Woodlands, Killara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Woodlands |
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Woodlands, 1 Werona Avenue Killara, New South Wales
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| Location | 1 Werona Avenue, Killara, Ku-ring-gai Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1884– |
| Architect | Henry Austen Wilshire |
| Architectural style(s) | Federation Filigree |
| Owner | Peter and Carol Himmelhoch |
| Official name: Woodlands; Inglewood; Inglenook | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 13 October 2006 |
| Reference no. | 1762 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
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Woodlands is a historic house located at 1 Werona Avenue in Killara, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was designed by Henry Austin Wilshire and built starting in 1884. This special house is also known by its older names, Inglewood and Inglenook. It's privately owned and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on October 13, 2006, because of its important history.
Discovering Woodlands' Past
Woodlands, originally called Inglewood, existed even before the area of Ku-ring-gai became a busy municipality. It was built on land that was part of a very old grant given to an early settler, Henry Oliver, in 1821. It's one of the biggest homes built before the land was divided into smaller blocks in the 1890s.
How the Land Changed Hands
The land was divided up because a new railway line was being built. This line, from Hornsby to St Leonards, started running on January 1, 1890. Edward Allyn Braham, a clothing businessman from Sydney, bought a large piece of land in 1884 for £500. Woodlands was built on this land.
A part of Braham's property was later bought by the Railway Commissioners in 1889 for £134. In December 1890, Braham sold the rest of the property to George Munro, just as the railway officially opened.
Ethel Turner's Time at Woodlands
Many new residents, like the Cope family, were drawn to Ku-ring-gai because of the promise of clean air and a healthy lifestyle. The famous author Ethel Turner, along with her family, rented Inglewood (now Woodlands) from September 1891 to December 1894.
While living at Inglewood, Ethel Turner was greatly inspired by the Australian bushland around her. This natural setting became a key part of her most famous book, Seven Little Australians. Moving to this quieter area helped her focus on her writing. She wrote in her diary about the "red, lonely roads" and "silent bushland" that surrounded her.
During her three years at Inglewood, Ethel Turner wrote a lot! Besides Seven Little Australians (1893), she also wrote The Family at Misrule (1894) and The Story of a Baby (1894). She also published many stories and articles in various newspapers and magazines.
Changes to the House Over Time
After Ethel Turner's family left, Andrew J. Sievers bought Inglewood in 1895. He made big changes to the house, both inside and out. The house, which was originally in a Victorian Georgian style, was updated to the more modern Federation Filigree style. It's believed that the house was renamed "Woodlands" during this time. Sievers had traveled in Europe and brought new ideas, like an advanced hot water system, to his home.
After Sievers passed away in 1916, the house was owned by Agnes Parkinson, then John Waugh, and later Eric B. Mills in 1946. The property was much larger back then, extending to different roads. In 1948, some of the land around Woodlands was sold off in an auction, which was a big event after World War II.
Later, in 1952, the Mills family divided Woodlands again, selling the southern part. This led to a new house being built there and changed the main entrance of Woodlands from Treatts Road to Werona Avenue. Even today, you can see mature palm trees that mark the old entrance on Treatts Road. The Mills family continued to own Woodlands for a long time.
About Ethel Turner (1870 - 1958)
Ethel Turner was born in England in 1870. After her father and stepfather passed away, her mother moved to New South Wales, Australia, with Ethel and her sisters in 1879. They lived in different Sydney suburbs before moving to Inglewood (Woodlands).
Ethel and her older sister Lilian, who also became an author, went to Sydney Girls High School. They even started their own school magazine called The Iris. After school, they co-edited a literary magazine called The Parthenon, which sold about 1,500 copies a month!
Ethel started writing Seven Little Australians on her birthday, January 24, 1893. She often wrote while sitting in an apple tree in the orchard at Inglewood, or inside the house in the drawing room or bedroom. This book was very important because it showed an Australian family, not a British one, which was new for children's literature at the time.
After Seven Little Australians became a success, Ethel wrote more books. In 1896, she married Herbert Raine Curlewis, who later became a judge. They moved to a house called Avenel in Mosman, where Ethel lived for the rest of her life. She wrote many more books and even edited a comic supplement for a newspaper, encouraging the creation of the famous character Ginger Meggs.
Ethel Turner passed away in 1958. Her diaries were later published by her granddaughter. Woodlands is one of only two houses where Ethel Turner wrote that are still standing today.
What Woodlands Looks Like
Woodlands is located on a corner block of land, about 2113 square meters in size. The house sits in the middle of the property. You can still see signs of the original tennis court on the western side. The old entrance from Treatts Road is marked by two tall palm trees.
