The Manor, Mosman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Manor, Mosman |
|
|---|---|
The Manor seen from Iluka Road, Mosman
|
|
| Alternative names | Bakewell's Folly |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Federation Queen Anne |
| Location | Iluka Road, Mosman, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°50′36″S 151°15′03″E / 33.8432°S 151.2508°E |
| Completed | c. 1911 |
| Client | William John Bakewell |
| Owner | Theosophical Society |
|
Invalid designation
|
|
| Official name: The Manor House | |
| Designated: | 9 December 2011 |
| Reference #: | 41 |
The Manor is a large, beautiful house, also known as a mansion. It is located in Mosman, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. This grand home was built around 1911. It was designed in a style called Federation Queen Anne, which was popular at the time. You can find The Manor on Iluka Road, close to the harbour, in an area called Clifton Gardens.
This special house is officially listed on the Mosman Council heritage register. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
History of The Manor
The Manor was first owned by William John Bakewell. He was part of a company called Bakewell Bros. Mr. Bakewell originally planned to build a small house with eight rooms.
How The Manor Grew
But his plans kept getting bigger and bigger! The house grew into a huge mansion with fifty-five rooms. Many of these rooms had walls covered with shiny, beaten copper. The house was so big it took up six building plots on Margaret Street, which is now Iluka Road. Because it was so much larger than first planned, people in the area started calling it Bakewell's Folly. A "folly" is a building that is very grand or unusual, often built for fun or decoration.
The Theosophical Society
In 1922, a group called the Theosophical Society rented The Manor. About fifty people lived there as a community. Their leader was Charles Leadbeater. He was known for being a "clairvoyant," which means he claimed to see things beyond normal sight.
The Manor became a very important place for the Theosophical Society. An English writer named Mary Lutyens stayed there in the 1920s. She described the house as "a huge and hideous villa." A young Indian boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti also stayed nearby. He was presented as a new "World Teacher" by the Society.
The Manor's New Owners
The Theosophical Society bought The Manor in 1925. They held it under a special legal document called a trust deed. In 1926, they even started a radio station called 2GB from The Manor! The letters "GB" stood for Giordano Bruno, a famous philosopher. The radio station broadcast from the house for a few years.
In 1951, the Society created The Manor Foundation Ltd. This company was set up to own and manage the house. As of 2013, the Theosophical Society was still using The Manor.
Gallery
-
This is the south side of The Manor. It faces Sydney Harbour.
