Ausgrid and Kilmarnock’ Underwood Road Homebush

by Cathy Jones (2023)

In response to an enquiry about a house called ‘Kilmarnock’, which was located on Underwood Rd Homebush.

‘Kilmarnock’, likely a Federation style cottage, was located on Underwood Road, Homebush. No photo appears to exist but an aerial photo from 1947 shows where it was located.  Prior to its demolition, it was numbered 85 Underwood Road.  The land is now part of the Ausgrid site which is located on the corner of Pomeroy Street and Underwood Road, Homebush.

‘Kilmarnock’ was located in the former Homebush Council, which was formed in 1906.  This area was previously unincorporated and no Council records exist prior to 1906.  The Sands Directory, which was an early post office directory listing streets and property occupants, was first published for Homebush in 1908.  James McFarlane is listed as occupying ‘Kilmarnock’ in Underwood Rd in 1908.  Beyond recording an Underwood Road location, it is difficult to pinpoint where on Underwood Rd he resided.  There is a listing in an alphabetical Sydney Sands Directory in 1904 for MacFarlane and he appears on a 1906 Electoral roll as owner and occupier in a house on Underwood Road Homebush, so it is likely he lived on Underwood Road prior to the Council being formed.

In 1916, James MacGregor MacFarlane purchased land (Lot 3, Section 26, Deposited Plan 477) in 1916.  This lot was located on Underwood Road between Pomeroy Street and the Pumping Station (which still exists and is owned by Sydney Water and is heritage listed).  It was a large site with a frontage of 90 feet and depth of 668 feet.

A house called ‘Kilmarnock’ was built on this site. MacFarlane is likely to have named the new house with the same name as a previous house.  In 1924, the house was numbered 172 Underwood Road.  After Homebush Council was merged with Strathfield Council in 1947, streets were renumbered to conform with the same numbering standard.  In Underwood Road, the numbering was substantially changed and this house was renumbered 85 Underwood Road.

James MacGregor MacFarlane (1867-1922) was the son of William MacFarlane (1839-1908) and Agness MacFarlane (1842-1899) (née MacGregor).  He married Mary Anne Rebecca Pike (1872-1926) in 1891. 

On records, James MacFarlane is noted as a tramway employee.  MacFarlane died in 1922 and  the property transferred to Mary Anne Rebecca MacFarlane in March 1923.  Both James and Mary Anne are buried at Rookwood Cemetery in the Presbyterian Section 5D Grave Row 22. The spelling of her name varies on records as either Maryanne or Mary Anne.  She is recorded as Mary Anne on her headstone.

The property was transferred to Malcolm James Macfarlane (1892-1985), an engineer in 1926.  There is little evidence he lived in the house, but he owned it and presumably leased it until 1951, when was transferred to Sydney County Council.  A building application was lodged by Sydney County Council and approved in 1951 to build an electricity substation on the corner of Underwood Road and Pomeroy Street.  SCC was later known as Energy Australia, which was owned by the NSW government.  The retail business, known as Energy Australia was sold.  The remaining distribution and infrastructure business was renamed Ausgrid.