By Cathy Jones 2024
‘The Rower’ 10 Eastbourne Avenue Homebush West is a single storey weatherboard cottage with a symmetrical façade, built in 1915.
This house is located on the 210 acre land granted to John Fleming in 1806. Part of the Fleming land was acquired for the western railway running from Sydney to Parramatta. Flemington Rail Station is built on this land grant. Ownership of Fleming’s grant was acquired by William George Pennington, William Mackenzie Snr, Robert John King, James Clegg Taylor and Charles Wye Weekes and subdivided in 1881 as deposited plan 827 and marketed as the Flemington Estate.
In January 1901, Lot 4 Section 19 on which ‘The Rower’ is located was sold to George Maiden Jnr and James Gladstone Maiden[1]. In July 1910, the vacant land was transferred to Thomas Crossan (1886-1949), an engineer. Crossan lodged an application to build a wooden cottage of 4+ rooms with an iron roof in July 1915[2]. The builder was George Bower, First Street Clyde. The estimated cost of the construction was £350.
In June 1929, Crossan transferred the property to his wife Lucy Mary Crossan (née Bower) (1884-1975).
The house was numbered 10 Eastbourne Road. The street was renumbered in 1957, but this was not renumbered.
In August 1976, following the death of Mrs Lucy Crossan, the property transferred to her sons Thomas Henry Crossan and Ernest Eric Crossan. The property was sold in November 1987 to Anthony Hassett and Susan Hassett as joint tenants[3].
The house is currently known as ‘The Rower’.
Footnote
[1] Certificate of Title v.752 f.235
[2] Strathfield Council Building Register Application 257/1915 dated 2 July 1915
[3] Certificate of Title v.2086 f.125
Strathfield Heritage 