By Cathy Jones
The section of Burlington Road, where ‘Finchley’ 61 Burlington Road is situated, between Meredith Street and Bridge Road is Sections 11 and 12 of the “Village of Homebush” Estate. Residential development commenced c.1880 in this section of Burlington Road. Typically, the earliest homes were set on multiple lots of land with extensive garden settings.
‘Finchley’ is a Victorian Italianate house cottage built in 1893. William John Finneran, a builder of Rouse Hill, purchased the land on which the house was built in August 1892. The property transferred in July 1893 to the Rev. George Holdford Cowles, a Wesleyan Minister. It is likely that Finneran built the house which was transferred to Cowles after completion.
Rev. Cowles maintained ownership until 1922, when the trustees of the Methodist Church acquired the property, for use as a manse [or rectory] for the Homebush Methodist Church [cnr Burlington Road and Meredith Streets].
In 1930, the property transferred to Alessie Bowen, Nurse of Normanhurst and Marion Bowden of Eastwood, Civil Servant as joint tenants. Ownership transferred to Alessie Bowden in April 1960 as the surviving joint tenant. In 1969, ownership transferred to Doris Joan Bowden, who sold the property in 1970 to Kurt Fischer, company director of Homebush and Margaret Ford Fischer, his wife.
References
Land Title Search, Land Titles and Property Information Office, NSW Department of Lands, 2004.
Sands Sydney Directory
‘Village of Homebush’ Subdivision Map 1878.
Strathfield Heritage 