Sandgate, Randwick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sandgate
Sandgate, pictured in 2016.
Location	128 Belmore Road, Randwick, City of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Built	1879
Architectural style(s)	Victorian Filigree
Owner	Randwick City Council
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name: Sandgate; Kilkerran; Felton
Type	State heritage (built)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	67
Type	House
Category	Residential buildings (private)
Builders	Simeon Pearce
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Sandgate is a special old building in Randwick, New South Wales, Australia. It was built in 1879 by Simeon Pearce. Over the years, it has been a family home, a hospital for soldiers, and a place to learn about history. It is also known as Kilkerran and Felton. Today, the Randwick City Council owns it. This building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, which means it's officially protected because of its history.

History of Sandgate

Early History of the Land

Before the 1780s, the local Aboriginal people lived in this area. They used the land for fishing and important cultural activities. You can still find signs of their presence, like rock carvings and places where they prepared food.

The Aboriginal people are thought to have lived in the Sydney area for at least 20,000 years. The group living south of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to Botany Bay were the Cadigal people. By the mid-1800s, many Aboriginal people had either moved away or sadly died due to new diseases.

How Randwick Grew

One of the first land grants in this area was given to Captain Francis Marsh in 1824. He received 12 acres of land.

The suburb of Randwick got its name from a town in England. Simeon Pearce, who was born in that English town, suggested the name. He and his brother James helped develop Randwick and nearby Coogee. Simeon came to Australia in 1841 as a surveyor. He bought land and built his own house, calling his property "Randwick."

Simeon Pearce worked hard to get a road built from Sydney to Coogee, which happened in 1853. He also helped Randwick become an official town. In 1857, the first St Jude's church was built, similar to a church in his English hometown.

Randwick was not easy to reach at first. It was separated from Sydney by swamps and sand dunes. Buses often got stuck, and passengers had to push them out! Randwick also had different kinds of people living there. Wealthy families lived in large, fancy houses. But many working-class people lived in smaller homes, working in market gardens or piggeries.

In 1858, the NSW Government allowed suburbs to become municipalities. This meant they could collect money and improve their areas. Randwick was the first suburb to apply and became a municipality in February 1859.

Randwick was also known for sports. Its first racecourse, the Sandy Racecourse, opened in 1860. When Randwick Racecourse was established in 1863, it changed Randwick a lot. Trams soon connected the suburb to Sydney, making it easier to travel. Randwick quickly became a busy and successful place, and it still is today.

The Story of Sandgate House

Sandgate, located at 128 Belmore Road, was built around 1870 by Simeon Pearce. He built it as one of several houses to rent out. The first person to live there was Edwin T. Penfold, a friend of Pearce.

Simeon Pearce was a very important person in Randwick. He was a civil servant and made good money buying and selling land. He was born in England in 1821 and came to Sydney in 1841. He bought hundreds of acres of land around Randwick and other areas. He then divided this land and sold it for a profit, especially after Randwick became a popular place to live. He was also the Mayor of Randwick six times!

Sandgate was known as Kilkerran when James Cullen lived there in 1885. Later, Henry Hinton, a wine merchant, lived there from 1886 to 1890. In 1903, Timothy Fahey moved in and renamed the house 'Felton.'

In 1918, the Australian Government bought Sandgate. It became part of the "Woodville Red Cross Home," which was a place for soldiers who had fought in World War I. In 1928, Catherine and Harold Tippler bought Sandgate. They owned the house until 1966.

In the late 1970s, the owners wanted to build a shopping centre next to Sandgate. This plan meant the house might be knocked down. However, the Randwick and District Historical Society and the Heritage Branch stepped in to save it. They worked with the owners to change the shopping centre plans so that Sandgate could stay.

Because of these efforts, Sandgate was protected by special orders. In 1982, it was given to the Randwick Council. During the 1980s, the building was carefully fixed up. From 1987 to 1992, it was used as a museum and heritage centre by the Randwick Historical Society. After that, the Council started renting it out to businesses.

On April 2, 1999, Sandgate was officially added to the State Heritage Register.

What Sandgate Looks Like

Sandgate is a large, two-storey house. It still has many of its original features. These include beautiful wrought iron railings and posts on its verandas. Inside, you can see fancy plaster decorations on the ceilings and walls, and all the wooden doors and frames are made of cedar wood.

Why Sandgate is Important

Sandgate, built around 1879, is a two-storey house made of sandstone. It is important because it is connected to Simeon Pearce and his family. They were very important in the early days of Randwick. The house was designed as a "Gentleman's residence," and it still looks much like it did when it was first built.

Sandgate was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.

See also

• Australian residential architectural styles