Mahratta, Wahroonga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mahratta |
|
|---|---|
Mahratta, 1526 Pacific Highway, Wahroonga
|
|
| Location | 1526 Pacific Highway, Wahroonga, Ku-ring-gai Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1941 |
| Architect |
|
| Architectural style(s) | Art Deco |
| Owner | The School of Philosophy |
| Official name: Mahratta and Site; Heatherlee | |
| Type | State heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 708 |
| Type | Garden House |
| Category | Parks, Gardens and Trees |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Mahratta is a special historic building located in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia. It used to be a grand home and a training center for a bank. Today, it is the main building for a group called The School of Philosophy.
This beautiful building was designed by different architects over time. Douglas S. Agnew designed the current house, while Arthur Palin worked on the original house. The amazing garden was designed by Paul Sorensen. Mahratta was built in 1941 and is also known by its older name, Heatherlee. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, which means it's an important historical place.
Template:TOC limit=3
History of Mahratta
The story of Mahratta begins a long time ago.
Early Land Ownership
In 1838, Governor Darling gave a large piece of land, about 640 acres (259 hectares), to Thomas Hyndes. Thomas was a former convict who had earned his freedom. He had been using the land since 1830, growing timber with the help of other convicts.
In 1840, Thomas Hyndes sold the land. Then, in 1854, it was sold again to John Brown, who was a timber merchant. John Brown bought the land mainly to cut down as many trees as possible.
Part of this land, about 8.5 acres (3.4 hectares), later became the Mahratta property. John Brown wanted to own a very large area, about a square mile. He cleared some of the forest to plant an orchard and continued to cut timber. People called him "The Squire" because of his expanding interests. Some streets in Wahroonga, like Lucinda, Ada, and Roland Avenues, are named after his children.
Gerald Allen's Time at Mahratta
The land wasn't really divided into smaller pieces until 1893. That's when Francis Gerard bought a part of it called "The Foxground Estate" from John Brown. This land, known as 'Brown's Paddock', was at the corner of Fox Valley Road and Lane Cove Road (now Pacific Highway).
It changed hands a few times until Mr. Gerald Allen bought it in 1912. He changed its name from Heverlee to Mahratta. He named it after a sheep farm in Bombala where his grandfather used to work. The name Mahratta comes from the powerful Hindu warriors called Marathas. Their name comes from "Mahā Rāṣṭra" in Sanskrit, which means "The Great Kingdom or Nation."
Under the guidance of architect Arthur Palin, Mr. Allen made the existing Federation style house bigger and better. The house was famous for its beautiful cedar staircase and a special copper ceiling in the billiard room.
In 1925, Allen hired a famous garden designer named Paul Sorensen. Sorensen designed the garden, which was 8 hectares (about 20 acres) at the time, but is now 1.6 hectares (about 4 acres). He created two levels in the garden, separated by a lovely wall with steps. These steps led down to a sunken rose garden, a croquet court, and large grassy areas.
Many different kinds of trees were planted, including cedars, maples, and oaks. Many of these came from Sorensen's own plant nursery. Other trees planted then included the Queensland firewheel tree, crows foot ash, Bunya Bunya pine, and tallowwood. These trees have grown into magnificent examples.
Sir James Joynton Smith's Ownership
In 1930, Allen sold Mahratta to Sir James Joynton Smith. Sir James was a very important person. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, and he owned the famous Carrington Hotel in Katoomba.
The Field Family Takes Over
In 1939, Sir James sold Mahratta to a company linked to the family of Thomas Alfred (T.A.) Field. The Field family were very rich farmers and meat sellers. They had inherited their father's meat business and bought many farms across eastern Australia.
Thomas Field decided to knock down the old house in 1940. He then built the current grand house in 1941 on the same spot. He hired architect Douglas S. Agnew to design the new building. The house was finished in 1941 and was designed in the Art Deco style. This style gives the house a dramatic and grand feeling, especially the entrance and main hall with its curved staircase. It is considered one of the best Art Deco mansions in Sydney, even though it was built after the main Art Deco period.
After the new house was finished, Field asked Paul Sorensen to come back and improve the garden even more. A curving red gravel driveway was built, and Sorensen oversaw the planting of the front lawn. Two dawn redwoods and two red Japanese maples were planted to frame the entrance to the house. The wide garden beds near the house were filled with colorful shrubs and trees. A walled courtyard at the back of the house leads through a special "moon gate" to lawns shaded by large cedars. There is also a tennis court with beautiful plants like Rhapis palms and rhododendrons nearby.
Mr. Field passed away in 1944, but his wife, Jessie, continued to live in Mahratta until 1960.
Bank Training College
In 1960, the Bank of NSW (now Westpac Banking Corporation) bought the large two-story house, which was about 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters). They used it as a training college for their senior staff. Four full-time gardeners were hired to look after the grounds. The bank even kept Paul Sorensen to "redesign and develop the grounds to a very high standard."
Important trees like cedars were planted close to the house during this time. The Bunya Bunya pine near Fox Valley Road is now a well-known landmark. The bank also made some changes and additions to the house. These were designed to match the original house's style and materials.
In 1964, the bank built a new three-story section called the Abercrombie wing. This wing was for people to live in. Even though the bricks matched the original building, the new wing did not try to copy the Art Deco style.
The School of Philosophy's Ownership
In 1990, The School of Philosophy bought Mahratta. They use it to hold public classes on practical philosophy. They also host events like lectures, workshops, and retreats for personal growth.
In 1991, the local council received a piece of land next to Mahratta. This land was part of Gerald Allen's original purchase. The council later (in 2011) created a small park on the northern edge of Mahratta, which they named "Curtilage Park."
