by Cathy Jones
‘Dagworth’ is a Federation style house built c.1899.
This property is situated on the original Thomas Rose grant of 1793. The land passed to Edward Powell and by the 1880’s the land was generally owned by William Russell. In October 1888, six acres in the northern part of Russell’s land was acquired by the President and Fellows of Camden Congregational College, with the intention of building a theological college in Strathfield. An additional five perches fronting Homebush Road was added from the Frederick Meredith 1793 grant, thereby the land fronted Albert Road, Homebush Road and Beresford Road.
The Congregational Church was well established in the Strathfield area in the late 19th century with many high profile members including merchant George Todman, architects Charles Slatyer and Harry Chambers Kent, and the extended members of the David Jones family (including members of the Jones, Thompson, Nott, Ross and Wilshire families). The Strathfield-Homebush Congregational Church (now Korean Uniting Church) was located opposite this land on the corner Homebush and Albert Road Strathfield. Likely in response to poor economic conditions in the 1890s, the plan to develop the land became unviable and the College Trustees opted to subdivide the land and offer it for residential sale in 1898. This subdivision includes land in Albert Rd (65-103 Albert Rd), Homebush Rd (25-39 Homebush Rd) and parts of Beresford Rd.
‘Dagworth’ was built by builder Robert Finch in 1899 for miner James Hoskins, a member of Legislative Council of NSW Parliament. After Hoskins death in 1901, the house was leased to Dr George Mander Jones, grandson of retailer David Jones. His wife Margaret Arnott was the daughter of Arnott Biscuit founder William Arnott. From 1908 to 1915, the owner and occupier of ‘Dagworth’ was Ernest Albert Laurence, solicitor and Mayor of Strathfield in 1917-18.
References
Jones, C ‘Five Federation Houses – part 1’, Strathfield District Historical Society Newsletter, May 2003
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory
