‘Verani’ 24 Homebush Road Strathfield

by Cathy Jones

‘Verani’ 24 Homebush Road Strathfield is only one of three terrace style houses in Strathfield, which is very rare for Strathfield.  This heritage listed property was built c. 1888.

History of ‘Verani’

‘Verani’ was built in 1888 on the original 1793 Frederick Meredith land grant.

The Meredith land grant was later acquired by James Underwood and subdivided in 1878 as the ‘Village of Homebush’ estate.

Lot 11 was purchased by Henry Koch, a merchant, for £62-10-0 and sold two years later to Will Greatrex, a tinsmith of Rookwood for £97-10-0. The land remained unimproved for six years before being sold to Jane Anderson for £200, who then sold the land in April 1888 to land agent David Hazlewood for £237-10-0.

The house ‘Verani’ was built by Hazlewood in 1888. In 1894, the property was transferred to the mortgagees, John Henry Stephenson and David Roxburgh apparently on foreclosure, noting this was during the 1890’s Depression].  Ownership was unchanged until 1915, when ‘Verani’ was purchased by Henry Joseph Bishop. The Bishop family owned the house until 1968.

‘Verani’ is listed as a heritage item on Strathfield Council’s Local Environmental Plan. This property was identified as heritage significant in the Strathfield Heritage Study in 1986.  The statement of significance/description states:

Verani, a two storey Victorian house was built in 1888 for David Hazlewood, a property agent. Constructed of dichromatic Flemish brick it has an asymmetrical façade with a slate gable roof, corrugated iron bull nosed verandah roof, timber barge and finial, arched top windows, brick voussoirs and fan and side lights to the entry.  The verandah features a cast iron valance, brackets and balustrade.  The house is screened from the street by planting and has a timber fence and curved entry path.  Verani helps to illustrate the range of good quality housing built in the Underwood Estate in the late nineteenth century.

References

Fox & Associates, ‘Verani – Inventory sheet no. 93’, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986.

Malcolm C S, ‘Verani 24 Homebush Rd, Strathfield District Historical Society Newsletter, Vol.3 No.5, January 1981

Strathfield Council Valuation Lists