Architectural Style
When it was first built around 1880, Woodlands was a two-story square brick building, similar to the Victorian Georgian style. The bricks were covered with a special coating called stucco, made to look like stone blocks. A small paint sample shows that the original brickwork was a pale red. The family who has owned it since 1946 said it was painted grey when they bought it.
Today, Woodlands still has the original shape of the Victorian house, but it has been greatly updated. The outside now shows the Federation Filigree style. You can see this in the wooden verandahs that run along the side and part of the back. There's also a sunroom made of timber and glass. The front of the house has a two-story bay window with a pointed roof. White-painted brick walls and a slate tile roof complete the look.
Inside Woodlands
To enter Woodlands, you walk up sandstone steps. The front door has a beautiful stained glass bird design. You'll see Australian animal designs repeated inside, like on a door leading to the back of the house and in a large stained glass window above the cedar staircase.
The Gardens
The garden still has much of its original design and plants. There are old trees like the Queensland lacebark and Illawarra flame trees. Two large gum trees on the street side help keep a natural, "bushland" feel. The original tennis court is gone, but parts of the old carriage loop (a circular driveway) might still be there. These are now accessed from Werona Avenue, but in Ethel Turner's time, the main access was from Treatts Road.
Condition and Special Features
The house is in very good condition, with its original brickwork from the 1880s still intact. The later renovations from the early 1900s, including the stained glass windows, timber work, and fireplaces, are also well-preserved.
When Andrew J. Sievers owned the house, he installed a special hot water system that supplied the bathroom, laundry, and kitchen. This was a very modern feature for its time!
The parts of the house where Ethel Turner wrote, like the Drawing Room and her bedroom, are still the same. Even though the house has been changed and some land has been sold off, its connection to Ethel Turner and its Federation style are still very clear.
Changes Over the Years
- 1884 - 1894: When Ethel Turner lived here, the house was square with a long balcony. She described the inside: a large Drawing Room with pale blue walls, a smaller Dining Room, and four bedrooms upstairs. The kitchen and servant's rooms were likely in a separate timber building.
- 1895: Andrew Johnstone Sievers bought the house and made big changes. He replaced old iron decorations with turned timber posts on the verandah and added a new two-story front bay. He also added a laundry, kitchen, bathroom, and more bedrooms. He even moved the cedar staircase.
- 1921: Records show the house had 6 rooms and an office, with a slate roof, stables, and a shed.
- 1946: Eric Mills bought the property, which was much larger then, extending to Treatts Road.
- 1948: Some of the land to the north and east of Woodlands was sold off.
- 1952: The southern part of Woodlands, facing Treatts Road, was sold, changing the property's main entrance.
Why Woodlands is Important
Woodlands is very important to the history of New South Wales, especially because of its connection to Ethel Turner.
A Home for a Famous Author
Woodlands (then Inglewood) is famous because the beloved Australian children's author Ethel Turner lived there from September 1891 to December 1894. During this time, she wrote her most famous book, Seven Little Australians. She also wrote its sequel, The Family at Misrule, and The Story of a Baby.
Seven Little Australians and its sequel were greatly influenced by the house and the nature around it. The book showed a new way of looking at children and Australian life in the late 1800s. This book has been continuously in print for over 100 years, selling millions of copies and translated into many languages. It has been made into plays, films, and even a TV series by the ABC in 1973.
Ethel Turner wrote 42 books in her lifetime. Of the four houses where she wrote, Woodlands is one of only two that are still standing. Even with changes, the rooms where she wrote her famous book are still there.
A Glimpse into the Past
Woodlands is also important because it's one of the older, larger homes in the Killara area, built before the railway line opened in 1890. It shows how houses were built before the area became more developed. It's a great example of how Victorian and Federation architectural styles can be combined in one building.
Beautiful Design and Gardens
Woodlands is a beautiful and noticeable building in the area. Even though it has been changed, it still shows off the Federation style very well. Inside, the stained glass window above the cedar staircase is a stunning feature. The gardens around Woodlands also remind us of the old-fashioned gardens described in Ethel Turner's books.
Community Connection
Ethel Turner is known as Australia's most important children's author. There's even an Ethel Turner Prize for young people's literature. In Lindfield, a local park is called "Seven Little Australians" Park, and the Lindfield Public School library is named after her.
Seven Little Australians was the first Australian children's book to be paid for in foreign money when it was translated in 1895. Its story continues to be popular today.
Hidden History
There's an old underground water tank at Woodlands that supplied hot water to the house. This was a very advanced technology for its time and is a rare example that could tell us more about old engineering. The site might also hold other interesting historical items underground.
Woodlands is a rare example of a home built in the Ku-ring-gai area before the railway arrived. It shows how large homes were built before the suburbs of Lindfield and Killara grew.
