by Cathy Jones 2025
26 Florence Street Strathfield, was situated on the eastern side of Florence Street near Albany Road. The house was built in 1941 and was a two storey moderne style house which featured elements of the P&O style, such as the porthole windows, inspired by the popularity of ocean travel and in Australia the Pacific & Orient (P&O) line in the 1930s. This style was more common in suburbs with water views such as Manly and Seaforth. The style was rare in Strathfield and most of the few examples have been demolished except 20 Strathfield Avenue.
26 Florence Street is located on the 1810 James Wilshire Crown Land grant. This land was subdivided into residential lots in 1867 by solicitor William Whaley Billyard and offered for sale as the Redmire Estate. In 1890, three lots were acquired by Walter Edmunds, who built the house ‘Weeroundee’ on the eastern-southern corner of Elwin and Florence Streets.
In 1941, part of the grounds of the house ‘Weeroundee’, formerly owned by the late Judge Walter Edmunds was subdivided and offered for sale. In October 1941, the land transferred to Doreen O’Loughlin of Randwick.
An application to construct a house was lodged by Doreen O’Loughlin in August 1941. The house was described as a brick dwelling of 7 rooms etc at an estimated cost of £1800 on land with a 60 foot frontage and 130 foot depth. The builders were W B & F D Rudd of 14 Strathfield Ave Strathfield. The application was approved by Council on 26 August 1941.
Doreen O’Loughlin (1913-1985) married William Basil Rudd of the building firm W B & F D Rudd in November 1941. The firm were prolific builders and responsible for many local buildings including Santa Sabina Chapel, which was built in 1960.
The house was originally numbered 24 Florence Street but renumbered 26 Florence Street in 1958.
In February 1943, Mrs Rudd sold the property to Leslie Ross Arnott, production manager. Arnott (1906-1997) was the son of Walter Edmond Arnott (1879-1955), Director of Arnott’s Biscuits, and Mary Patterson Arnott (née Ross) (1877-1954). Leslie, who was known as Ross, spent most of his early life at ‘Balnagowan’ 15-17 Wakeford Ave Strathfield. In 1937, he married Marjorie Manchee (1908-1999) and in 1943, they moved to Florence Street.
In August 1951, the property was transferred to Claude Herriques Perrottet (1907-1984), a grazier from Queanbeyan. In November 1954, the property transferred to Edna Campbell, wife of Stanley Alexander Campbell of Earlwood, an engineer.
In June 1977, the property was transferred to John Dyson, a newsagent and his wife Sandra Dyson, as joint tenants.
This house has been demolished and a new dwelling built.
References
Department of Valuer-General, Valuation Lists, Municipality of Strathfield
NSW Electoral Rolls
NSW Land Registry Services, Certificate of Title v.5272 f.75
Strathfield Council Building Register