The School of Philosophy understands how important this property is. They want to keep it in good condition for future generations. In 2010, a group called "Friends of Mahratta" was formed to raise money for the property's care. All money from open house and garden events goes towards maintaining the property. Students also volunteer their time to help with the upkeep.
What Mahratta Looks Like
The Site and Garden
The Mahratta property is about 1.6 hectares (4 acres) in size. It is bordered by the Pacific Highway on the east and Fox Valley Road on the south. A loop driveway from Fox Valley Road leads to the main entrance of the house.
Large lawns surround the house on its south, southwest, and southeast sides. To the southwest, there is a lower grassy area that used to be a croquet court. Below this, there is a formal rose garden with terraces.
On the northern side of the house, there is a formal courtyard. A tall brick wall and a special "moon gate" lead from this courtyard into more natural garden areas. There is also a summer house northeast of the moon gate. Another driveway leads from the northeast corner of the house to the Pacific Highway, going around the north of the tennis court.
This garden is a great example of Paul Sorensen's skill. He combined both exotic (non-native) and native Australian trees to create a beautiful and unified design. You can see many of his favorite exotic plants, like Himalayan cedars, maples, and English oaks. He also added other conifers like dawn redwoods and Araucaria trees.
Mixed with these are many native Australian trees, mostly from wetter coastal areas. Their glossy green leaves blend beautifully with the exotic plants. These native trees include the Queensland firewheel tree, Queensland nut, lily pilly, lemon scented gum, and Illawarra flame tree. There are also some rare trees like the rose apple and New Zealand laurel. Many different shrubs also grow along the southern and eastern edges of the property.
It's hard to know exactly which trees Sorensen planted, as there was already a large garden here before he started. He did a lot of work to care for the old trees and trained climbing plants like wisteria. The areas under the trees were cleared and replanted with new shrubs.
The wide variety of trees helps to create different spaces around the house. They also form a thick screen along the two busy roads, so you don't notice the traffic from inside the garden. Belts of trees are planted with azaleas, rhododendrons, and other shrubs. The winding red gravel driveway, with its neat brick edges, divides the lawn as it leads to the house. Two dawn redwood trees mark the entrance.
On sunken terraces to the southwest of the house, there is a rose garden and a lawn used for putting and croquet. These two areas are separated by a tall hedge, mostly made of native plants. A beautiful weeping Himalayan cedar tree covers the stairs that connect them.
The rose garden has a very formal design, which was a bit different from Paul Sorensen's usual style. He carefully chose and placed all the roses.
Above the rose garden, Sorensen placed a beautifully carved coat of arms from an old sandstone building. It's placed next to some steps at the southern end of the rose garden.
The garden at Mahratta is very well-suited for its purpose. In 1990, four gardeners looked after it, and they were very proud of their work.
The House
The Mahratta house is a very impressive two-story building. It is made of red bricks and has a hipped tiled roof. Its design shows the smooth, curved shapes of the Art Deco style. You can see circular windows, round patterns in the metal window grilles, horizontal lines, and panels of small ceramic tiles. The brick corners are rounded, and the chimneys and pillars are made of special curved bricks.
Inside, many of the original features and finishes are still there, showing the high quality of craftsmanship from the 1940s. A grand staircase has a curved railing made of a special material called scagliola. Curved glass doors slide into curved spaces in the walls.
The house also has original Art Deco bathrooms, a ballroom, stone fireplaces, and wood paneling in some rooms.
In 2018, the house was featured in an advertisement. This ad showed many parts of the formal interior, including a motorcycle being ridden down the main hall and golf balls being hit from the grand staircase. This gives an idea of the house's internal design and features.
Changes Over Time
When the house was used as the Westpac Training Centre, some changes were made to fit its new purpose. The electrical wiring was completely updated in 2019.
Why Mahratta is Important
As of November 7, 2013, Mahratta is considered a very important historic site. It is a large, well-preserved two-story mansion built in 1941. It has a unique style that mixes Art Deco and Classical Georgian Revival elements. It might be the biggest and finest house of its kind built in Sydney during wartime.
The current house replaced an older, large Federation-style home. However, it kept and used most of the older garden features, like the sunken rose garden and other small buildings. It was built for T. A. Field, who was a well-known person in the meat industry. The architect was Douglas Agnew.
The house is mostly unchanged, with many details made of brick, bronze, and wrought iron on the outside. It has a dramatic entrance on the south side and an enclosed courtyard on the north. In 1964, a west wing was added. This addition was designed carefully to match the rest of the house, so the whole building looks unified.
Inside, the house has many beautiful public spaces and rooms with smooth designs and high-quality materials. The oval staircase made of marble and scagliola, the well-sized ballroom, and the oval dining room are all very special. The finely detailed woodwork and original fittings create a rare and dramatic interior from that time period.
The property also has historical and artistic value because of the famous landscape designer Paul Sorensen's work on its garden. The open lawns and mature trees create a beautiful setting for the house. The red gravel driveways winding through the lawns add to the house's colors and textures.
The Westpac Banking Corporation owned the house from the 1960s and used it as a Staff Training College. This ensured that both the house and grounds were kept in excellent condition. Because of this, Mahratta has kept all the important features that make it historically significant.
Separate descriptions of importance exist for other buildings on the property, like the garage, chauffeur's quarters, gardener's cottage, tennis pavilion, laundry, sheds, and greenhouses.
The open lawns and gardens to the north, east, and south of the main house are essential for creating a beautiful open setting for the house. To the west, the Croquet Lawn and Rose Garden, with their background of thick, mature trees and shrubs, are a key part of the historical setting. They have remained almost unchanged from the time of the original (Federation era) house.
The open areas to the west of the property are not as historically important to the main house, but they do have some very large native trees.
Mahratta was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
See also
- Australian residential architectural styles
