by Cathy Jones
The ‘Woodgreen Estate’ is a subdivision of a portion of the Redmire Estate, the 1867 subdivision of most of the James Wilshire 1810 land grant. The ‘Woodgreen Estate subdivision’ was advertised for sale in July 1880 and comprised lots 31, 32, 39 & part of lot 38 of the Redmire Estate. The estate provided four sections and 73 lots.
The Woodgreen Estate created Woodward Avenue, Alviston Rd [now known as Parsons Avenue], Woodgreen Rd [now Torrington Avenue], Nichol Parade and Strathfield Avenue. The ‘Woodgreen Estate’ was first marketed by real estate agents Hardie & Gorman for on-site auction on July 31st 1880. The advertisement marketed this estate as:
‘Four minutes walk from Redmyre Railway Station, Nine minutes walk from Burwood Railway Station and Seven Minutes Walk from Homebush Railway Station’.
‘These grand improved suburban properties having an area of over FORTY 40 ACRES with Frontages to The Boulevarde [100 feet wide, made and planted with trees]; Railway Street, Homebush Road, Woodward Avenue, Nichol Parade, Alviston Road, Woodgreen Street, Strathfield Avenue’
‘Situate on the Crown of the Hill, opposite to and near the residences of C E Pilcher Esq, MP; T J Thompson, Esq; Dr P Sydney Jones, Mrs Nichol, H C Fraser Esq and T B Rolin Esq, have been subdivided into LARGE blocks, varying from ¼ to ¾ acre each and will be sold at Auction on the Ground at 3pm sharp Saturday 31st July’
The first lots were sold in Sept 1980, the buyers being Sarah Lusby, spinster of Redfern, who bought Lots 19-20, Section 5 and George Hardie, Gentleman of Petersham, who acquired Lots 4 to 9 Section 2. Three months later Hardie bought adjoining land represented by Lots 10-11, Section 2, making one block with a frontage of 166’ to The Boulevarde and a depth of 780’ along Woodgreen Rd. George Hardie, principal of estate agents Hardie & Gorman and first Mayor of Strathfield in 1885, built ‘Torrington’. ‘Torrington’ was later purchased by James Toohey, brewer of Sydney and has since been demolished.
