed by the Historic Houses Trust of NSW staff.
The garden has several trees, including two tall Canary Island date palms. You can also find angel's trumpets, giant bird-of-paradise flowers, and Californian desert fan palms. Sago palms are in tubs. Wisteria vines grow up the verandah posts. There are also large terracotta pots with pygmy date palms and topiarised box plants. Other shrubs include frangipani, hairy sage, and various camellias.
The House Itself
Lyndhurst is a large two-story house built on a raised semi-basement. It has five sections wide and three sections deep, with three main fronts. It has a corrugated iron roof, hardwood floors, and beautiful details. The windows on the first floor have decorative frames. The French doors open onto a raised terrace and also have decorative tops.
Inside, a central hallway connects large entertaining rooms. All these rooms have French doors that open onto wide verandahs. The house features a grand staircase, high ceilings (4 meters), original floors, and fireplaces. The kitchen and bathrooms have been updated. The bedrooms are very large.
The house shows elements of the Greek Revival style. This means it has a balanced design, with sections that stick out slightly and inverted columns at the corners. It also has a classical porch, verandahs, vaulted plaster ceilings, and Greek Revival style stone outside and timber inside.
Condition and Changes
As of 2014, the house was in good physical condition.
Here are some important changes over time:
- 1852: The large Lyndhurst Estate was divided. St. Mary's College was started, and a new wing was added to the eastern service buildings.
- Around 1878: Verandahs, service wings, stables, and college additions were removed after the land was divided. The land around the house became much smaller.
- 1890-1905: The house was divided into three terraced houses, then merged back into one, and then divided into three again.
- 1925-1972: Other buildings were built against the house by tenants who used it as a factory.
- 1979-1988: The house underwent a major restoration and reconstruction.
Why Lyndhurst is Important
Lyndhurst is important for many reasons:
- It is a significant work by architect John Verge.
- It shows how villas and country houses were designed in New South Wales in the 1830s.
- Its garden was one of the first private gardens designed with professional advice.
- It was built for James Bowman, a prominent colonial surgeon, and his wife Mary Macarthur, connecting it to the influential Macarthur family.
- It played a role in Anglican and Roman Catholic education in New South Wales.
- It is important to the local history of Glebe.
- The restoration of Lyndhurst in 1979-1988 shows how attitudes towards saving heritage buildings have changed over time.
The garden of Lyndhurst is also special because:
- It was a great example of a colonial estate.
- It was one of the first private gardens in New South Wales to have professional design advice.
- It kept many native shrubs and trees, showing a new way of thinking about Australian landscaping.
- It is linked to important people like Dr. James Bowman, Mary Macarthur Bowman, landscape designer Thomas Shepherd, and architect John Verge.
Lyndhurst was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 because it meets several important criteria.
Historical Significance
Lyndhurst has a strong connection to the history of education and churches in New South Wales. It was home to St. James, Australia's first Anglican Theological College (1847–49). The closing of St. Mary's College happened around the time of the death of John Bede Polding, the first Roman Archbishop of Sydney. The college's operation showed the early history of the Roman Catholic church in Sydney.
The division of the Lyndhurst Estate in 1852, 1878, and 1885 allowed for the growth of suburban Glebe. The house being divided into three terrace houses in the 1880s, and its later uses as a girls' school, maternity hospital, and factory, show how Glebe changed from a middle-class area to a working-class area.
Lyndhurst also has social history importance because it was built for James Bowman, who was connected to the Macarthur family through his marriage to Mary Macarthur. This family link connects Lyndhurst to other buildings designed by Verge for the Macarthurs, such as Camden Park and Elizabeth Farm. The restoration of Lyndhurst from 1979 to 1988 happened during a time when Glebe was becoming a more desirable place to live again.
Architectural and Creative Importance
Lyndhurst, built from 1834 to 1837, shows elements of the Greek Revival style that John Verge learned in London before coming to Australia. The high quality of its design places Lyndhurst in Verge's early important works.
Lyndhurst is located at the western end of a ridge overlooking Blackwattle Bay (now Wentworth Park) and Johnstone's Bay. Because of its location, it was sometimes called a "marine villa."
Community and Cultural Importance
The restoration of Lyndhurst from 1979 to 1988 shows how the community's views and policies on saving heritage buildings have changed. The public support for the "Save Lyndhurst Committee" likely showed people's concern for the future quality of life in Glebe.
Representative Importance
Lyndhurst is a good example of the many villas and country homes built for important families in New South Wales during the prosperous 1830s. It shows how these homes were placed, their gardens, and their large estates. It also represents what happened to many of these grand houses over time.
