By Cathy Jones 2024
‘Avonhurst’ 138 Homebush Road Strathfield is a Federation Queen style house with 3 gables featuring shingles and fretwork.
The house is built on land originally granted to James Wilshire in 1810. Following changes in ownership, Wilshire’s grant was eventually subdivided under the name of the Redmire Estate in 1867. In 1869, William Wakeford purchased Lots 27-30 from the estate, which were then consolidated as deposited plan 122[1]. In 1874, lots 5 and 6, section 3 were transferred to Samuel Cole, Ironmonger[2], then in 1892 to David Miller[3]. Peter Mathieson became the registered owner of the land, which was still vacant, in August 1894.[4]
In May 1909, Peter Mathieson sold Lot 5, Section 3, Deposited Plan 122 to Fred Mumford (1864-1935).[5] This land lot had frontages on both Cotswold Road and Homebush Road. Mumford lodged an application to Strathfield Council in August 1909 to erect a brick house facing Homebush Road built by G H Stone, a master builder[6]. A tender was issued by architect Clarence Backhouse to build a residence on Homebush Road Strathfield in July 1909[7]. A contract was awarded by Backhouse to the builder G H Stone in August 1909[8].
The architect Clarence Backhouse (1859-1930) was a prominent Sydney architect. He was the son of architect and politician the Hon. Benjamin Backhouse, MLC, with whom he served seven years’ articleship[9]. Backhouse’s speciality was theatre building. He designed the Tivoli Theatre, the Palace Theatre, the Lyceum Theatre and Criterion Theatre in Sydney, the Bijou Theatre, Adelaide, and provided designs for the Melbourne Opera House[10]. He also designed many ice skating rinks including the Crystal Palace and Darlinghurst Hall, then the largest in Australia. He also designed residential buildings including ‘Canonbury’ Darling Point for Harry Rickards and many houses in residential suburbs of Sydney. In 1909, when 138 Homebush Road Strathfield was designed, Backhouse was a Fellow of the Institute of Architects (FIA) NSW Branch.
The house was built in 1909 and first appears in the 1910 Sands Directory for Fred Mumford. The house appears in subsequent directories as named ‘Avonhurst’. It is recorded on the Strathfield Council valuation lists 1911 as a house, owned and occupied by Fred Mumford. ‘Avonhurst’ was originally numbered 106 Homebush Road, but renumbered 138 Homebush Road in 1960.
Mumford is noted on records such as electoral rolls as of ‘independent means’. He lived at ‘Avonhurst’ with his wife Isabella (née Percival).
In 1920, Fred Mumford sold the rear part of the land facing Cotswold Rd to Harry Digre (which became the house ‘Stanthel’).[11] In October 1920 Mumford sold the residue land, part Lot 5, containing the house ‘Avonhurst’ to Helen Alice Raves[12]. Raves (1871-1922), a teacher, lived at ‘Avonhurst’ with her father John Crocombe Raves (1842-1923) and sister Emily Lavinia Raves, also a teacher. Helen Raves died at age 50 years and her father died in 1923. The property was transferred in July 1923 to her sister Emily Lavinia Raves[13]. John C Raves is listed as the occupant of ‘Avonhurst’ in Sands Directory in 1922-1924[14].
In 1923, the land was again subdivided and ‘Avonhurst’ was reduced in land size from a 132 foot to 58 foot frontage. Raves sold the land containing the house ‘Avonhurst’ to Alexander John Symons in July 1923[15].
Emily Raves retained the residue of land (now 140 Homebush Road) which she sold in 1930 to William Mitchell and Duncan Gillies as trustees of the Presbyterian Church.[16]. Confusingly, each of the subdivided land lots are referred to as part Lot 5 on valuation records.
In November 1925, Alexander Symons transferred the house ‘Avonhurst’ to Alfred Heine[17]. Heine (1891-1982) was a Director and son of John Heine, founder of John Heine & Son Pty Ltd. This company was founded in Sydney in 1886 specialising in power presses and forming dies. It was the first company to make automatic can making machinery in Australia. Until it’s closure in 2023, the Heine family managed the company, which made a wide variety of products principally machinery for the sheet metal stamping industry, the can making industry and the mining industry. When Heine owned this house, the name was changed to ‘Lochinvar’.
In August 1935, the house was transferred to William Alexander Crichton, a company director[18]. The purchase price was £3200. Heine moved to ‘Bellevue’ 8-10 Victoria Street Strathfield. In May 1961, the house transferred to John Crichton of Lidcombe, a medical practitioner[19].
Reference
Art and architecture : the journal of the Institute of Architects of New South Wales, Sydney, Vol. 5 No. 2 (1 March – April 1908)
Cyclopedia of NSW (1907)
NSW Electoral Roll, Burwood, subdivision Strathfield 1913
Department of the Valuer General NSW – Valuation List – Valuation District of Strathfield 1924, 1927, 1930, 1933, 1947, 1957
TENDERS: (1909, July 27). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15077000
CONTRACTS (Architect Backhouse and Builder Stone). (1909, August 10). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 9. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15113642
Strathfield Council, Minutes of Council Meetings
Strathfield Council, Valuation lists 1911-1913, 1921
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory 1908-1932
Footnotes
[1] Certificate of Title v.LXXVIII f.240
[2] Certificate of Title v.LXXVIII f.240
[3] Certificate of Title v.1067 f.131
[4] Certificate of Title v.1143 f.72
[5] Certificate of Title v.1143 f.72
[6] Strathfield Council, Meeting Minutes August 1909, G H Stone, builder, 60 Oxford Road Petersham is listed as a member of the Master Builders Association in Construction (NSW), 12 September 1910.
[7] Tenders, 27 July 1909, SMH, page 3
[8] Contracts, 10 August 1909, SMH, page 9
[9] Cyclopedia of NSW (1907)
[10] Cyclopedia of NSW (1907)
[11] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.2086 f.110
[12] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.3121 f.99
[13] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.3121 f.99
[14] Sands Suburban Directory, Strathfield. Note Sands Directory listing usually reflects the previous 12 months.
[15] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.3121 f.99
[16] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.3491 f.209
[17] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.3493 f.70
[18] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.3493 f.70
[19] NSW Land Transfer Certificate of Title v.3493 f.70
Strathfield Heritage 