By Cathy Jones
This history is in response to a request for information about the location of a house named ‘Royston’ in Strathfield.
‘Royston’ is a slate roofed, rendered brick single storey Victorian Italianate style house. ‘Royston’ was built c.1888 for its owner H Lipscombe and rented to a succession of tenants. Lipscombe initially rented the property to William Findlay in 1888 and then James Ritchie who called the house ‘Royston’ from 1889 to 1891. The ownership of the house transferred to E A Hammond c.1893, who continued to lease the house. Charles Henty, a prominent merchant, occupied the house from 1893-96. Henty later moved to ‘Boronadarra’ in Redmyre Road Strathfield. George E Layton, the occupant from 1902-04, was Secretary of the NSW Art Gallery.
From c.1907 to 1915, ‘Royston’ was occupied by Frederick Rose JP. Rose was a descendent of Thomas Rose, one of the original land grantees in the Strathfield area.
By 1920, the house was owned by Mrs Grace Hugo. The Hugo family lived in the house until c.1957 when it was transferred to Betty Parkes. The Parks family continued to reside in this house until the mid-2000s.
Reference
Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986
Department of the Valuer General NSW – Valuation List – Valuation District of Strathfield
OLD FAMILY (1933, December 19). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 – 1954), p. 8 (FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved March 11, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230190994
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory
Strathfield Heritage 