Purulia, Wahroonga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Purulia
Purulia, pictured in 2013
Location	16 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, Ku-ring-gai Council, New South Wales, Australia
Built	1912–1913
Architect	William Hardy Wilson
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name: Purulia
Type	State heritage (complex / group)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	184
Type	House
Category	Residential buildings (private)
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Purulia is a special house in Wahroonga, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It's listed as a heritage site, meaning it's important to history. The famous architect William Hardy Wilson designed it, and it was built between 1912 and 1913. Purulia was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.

The Architect: William Hardy Wilson

William Hardy Wilson was born in Sydney in 1881. He was an architect who loved history and beauty. He wanted to create buildings that were honest and simple. He believed architecture should start with basic ideas, not just copying old styles.

In 1905, Wilson went to London to study architecture. He also worked as a draftsman, which is someone who draws building plans. There, he met other artists and learned a lot.

Later, in 1908, Wilson traveled around Europe and North America. He was very impressed by the Colonial Revival architecture style in America. This trip helped him see how important a place's geography is to its art and buildings.

In 1911, he officially changed his name to William Hardy Wilson. He then started an architecture firm with Stacy Neave. When World War I began, Neave went to fight. Wilson then focused on writing, drawing old colonial buildings, and building his own home, Purulia.

Building Purulia: A Modern Home

In 1912, after much thought, Wilson started building Purulia in Wahroonga. He designed it to be a "maidless flat," meaning it didn't need servants. This was very modern for the time. He even made the kitchen a nice family room.

The house was a simple rectangle with plain white walls. It had a low roof covered in colorful shingle tiles. The windows were simple rectangles with Georgian sashes and wooden shutters. These were protected by striped canvas awnings.

At that time, many houses in Wahroonga were fancy and elaborate. Purulia's simple design shocked the neighbors. They thought it looked too plain and would lower their property values. But Wilson didn't stop. He created a home that was honest, simple, and full of integrity.

Wilson himself said Purulia wasn't a masterpiece, but it was his. It became a model for many homes on Sydney's North Shore. It showed a new way of thinking about house design.

Wilson wrote about building Purulia: "It is a rectangular cottage covered with an unbroken hipped roof. As the walls arose square, bleak and factory like, consternation filled the souls of neighbours dwelling in multi-angular villas. By the time the brickwork was finished their indignation could not be contained....I found an artist making shingle tiles and from him secured curved uneven, overburnt and many coloured rejects from myriads of flawless tiles. The roof of Purulia is like a venerable Persian rug of quiet and glowing colour."

Today, Purulia's style is seen as a classic example of North Shore homes. It has well-proportioned rooms and windows. Wilson often used stone and whitewashed walls, louvred shutters, and a colonnaded (columned) garage front. The house and garden are also very practical.

The Gardens of Purulia

Wilson didn't just design houses; he also loved gardens. He was one of the first to truly appreciate the style of gardens from the mid-19th century in New South Wales. He saw gardens with a painter's eye, focusing on their location, colors, and textures.

He designed five gardens in total, including Purulia and Eryldene. The gardens he designed were formal and geometric. This means they had clear shapes and patterns, like circles and straight lines.

At Purulia, the rectangular house is in the middle of a circle of citrus trees. Wilson added paths and more circles around this main circle. The garden details are simple, with stone-flagged paths and summer houses made with whitewashed tree trunks. Behind the house, olive trees surround a sundial.

Wilson carefully chose the plants for his gardens. He wrote: "Around the boundaries of Purulia there are oleanders (Nerium oleander) red and white. Between the oleanders and the northern front there are perpendicular poplars (Lombardy poplar, (Populus nigra 'Italica')) to balance the horizontal lines of the building. On the southern side the distant city will be framed through olives (Olea europaea) grown grey, twisted and fruitful. In a wide circle around the house there are oranges (Citrus aurantium) and mandarins (C.reticulata). Camellias are slowly opening dark glossy leaves before the wall spaces. Beside the stone flagged path bordered with box (Buxus sempervirens), that leads from gate to door, there are fragrant shrubs, diosma (Coleonema pulchrum), lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora), lavenders (Lavandula spp.)."

Many of the trees Wilson planted are still there today. These include ginkgos, weeping elms, maples, copper beeches, dogwoods, and citrus trees. The original sandstone path and the octagonal summerhouse also remain.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1920, Wilson's firm became Wilson, Neave & Berry. They were known for their Colonial Revival style, which used elements from old Australian and American colonial buildings. This style became very popular in the 1920s.

In 1921, Wilson traveled to China. His trip greatly influenced his ideas about architecture. After his visit, his firm started adding Chinese designs to their buildings.

Wilson sold Purulia in 1922. He then traveled to Europe to work on his book, "Old Colonial architecture in New South Wales and Tasmania." This book, published in 1924, helped create a lot of interest in Australian Colonial Revival architecture.

Wilson retired from architecture in 1927. He had done much to make Australians appreciate their architectural heritage. His houses and books taught people about good design. He was a pioneer, meaning he was one of the first to do something new and important.

Heritage Significance

Purulia is considered one of William Hardy Wilson's best works. Its design was very influential and became a model for many homes in the area. It is also rare because it is one of only five gardens designed by Wilson that still exist, even though it has been changed a bit over time.

The house and garden show Wilson's unique vision. When it was built, its simple style was very different from other houses. Neighbors even tried to get it condemned (declared unsuitable) because they thought it looked bad. But Wilson's design showed honesty, simplicity, and integrity.

Purulia was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, recognizing its importance to Australia's history and architecture.

Images for kids

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  Architectural drawing of Purulia, Wahroonga 1916