Tulkiyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tulkiyan |
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Tulkiyan, pictured in August 2009.
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| Location | 707 Pacific Highway, Gordon, Ku-ring-gai Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Architect | Bertrand James Waterhouse (Waterhouse and Lake) |
| Architectural style(s) | Federation Arts and Crafts |
| Owner | Ku-ring-gai Council |
| Official name: Tulkiyan | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 27 May 2005 |
| Reference no. | 1733 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders | Mr Ochs; garden laid out by Mr Mottram |
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Tulkiyan is a special old house in Gordon, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical place. The house was designed by a famous architect named Bertrand James Waterhouse. It was built by Mr. Ochs, and Mr. Mottram designed its garden. Today, the Ku-ring-gai Council owns Tulkiyan. It used to be a museum where people could visit and see how families lived long ago.
Contents
Discovering Gordon's Past
How Gordon Got Its Name
Historians aren't completely sure how the suburb of Gordon got its name. It might have been named after General Sir James Willoughby Gordon. He was in charge of getting supplies ready for the First Fleet in 1787. The First Fleet was the group of ships that brought the first European settlers to New South Wales.
Early Settlers and Growth
One of the first settlers in Gordon was Robert McIntosh. He planted an orchard in 1832, which was a large fruit farm. You can still see a street named McIntosh Street in his honor. Another important person was John Brown, who became rich by cutting timber. He bought a lot of land in the 1850s.
The first post office in the area opened in 1860 on Brown's land. It was first called "Lane Cove" because the area was part of Lane Cove. This caused confusion, so in 1879, it was renamed Gordon.
Gordon's Railway and Council
When the railway line was built to the North Shore in the 1890s, Gordon grew very quickly. Many wealthy people moved to the area and built large houses on big blocks of land. The Gordon railway station opened in 1890.
In 1906, the Ku-Ring-Gai Shire was formed. This area was named after the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase, a national park. In 1928, Gordon became the main center for the Ku-ring-gai Council.
The Story of Tulkiyan
Tulkiyan was built on land that was originally given to Michael Ansell in 1823. Over the years, the land was sold to different people. In 1913, Mrs. Mary Donaldson bought a piece of this land. She and her husband, William Donaldson, chose this spot because it was conveniently located between two bowling clubs they liked.
Designing the Donaldson Home
Mary Donaldson admired houses designed by architect B. J. Waterhouse. So, the Donaldsons asked him to design their new home. The house cost £2,147 to build, which was a lot of money back then!
The house was designed as a two-story brick villa with a terracotta shingle roof. Waterhouse made sure that most rooms had their own outdoor space, like a patio or balcony. This was a popular idea for good health at the time.
A year after the house was finished in 1914, a wooden garage was built for Mr. Donaldson's first car, a Studebaker. This garage was later taken down.
The Donaldson Family's Legacy
Mary Donaldson came from a wealthy family of flour millers in Melbourne. Her husband, William, was an accountant. They had three children: William Jr. (called 'Bill'), Mary Isabella (Maisie), and Margaret Helen Scott. None of the children ever married.
Margaret Donaldson moved into Tulkiyan when she was 10 years old, in 1914. She lived there her entire life. The house stayed in the family until Margaret passed away in 1994 at the age of 91.
Before she died, Margaret wanted Tulkiyan to belong to the Ku-ring-gai Council for the community to use. In 1985, she transferred ownership to the Council, with the agreement that she could live there for the rest of her life. This meant the Council received the house fully furnished with most of its original items.
Because the house stayed with the same family for so long, very few changes were made to it. This means Tulkiyan is a very special and well-preserved example of homes from that time.
The Council has worked to manage Tulkiyan and make it available to the public. It was closed for a while due to safety concerns, but in 2016, the Historic Houses Association of Australia agreed to help manage it as a house museum.
Exploring Tulkiyan
Tulkiyan is a great example of the "Federation Arts and Crafts" architectural style. It's a large, two-story brick house on the Pacific Highway in Gordon.
The House's Design
The house has a unique, uneven shape with a large roof that covers balconies and verandahs. The roof is steeply sloped and covered with terracotta shingles. The tall chimneys have their own small gabled roofs, which was a common feature in Waterhouse's designs.
