By Cathy Jones
‘Highclere’ is built on Lot 38 of the Hatherley Estate, which was subdivided in 1913. The house, then named ‘Nindaroo’, was built for its owner Percy Edmund Llewellyn Haley, an engineer, in 1919 at the estimated cost of £1400. The house was a brick bungalow of more than five rooms. The builder of the house was Alex Allen, of Summer Hill. The house is a single storey Federation Bungalow style house. The original site included Lots 37 and 38 and the property originally had a 122 foot frontage. A tennis court was located on Lot 37 and the house on Lot 38. A garage was added to the house in 1935 and a verandah enclosure was approved in 1937.
Hayley resided at ‘Nindaroo’ until 1937, when he sold the house and moved to Firth Avenue Strathfield, where he died in 1964. Hayley sold Lot 37 in 1939. In 1937, ‘Nindaroo’s’ ownership transferred to Robert Sawall, manager of Scheweppes Soft Drinks, Foveaux St Sydney. The house sold for £1450. Sawall remained the owner until 1946, when the house was sold to Raymond David Stead and Geoffrey Alfred Stead, company managers for £1615. In 1966, the house was transferred by Ethel Stead and Ethelma Grace Fooks (formerly Stead) to Ethelma and William John Fooks for £9500. Ethelma and William Fooks remained the house ‘Deloraine’.
The house is currently known as Highclere.
References
Department of Valuer-General, Valuation Lists, Municipality of Strathfield 1924, , 1930, 1933, 1939, 1942, 1957, 1960
Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986.
Notice of Land Transfers
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory 1881-1932/3
Strathfield Council Building Register Vol.1, Vol. 4 and Vol.8
Strathfield Council Meeting Minutes November 19 1918
Strathfield Heritage 