Woodlands, Newcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Woodlands |
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Heritage boundaries
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| Location | 51 Church Street, The Hill, Newcastle, City of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Owner | JS LA TJ JS and K Chahl |
| Official name: Woodlands | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 306 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
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Woodlands is a very old and special house. It is located at 51 Church Street in The Hill, a part of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. This house is so important that it is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it is protected because of its history and unique features. It was added to this special list on April 2, 1999.
A Look Back at Woodlands' History
Woodlands was built in 1877. It was designed by an architect named James Henderson. The house was built for Joseph Wood, who ran the Castlemaine Brewery.
Over the years, Woodlands has had many different lives:
- First, it was a family home for Joseph Wood.
- It became the Cathedral Hill Grammar School. This means it was a place where students went to learn.
- During World War I (around 1916-1917), it was used by the Australian Red Cross. It became a home called Iluka for soldiers who were recovering from injuries or illness.
- After the war, it went back to being a school again.
- During World War II, it was used as a hospital called the Centaur Hospital.
- Later, it served as a boarding house for people who had recently moved to Australia.
- For 24 years, until 1979, it was a private hospital run by Dr. William Bowmore.
After being a hospital, Woodlands became a private home again. The Foggs family owned the house before 2002. They did a lot of work to fix it up and make it look new again. After them, the Chahl family bought the property.
The Chahl family had plans for Woodlands. In 2004, they wanted to turn it into a place for parties and events. However, people in the community didn't like this idea, so the plan was stopped. Later, they thought about making it a small, fancy hotel for guests. But this didn't happen either. In 2011, the family sold Woodlands for $3.7 million. This was one of the highest prices ever paid for a house in Newcastle at that time!
What Woodlands Looks Like
Woodlands is built in a style called Victorian Italianate. This means it has features that were popular in Italy during the Victorian era. Think of grand, elegant buildings.
Inside, the mansion is quite large. It has seven bedrooms and three bathrooms. There are also two kitchens, or one kitchen and an eighth bedroom with a small kitchen area. It even has a special room just for playing billiards! You can also find six fireplaces, which would have kept the house warm in the past.
During the Foggs family's renovation, they found something amazing. They discovered beautiful, detailed designs on the ceilings that had been hidden for a long time. These are called intricate moulded ceilings.
Over the years, parts of the land that originally belonged to Woodlands have been sold off. So, the property is not as big as it once was.
Why Woodlands is a Heritage Site
Woodlands is considered a very important historical building. It was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This listing helps to protect the house and its history for future generations to enjoy and learn from.
