Tusculum, Potts Point facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tusculum |
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| Location | 1-3 Manning Street, Potts Point, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1831–1837 |
| Built for | Alexander Brodie Spark |
| Architect | John Verge |
| Architectural style(s) | Colonial Regency |
| Owner | Historic Houses Trust of NSW |
| Official name: Tusculum | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 27 |
| Type | Villa |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
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Tusculum is a beautiful old house in Potts Point, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was built between 1831 and 1837. A famous architect named John Verge designed it for a successful businessman, Alexander Brodie Spark.
Later, an important church leader, Bishop William Broughton, lived there for many years. He was the first Anglican Bishop of Australia. Today, Tusculum is owned by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales. It is a very important historical building in New South Wales.
Contents
A Look Back: Tusculum's Story
How Potts Point Grew
In the 1830s, the area where Tusculum stands was known as Darlinghurst. It was named after Governor Ralph Darling's wife, Eliza. This area, a rocky hill called Woolloomooloo Hill, offered amazing views of Sydney Harbour.
Back then, Sydney was a busy and crowded town. Important citizens wanted better places to live. So, in 1828, Governor Darling decided to divide Woolloomooloo Hill into large blocks of land. These blocks were for big houses with beautiful gardens.
The Governor had special rules for these houses, called "villa conditions." These rules made sure only one large house was built on each block. The houses had to be well-designed and face the town. By the mid-1830s, many "white" villas stood on Woolloomooloo Hill. They looked very impressive from the harbour.
Building Tusculum
Alexander Spark's Vision
Alexander Brodie Spark named his new house "Tusculum." He chose this name after an ancient town near Rome where rich Romans built fancy villas. This showed Spark's love for classical history.
Spark arrived in Sydney in 1823 and quickly became a successful businessman. Building Tusculum showed how well he was doing. He hired John Verge, a well-known architect, to design the house. Construction began in 1831 and finished around 1835. Spark probably built Tusculum as an investment, as he didn't live there for long.
Bishop Broughton's Home
In 1836, Bishop William Broughton became the first person to live in Tusculum. He was the first and only Anglican Bishop of Australia. The house was changed a bit to suit his family.
The Broughtons made Tusculum a lively place for visitors. After Government House, it was the most important family home in the colony. Bishop Broughton even had shelves built for his large collection of books. He lived in Tusculum from 1836 to 1851, almost his entire time as bishop.
Later Owners and Changes
After Bishop Broughton left, William Long bought Tusculum. He made many changes to the house. The cast iron railings on the verandahs, for example, were added around this time.
In the early 1900s, Tusculum was sold again. Later, it was used as a club during World War II and then as a nursing home. The building eventually fell into disrepair. In 1983, the government stepped in to protect it under a new heritage law.
Tusculum Today
The Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) now leases Tusculum. They have worked hard to restore the house to its former glory. The restoration was completed in 1987.
Today, Tusculum is used for meetings, art shows, and events. It's a great example of how old buildings can be preserved and used in modern times. It shows a mix of old 19th-century style and newer 1980s architecture.
What Tusculum Looks Like
Tusculum is a large, two-story house built in the Colonial Regency style. It was designed by John Verge. The outside walls are made of brick covered in stucco, which is a type of plaster.
The house has a beautiful two-story verandah on three sides. This verandah has columns in the Ionic style, which looks very grand. Inside, some of the wood, like the cedar, was imported from Lebanon. The marble for the floors and chimney pieces came from Italy.
Large French doors with shutters open onto the wide verandahs. The original roof was low and made of slate, but it's now covered with tiles. Tusculum is one of the few Regency-style houses left in Sydney. It also has a basement with work areas, showing how homes were managed in the 1800s.
The building is in very good condition today. It still has many parts of John Verge's original design, along with changes from later periods, like the 1870s verandah and some internal stair changes from the early 1900s.
Why Tusculum is Important
Tusculum is very important for many reasons:
- Historical Significance: It was the home of Bishop William Broughton, the first Bishop of Australia. During his time, it was one of the most important homes in the colony, second only to Government House.
- Architectural Beauty: It was designed by the famous architect John Verge. It's one of the best examples of a Regency-style mansion from the early colonial period. It shows how a grand house could change over time into a mid-Victorian Italianate mansion.
- Social Story: Tusculum tells the story of important people in Sydney's history, like Alexander Spark and William Long. It also shows the "upstairs/downstairs" way of life in 19th-century English homes, with separate areas for the family and for servants.
- Heritage Protection: Tusculum was one of the first buildings to be protected under the New South Wales Heritage Act in 1977. This shows how much people value preserving historical places.
- Rarity: It's one of only a few colonial villas left in Sydney and a rare surviving work by John Verge.
Today, Tusculum is open to the public for events and tours, allowing everyone to enjoy its history and beauty.
