By Cathy Jones
The ‘Windsor Flats’ are located on the corner of Loftus Crescent and Knight Street (formerly Rochester Street) Homebush. The flats were built in 1937 and are located opposite Homebush Rail Station on Loftus Crescent and behind the Horse & Jockey Hotel on Knight Street
This type of flat is reasonably rare in the Strathfield and Homebush areas. While some have been demolished and the land they occupied redeveloped into units with higher densities, not many were originally built due to the restrictive building codes of the day, which only permitted flat development in limited locations.
The ‘Windsor Flats’ were constructed in 1937 by Michael Barry, a Strathfield based owner/builder at an estimated value of £7500. The 12 units and garages had a single owner and were rented. Barry was directed by Homebush Council to construct an air raid shelter for persons living at ‘Windsor Flats (Government Gazette No. 108 of 22nd August, 1941), however by the time the notice was served Barry had died. The Council resolved not to continue to demand the construction of the shelters. By 1954, ownership transferred to Dr Michael Barry (presumably son of the original owner) and by 1958, ownership transferred to Windsor Flats Pty Ltd. The flats would have been later strata titled which permitted separate ownership of individual flats.
There are examples of this type of flat development in The Crescent, Station Street and Knight Street Homebush, though many are currently being redeveloped.
The photograph was taken in 2016 and is facing Knight Street.
Strathfield Heritage 