by Cathy Jones
The large portion of the suburbs of Strathfield and Strathfield South are built on the original Crown land grant made to James Wilshire in 1810. Wilshire’s grant measured 570 acres and was bounded at its southern boundary by the Cooks River, northern boundary by Redmyre Road, at east by The Boulevarde and Coronation Parade and at west parts of Chalmers Road. The land was known as ‘Wilshire’s Farm’, though there is little evidence that the land was developed.
The land was later acquired by Samuel Terry in 1824 and was known as 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 subdivided in 1867 into blocks from 3-13 acres each with frontages from 4-8 chains to Station Road, Railway Road (now Albyn Road), Homebush Road, Liverpool Road, Water Street, Dean Streets, Redmire Boulevarde (former name of The Boulevarde) and Punchbowl Road (now Coronation Parade).
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 large 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 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.
Strathfield Heritage 