By Cathy Jones 2025
Talgai’ 63 Burlington Road Homebush, with ‘Gowan Brae’ at 65 Burlington Road Homebush, is one of a pair of single storey face brick and roughcast stucco late Federation Queen Anne style houses built by David Cunningham, a prolific local builder, in 1914-1915. ‘Talgai’ is located on Lot 37, Section 11 of the Village of Homebush Estate (deposited plan 400)
The ‘Village of Homebush” Estate was an 1878 subdivision of land that came under the ownership of James Underwood. The estate measured 306 acres and created Burlington Rd, Beresford Road, Abbotsford Rd, Bridge St, Coventry Rd, Meredith St, Homebush Crescent and Bellevue Street. A section of Coventry Road has been renamed Mackenzie Street. Bellevue Street has been renamed Homebush Road and Homebush Crescent has been renamed The Crescent.
The section of Burlington Road, between Meredith Street and Bridge Road, is located on Sections 11 and 12 of the ‘Village of Homebush’ Estate. Residential development commenced c.1880 in this section of Burlington Road.
Ownership of the Lots 36 and 37 transferred several times until these land lots were acquired by Alexander Lundie in 1881. In February 1914, Lundie transferred Lot 37, which was vacant, to Margaret Cunningham, wife of David Cunningham of Strathfield, builder “for her separate use”. Her husband, David Cunningham, a builder, applied for building approval from Strathfield Council to build a new brick house of minimum 4 rooms at an estimated value of 750 pounds. Approval was granted to Cunningham on 25 October 1915. David Cunningham was a local builder who built many houses in the Homebush area during this period.
The house first appears in the 1916 Sands Directory occupied by David Cunningham and called ‘Scots Craig’ (noting that Sands Directory generally references the previous year). The property was originally addressed as 59 Burlington Road but was renumbered in 1957 as 63 Burlington Road.
By 1915, the house was completed and in October 1915, ownership transferred to Catherine Bateman, wife of John Edward Bateman of Strathfield, master painter. The house was renamed ‘Talgai’.
After the death of Catherine Bateman, property transferred (by transmission) to the Permanent Trustee Company of NSW and John Edwin Bateman of Homebush on 4 August 1926. Bateman remained the owner until his death. A notice of death of John Bateman was lodged on 22 December 1954 and the Perpetual Trustee Company of NSW is registered as the sole proprietor.
In March 1955, the property transferred to Richard Cox of Summer Hill, Police Constable. The house was owned for nearly thirty years until it was sold to Kamyee Kwan in May 1982. It was again sold in 1984 to Graeme and Lynn Johnson.
References
Commonwealth of Australia Electoral Rolls
Department of Valuer-General, Municipality of Strathfield, Valuation Lists
NSW Land Registry
Sands Sydney Directory published until 1932/3 by John Sands
Strathfield Council Building Register Vol. 1
