Wentworth Estate
Further grants were made to the north west and south of the original Liberty Plains grants. 920 acres to Darcy Wentworth in an area north of Parramatta Road and running from Powell’s Creek to Haslam’s Creek and to the Parramatta River. This area was later known as the Wentworth Estate, where the house ‘Homebush’ was built.
Wilshire Grant and Redmire Estate
In 1808, 570 acres was granted to James Wilshire. The grant was bounded on the south by the Cooks River (between the now Chalmers Road and the Boulevarde and Coronation Parade) which he called ‘Wilshire’s Farm’. This land was later acquired by Samuel Terry in 1824 and named the ‘Redmire Estate’ after Terry’s birthplace in Yorkshire. After the death of his widow, Rosetta, in 1858, the land was sold to W. W. Bilyard. The Estate was further subdivided in 1867 into blocks from 3-13 acres each with frontages from 4-8 chains to Station Road, Railway Road, Homebush Road, Liverpool Road, Water and Dean Streets and Redmire Boulevarde (former name of The Boulevarde).
The advertisement for the Redmire Estate appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on 28 September 1867 and stated:
THE REDMIRE ESTATE OF 603 ACRES, BURWOOD.
AS RECENTLY SUBDIVIDED INTO BLOCKS, of from 3 to 13 acres, distant a little more than QUARTER OF A MILE FROM THE BURWOOD STATION, extending across to the village of Enfield on the Liverpool Road, to both sides of which it has an extensive frontage, and terminating to the southward with a FRONTAGE OF UPWARDS OF THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE TO COOK’S RIVER. Distant by the Main Road only 8 miles from Sydney.
THE VERY HIGH PRICE NOW ASKED for building lands in the neighbourhood of any of the Railway Stations at all within easy access of the city, and THE PRACTICE OF SELLING THEM BY THE FOOT, so much followed, have compelled all but the very wealthy, who desire after the labour and toil of the day to escape from the smoke and dust of the city, TO CONTENT THEMSELVES WITH A MERE ALLOTMENT scarce large enough for a town house. This most undesirable result has already manifested itself at the more favourite localities along the line, and it must eventuate in the total destruction of those advantages which all persons look fo in a country residence.
To do away with this growing evil, the proprietor of THE VERY BEAUTIFUL ESTATE OF REDMIRE has recently caused it to be most carefully surveyed, intersected by roads of access, and laid out in blocks, affording ample SPACE FOR COUNTRY RESIDENCES WITH GARDENS, shrubberies, orchards, &c. With a view to ascertain the adaptability of the land for the purposes of garden and orchard culture, the property was recently inspected by a gentleman eminently skilled in THE CULTIVATION OF THE VINE AND ORANGE, and the result of such examination was the discovery of a RICH VIRGIN SOIL OF l8 TO 24 INCHES DEEP in almost every spot that was opened up. As the general character of the country is gently undulating, it affords the GREATEST NATURAL FACILITIES FOR DRAINAGE, an advantage which cannot be too highly estimated, and to the absence or neglect of which sanitary provision, ma be attributed the early decay of some of our finest orangeries and orchards.
To a largo extent throughout the Estate THE TIMBER HAS BEEN PRESERVED, thus securing on the spot one of the most costly materials for effecting improvements ; providing also where required BELTS OF TREES FOR THE PROTECTION of young plantations, and contributing by the abundant of many of our most beautiful native shrubs to the rapid formation of ornamental grounds.
The very largo frontage to Cook’s River PROVIDES AN AMPLE SUPPLY OF WATER for the whole estate, and in order that all may share In this advantage alike ROADS OF ACCESS TO THE PERMANENT WATERS have been carefully marked off from all portions of the estate.
THE PROPERTY ABOUNDS IN BEAUTIFUL BUILDING SITES, so that intending purchasers may here secure ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF A COUNTRY HOME, with ample space for improvements PROTECTED FROM THE INQUISITIVENESS , of a too close neighbourhood, and all within a FEW MINUTES DRIVE OF THE CITY BY RAIL. OBSERVE-TITLE UNDER TORRENS ACT. TERMS -Two-thirds of the purchase money may remain secured upon the several purchases for a term of years’ by way of mortgage.
J.V. GORMAN and MILLER have been Instructed by W.W. BILLYARD, Esq., to sell by public auction, at their Land Sale Rooms, No. 183, Pitt-street, on TUESDAY, 22nd October, at 11 o’clock THE VERY BEAUTIFUL ESTATE of REDMIRE, As recently surveyed and subdivided into BLOCKS of FROM 3 to 13 ACRES EACH, with frontages of from 4 to 8 chains to the following roads and streets :
- STATION ROAD. 66 feet wide
- RAILWAY ROAD, ditto
- HOMEBUSH ROAD, ditto
- LIVERPOOL ROAD, ditto
- WATER and DEAN STREETS, ditto
- REDMIRE ROAD, 100 feet wide.
The attention of the public is particularly solicited to this property, which IS IN THE MARKET FOR POSITIVE SALE. LARGE PLAN on view at the Land Sale Rooms, 183, Pitt-street, where intending purchasers can also obtain LITHOGRAPHS. OBSERVE-LONG CREDIT FOR TWO-THIRDS OF PURCHASE MONEY.
The Redmire locality became incorporated under the name of ‘Strathfield’ (the residence of John Hardy, a City jeweler) on June 2, 1885, when local government was formed. The original areas of the new Strathfield Municipality included Redmire, Druitt Town [now Strathfield South] and Homebush.
Underwood Estate and ‘Village of Homebush’
Sections of the Underwood property to the south of the railway (opened in 1855) were subdivided for sale in 1878. The Sydney Morning Herald of November 2, 1878, described the subdivision thus: “. . . a portion of the estate close to the railway station has been laid out as the ‘Village of Homebush’. The ground was allotted into 15 sections, intersected by streets, with names almost identical with those in use to-day.
‘Glebe’ land, Newton grant and Josephson Estate
On June 30, 1823, 450 acres to the west of the free settlers’ land and extending from Parramatta Road southerly to the Liverpool Road had been granted as a ‘glebe’ to the Chaplain of St. James’ Church, Sydney. After 1826, this reverted to the Crown, and in 1841 was divided into 2 portions of 256 and 283 acres and sold. The northern 256 acres was purchased by Joseph Hyde Potts, and the southern 283 acres, purchased by Joseph Newton. (Barker Road now separates these two areas.)
In 1858 the Newton Estate was acquired by Judge Joshua Josephson and marginal portions of the area were afterwards subdivided and sold. Most were sold under the title ‘Josephson’s Estate’ from 1916 onwards.
Father Therry’s grant
Father John Joseph Therry was granted 47 acres in an area called ‘Bark Huts’ in March 1837. To finance the building of the original St. Anne’s Church (foundation stone laid July 1841) Father Therry offered 4 acre blocks for £25, but insufficient money being available, a further 134 allotments were offered for sale in 1854 and the streets of the subdivision named after Saints or dignitaries of the Church.
So it was that during the latter part of the 19th century many of the old semi-rural grants within the “Liberty Plains” District, especially along the principal lines of traffic, were subdivided into homestead areas and later into residential allotments, to meet the requirements of professional men, merchants and government officials.
This information was originally published in ‘Some Notes on the Municipality’, Strathfield Council, 1974. Some corrections and amendments have been made to this material by Cathy Jones 2004 and 2010.
Strathfield Heritage 