The main entrance is on the north side, leading into a large hall with a staircase. Downstairs, you'll find a morning room, living room, dining room, kitchen, and a maid's room. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, a bathroom, and a toilet. Each bedroom has built-in cupboards and opens onto its own balcony. These balconies were often used for "sleeping out" because people believed it was good for their health.
The inside of the house still has many original features, like wooden details and old hardware. There's even a built-in cabinet that connects the dining room and kitchen!
Waterhouse believed in simple and clear house designs. Tulkiyan shows this with its easy flow between rooms on the ground floor. The large, sweeping roof is a key part of the design, making all the different parts of the house feel connected.
The Beautiful Garden
The land around Tulkiyan is about 1.32 acres. The front of the property has a brick fence with wooden panels. The main entrance is through a wooden gate under a brick arch. Two large lily pilly trees stand on either side of this gate.
The gravel driveway leads to where the garage used to be. A gravel path curves across the front lawn to the main front door. There are also rose beds and other garden areas.
According to Miss Donaldson, the garden was designed by B. J. Waterhouse and laid out by Mr. Mottram. The original front brick wall, gates, and gravel path are still there.
Early photos show the land was quite empty before the house was built. It was even used for grazing cattle! But over time, the garden grew to include many trees. Dr. William (Bill) Donaldson, one of the original owners' sons, was very interested in plants. He planted many Australian native trees, especially rainforest species, in the 1940s. Some of these trees are quite rare.
Today, the garden is cared for by Council staff and a group called "Friends of Tulkiyan." They have replanted some areas, including the vegetable garden at the back.
Bertrand James Waterhouse: The Architect
Bertrand James Waterhouse, known as B.J., was a very important architect. He was born in England in 1876 and moved to Australia when he was 16. He studied architecture in Sydney.
In 1907 or 1908, Waterhouse started his own architectural firm with J. W. H. Lake. They designed many houses, especially in areas like Neutral Bay, Cremorne, and Mosman, which were growing quickly. He designed homes for about 50 years!
Waterhouse was known for making houses that felt comfortable and welcoming. He followed the "Arts and Crafts" movement, which focused on simple, natural designs and good craftsmanship. His houses often had unique shapes, strong roofs, porches, and balconies. Inside, they often featured wooden walls and heavy timber beams.
Tulkiyan is a great example of Waterhouse's early work in the Arts and Crafts style. He continued to design in this way until the early 1920s. Later in his career, he also designed houses in the Spanish Mission Style. Waterhouse passed away in 1965 when he was 90 years old.
Waterhouse received many awards and held important positions, like President of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. This shows how respected and influential he was in his field.
Condition and Changes Over Time
As of 2001, the Tulkiyan house was in excellent condition. The garden has changed a bit over the years, but there's still enough evidence to understand its original design.
The house itself is almost exactly as it was when it was built, even the inside. This is very rare for such an old home!
Some small changes have been made over the years:
- A garage was built in 1916 (and later removed).
- Some garden walls and fences were added or changed.
- A metal garden shed was put in.
- The bathroom was updated with a modern toilet.
- Some electrical outlets and lights were added.
- The front lily pilly trees were planted in 1914.
- Many Australian native trees were planted in the 1940s by Dr. William (Bill) Donaldson.
- The roof was repaired in 1998.
Why Tulkiyan is Important
Tulkiyan is very important for New South Wales history. It's a fantastic example of a beautiful Arts and Crafts style house. It was designed by a famous architect, B.J. Waterhouse, for an important local family, the Donaldsons.
The house and its contents show us what life was like for wealthy families in Sydney before World War I. The Donaldson family owned and lived in Tulkiyan for 80 years, and they made very few changes. This means we can see the house almost exactly as it was originally.
Because the house still has most of its original furniture and items, it's like a time capsule. There are also many old receipts and documents about the house, the family, and the garden. This makes Tulkiyan a unique place to learn about history.
Tulkiyan is also important because it shows how the suburb of Gordon grew in the early 1900s. It's a well-known and beautiful landmark on the Pacific Highway. The house and its garden are highly valued by the local community and by architects. It's a special gift from Miss Margaret Donaldson to the community.
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