‘Bickley’ Albyn Road Strathfield

The mansion ‘Bickley’ once stood on the corner of Albyn and Kingsland Road (20 Albyn Road).  The house was built in 1896-97 for Helen Jones, widow of Edward Lloyd Jones, former Chairman of David Jones & Co. The house was designed by architect George Sydney Jones, her nephew.

‘Bickley’ was one of the many homes built by members of the Jones, Thompson and Wilshire families who resided in Strathfield for many decades.  These families were very prominent in Sydney in business, architecture and politics as well as their close association with the Congregational Church.  Indeed, Strathfield is mainly built on the original James Wilshire grant of 1808, which was later known as the Redmire Estate.

Mrs Jones transferred ownership of the house to her daughter Alice and husband Arthur Ross Nott in 1929.  After the death of his wife, Nott submitted plans for conversion of ‘Bickley’ into a boarding house in 1950, which was often the fate of the old Strathfield mansions in the 1950s.

After the death of Nott, the house and land were purchased by Don Sumner.  Sumner demolished ‘Bickley’ and then subdivided the property, creating residential lots facing Albyn Rd and Kingsland Rd.  Sumner applied for approval to construct a new house, which was completed in 1958 but has recently been demolished.