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
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 has been many things over the years, like a home, a hospital for soldiers, and a place to learn about history. It was built in 1879 by a man named Simeon Pearce. The building was also known by other names, like Kilkerran and Felton. Today, the Randwick City Council owns it. Sandgate is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place protected by law. It was added to this list on 2 April 1999.

History of Sandgate

Early Indigenous History

Long before Europeans arrived, Aboriginal people lived in the Randwick area. They used this land for fishing and important cultural activities. You can still find signs of their presence, like rock carvings and special places where they ground food.

In 1789, Governor Arthur Phillip saw a "long bay" which we now know as Long Bay. It's believed that Aboriginal people have lived in the Sydney region for at least 20,000 years. The local Aboriginal group living south of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to Botany Bay were the Cadigal people. They spoke the Dharug language. The local clan in the Maroubra area was called "Muru-ora-dial". By the mid-1800s, many Aboriginal people had either moved away or sadly died from European diseases.

Randwick's Colonial Beginnings

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 called Randwick, Gloucestershire. This name was suggested by Simeon Pearce and his brother James. Simeon was born in the English Randwick. Both brothers played a big part in developing Randwick and its neighbour, Coogee. Simeon came to Australia in 1841 when he was 21, working as a surveyor. He bought 4 acres of land from Marsh and built his home, Blenheim House, calling his property "Randwick".

The Pearce brothers bought and sold land in the area, making good profits. Simeon worked hard to get a road built from Sydney to Coogee, which happened in 1853. He also helped Randwick become an official suburb. In 1857, the first St Jude's church was built, similar to a church in his English hometown.

Randwick grew slowly at first because it was far from Sydney, with swamps and sandhills in the way. Travel was difficult, and buses sometimes got stuck in the sand. From its early days, Randwick had different types of people. Wealthy families lived in large, fancy houses. But many working-class people lived on market gardens, orchards, and pig farms. Some even poorer immigrants lived in makeshift homes in an area called Irishtown, now known as The Spot. They struggled to survive by doing the lowest-paying jobs.

In 1858, the NSW Government passed a law allowing towns to form their own councils. Randwick was the first suburb to apply and became a municipality in February 1859. Its first Council was elected in March 1859.

Randwick was also a place for sports and even illegal activities. Its first racecourse, the Sandy Racecourse, opened in 1860. When John Tait decided to create the Randwick Racecourse in 1863, Simeon Pearce was very upset. However, Tait's racing business grew, and he became the first person in Australia to run racing as a commercial sport. The racecourse greatly helped Randwick grow. Horse-buses were replaced by trams, connecting the suburb to Sydney. Randwick soon became a busy and successful place, and it still is today.

Many of the old houses have been replaced by modern apartments. People from all over Europe have made their homes here, along with students and workers from the nearby University of NSW and Prince of Wales Hospital.

Sandgate's Story

Sandgate, located at 128 Belmore Road, was built around 1870 by Simeon Pearce. He built it as one of several properties 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 a lot of money buying and selling land. He was born in England on 27 January 1821. He came to Sydney in 1841. By 1854, he had bought large amounts of land in places like Manly, French's Forest, and around Randwick. He divided this land into smaller blocks and sold them for a good profit, especially after he helped make Randwick a popular place to live. He was a main supporter of Randwick becoming a municipality and was its Mayor six times, starting in 1859.

Sandgate was known as Kilkerran when James Cullen, an importer, 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. Along with the house next door, it became the "Woodville Red Cross Home". This was a special place for soldiers who had fought in World War I and needed care.

In 1928, Catherine and Harold Tippler bought Sandgate. They owned the house until September 1966. After that, it changed owners three times in just one week!

In the late 1970s, Sandgate was transferred to the companies developing the nearby Coles New World Supermarket. In October 1978, the Randwick and District Historical Society became worried that Sandgate might be knocked down to build a shopping centre. Because of their concerns, a special order was placed on Sandgate on 3 November 1978 to protect it. The owner then said they planned to demolish it. However, after talks between the owner and the Heritage Branch, they agreed on a new shopping centre design that would keep Sandgate safe. A temporary protection order was put on the building on 15 December 1978, followed by a permanent one on 13 March 1981. As part of the deal for the Randwick Plaza development, Sandgate was given to the Randwick Council in 1982.

During the 1980s, the building was repaired and made to look new again. In September 1987, the Mayor of Randwick, Ald. John Scullion, gave the keys to the Randwick Historical Society's president, Mrs. Kate Schlink. The society leased the building and used it as their museum and heritage centre from 1987 until 1992. After that, the Randwick Council started leasing it to businesses.

On 2 April 1999, Sandgate was officially added to the State Heritage Register, making sure its history is preserved.

What Sandgate Looks Like

Sandgate is a large, two-storey house. It still looks much like it did when it was first built. It has beautiful wrought iron balconies (called verandahs) and decorative pillars. Inside, you can see fancy plaster designs on the ceilings (called cornices and friezes) and original wooden doors and window frames made from 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, who were very active in the early days of Randwick. The house was designed to be a "Gentleman's residence," meaning a grand home for an important person, and it still has its original look and feel.

Sandgate was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. This listing helps protect its historical value for future generations.

See also

• Australian residential architectural styles