by Cathy Jones
‘Hawthorne’, 78-80 Abbotsford Road Homebush is one of the oldest houses on the ‘Village of Homebush’ estate. The photograph above is featured in Where to live: the ABC guide to Sydney and Suburbs published in 1917. This publication is available from NSW State Library.
’Hawthorne’ is described as a ‘fine brick residence of 9 rooms, billiard room and kitchen, standing on extensive grounds. Valued about £3000’.
Hawthorne’ was built in c.1886 for its owner Frederick William Binney Esq. to a design by the architectural firm of Blackett Bros, being Cyril and Arthur Blackett, the sons of prominent architect Edmund Blackett (1817-1883), a former NSW colonial architect.
Frederick William Binney was the Secretary of the Newcastle-Wallsend Coal Company and the Northern Collieries Association. Binney was associated with development of the coal industry in NSW from 1861 to his retirement in 1900.
Following Binney’s death in 1901, the house was purchased by Dr Arthur Salter, a medical doctor. The house was maintained in the ownership of the Salter family until at least the mid-1960s.
A photograph of ‘Hawthorne’ is featured on the cover of Oasis in the West.
Strathfield Heritage 
The Thiele’s were great supporters of the Strathfield Fundraising Committee of the Children’s Medical Research Institute. Joyce, a New Zealander by birth, was an opera singer of renown. Trevor and Joyce and their third son, Glenn, are sadly now deceased.
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You are an amazing wealth of knowledge! Cathy
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Cathy
That is a very interesting photo showing the lattice work on the verandah. In the 1970s Joyce and Trevor Thiele lived at Hawthorne with their four sons. Trevor was a motor dealer and he and Joyce moved to Vaucluse in the early 1980s.
Scott
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Yes the photo is interesting with the lattice, I had not seen this before on the house. Cathy
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