by Cathy Jones
‘Oakdene’ 86 Broughton Road Strathfield is a single storey stuccoed brick Victorian Italianate style house with hipped slate roof and an elaborately moulded stuccoed chimney.
‘Oakdene’ is located on the original Simeon Lord grant of 9 August 1803. This and other land grants came under the ownership of William George Pennington, William Henry Mackenzie Snr, John Piper Mackenzie, Robert John King, and Charles Wye Weekes. A primary application was lodged on 25 June 1878 for subdivision of the 306 acres located in the area of Homebush. The subdivision was also known as the ‘Village of Homebush’ estate.
Land comprising of Lot 7, Section 14 was acquired by James Gregg Jnr on 30 June 1880. Gregg Jnr, is likely the son of Alexander Gregg, a founding partner of Richardson & Wrench estate agents and auctioneers, and a prominent resident of Homebush.
The lot measured two roods nineteen perches, located on the corner of Broughton Road and Coventry Road (later named Mackenzie Street). In August 1887, Gregg Jnr transferred the lot to Thomas Whittle of Newtown, architect and builder[1]. It is assumed that the design and build of this house was carried out by Whittle c.1888-1889, during his ownership. Whittle (1845-1895) was born in England and migrated to Australia in 1857. He was quite prolific and his work mainly involved design of houses and shops in the inner city areas of Newtown, Balmain, Erskineville, Petersham, Enmore and Marrickville before his early death at 49 years leaving a wife and ten children. He is buried at Rookwood Cemetery.
This house first appears in Sands Directory in 1890 occupied by Reverend B Bottomly (Wesleyan)[2].
The property was transferred to Alexander Benson of Richmond, Esq in September 1891[3]. Benson was a pioneer of the Richmond area in New South Wales. There is little evidence that Benson (1860-1903) lived in this house as it was leased to various Wesleyan Church Ministers until 1891[4] and to a Mrs Loson in 1892-1893[5]. However, from 1894 it was leased on a permanent basis to extended members of Benson’s family, the Town family, who eventually became the owners in 1932.
In 1858, Benson married Mary Onus (1838-1861). Mary’s sister was Emma Susannah Town (nee Onus) (1843-1931) who married Andrew Town (1840-1890). Town was a prominent and much respected cattle breeder and racing identity, who died heavily in debt in 1890. On 4 January 1890 the Hawkesbury Race Club and the A.J.C. held a complimentary race meeting for him at Randwick and £1830 was donated to his wife ‘for her sole separate use’[6].
It is likely that due to her poor financial circumstances, Benson leased the house to Mrs Town, a relation by marriage. According to Benson’s obituary in the Hawkesbury Herald in 1903 he was known for his generosity and had a close relationship with Andrew Town, assuming many of Town’s responsibilities and positions in the racing industry after his death:
‘He then managed “Hobartville” for the late Mr. Andrew Town…On the death of Mr. Town in 1891, Mr. Benson became judge of the Australian Jockey Club. He was also judge at the Rosehill, Canterbury, Warwick Farm, and the Hawkesbury Race Club’s meetings, which positions he filled until he died’.
Around the time Mrs Town moved to ‘Oakdene’, Benson transferred the property in April 1893 to the Permanent Trustee Company of New South Wales Ltd. The Sands Directory records Mrs Emma Town as the occupant of this house from 1894[7] until her death in 1931. The house name ‘Oakdene’ first appears in the Sands Directory in 1904.
Mrs Town’s daughter was named Emma Onus Town (1867-1948) and she married George Leonard Lee CMG DSO (1860-1939) at St Ann’s Anglican Church Strathfield in 1896. George Lee had a distinguished army career including service in the South African War, he was Commandant of military forces in Tasmania, Queensland, and New South Wales; he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Governor-General 1915-1920 and retired from the army in 1920 with the honorary rank of Lieutenant General[8]. Emma Onus Lee (nee Town) had a sister named Nellie Town (1879-1968), who in 1932 became joint owner of the property with Emma and George Leonard Lee. In 1921, another sister Marjorie Moore (nee Town) moved to ‘Kooyong’ 49 Redmyre Road Strathfield.
In October 1932 the property transferred to Emma Onus Lee, wife of George Leonard Lee CMG DSO of Homebush and Nellie Town of Homebush, spinster. Twenty five perches (part of Lot 7) on the corner of Broughton Road and Mackenzie Street were transferred to Strathfield Council for road widening in August 1933[9]. The land lot was registered in 1982 as a public road.
In 1938, Emma Lee and Nellie Town subdivided the remaining land, creating Lot A and Lot B. They retained ownership of ‘Oakdene’ on Lot A. Lot B (now 88 Broughton Road) was transferred to William Stuart Miller in December 1938[10]. In January 1943, Lot A was further subdivided and with part transferred to David Ambrose Flannery[11].
‘Oakdene’ was now located on Lot C and measured one rood and three quarters of a perch[12]. A notice of the death of Emma Onus Lee was registered, with Nellie Town being registered as a the sole proprietor of the land in February 1951.
In November 1966, the property was transferred to Ronald John Wright, a company director. In January 1977, the property was transferred to A J Aubin & Co Pty Ltd and again transferred in June 1978 to John Arthur Kenna of Penrith, Medical Practitioner and Pauline Mary Kenna, his wife as joint tenants.
References
Bowd, D. (1976), ‘Town, Andrew (1840–1890)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
DEATH OF MR. ALFX BENSON. (1903, June 5). Hawkesbury Herald (Windsor, NSW : 1902 – 1945), p. 12. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66354491
Department of Valuer-General, Valuation Lists, Municipality of Strathfield 1933, 1951, 1960
Family Notices (1895, April 20). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 1. Retrieved September 27, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13981880 (Death Thomas Whittle)
NSW Land Registers
Sands Suburban Directory Strathfield 1887-1932
Strathfield Council Valuation Lists
Vernon, P. V, (1986) ‘Lee, George Leonard (1860–1939)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lee-george-leonard-7146/text12335
Footnotes
[1] NSW Land Register, CT v.504 f.44
[2] Sands Suburban Directory Strathfield 1890-1891
[3] NSW Land Register, CT v.504 f.44
[4] Sands Suburban Directory Strathfield 1887-1892
[5] Sands Suburban Directory Strathfield 1893-1894
[6] Bowd, D. (1976), ‘Town, Andrew (1840–1890)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography.
[7] Sands Suburban Directory Strathfield 1895
[8] Vernon, P. V, (1986) ‘Lee, George Leonard (1860–1939)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography
[9] NSW Land Register, CT v.4770 f.185
[10] NSW Land Register, CT v.4781 f.161
[11] NSW Land Register, CT v.5018 f.231
[12] NSW Land Register CT v.5373 f.58
Strathfield Heritage 