By Cathy Jones
‘Halcyon’ 110 Homebush Road Strathfield is located on the corner of Homebush and Woodward Avenue Strathfield. The house is described as a “single storey brick bungalow features a large expansive slate roof with attic. The main elements included rendered columns, bay window to Woodward Avenue, exposed rafters, render to attic, rendered splayed chimney, timber picket fence to Woodward Avenue, brick fence to Homebush Road, entry porch and a mature garden. This well maintained bungalow..is of local significance as retaining form, scale and detail as an important corner element”[1].
‘Halcyon’ is located on the Woodgreen Estate (deposited plan 538). About 1915, Mrs Ethel Greenland (1883-1943) purchased land (Lot 4, Section 4, part 3, DP 538)[2] to build a house. She was the wife of Harrie O. Greenland (1883-1948), an accountant and Manager of Arnott’s Biscuits.
In 1916, Mrs Greenland lodged a building application to construct a brick bungalow with a tiled roof containing of 8+ rooms[3]. The builders were Bourne & Sons, Burwood, and the estimated value of building was £1330[4]. The application was approved on 4 January 1916. The house was designed by architect Herbert Dennis. Dennis issued a contract to the builders B. Bourne and Sons, Burwood Road, Burwood for construction of a bungalow on Homebush Road Strathfield[5].
Herbert Dennis also designed ‘Wawona’, a residence for biscuit manufacturer Percival Sinclair Arnott, 96 Albyn Road Strathfield, in 1916. Greenland and Arnott both held senior positions at William Arnott Ltd at Homebush, where the head office and biscuit factory were located (1908-1997)[6]. Both ‘Halcyon’ and ‘Wawona’ are heritage items on Strathfield Council’s Local Environmental Plan[7].
The house first appears in the Sands Sydney Directory in 1917 for Harrie Greenland ‘Halcyon’[8]. From 1926, the house is listed as 82 Homebush Road Strathfield. The house was renumbered in 1960 as 110-112 Homebush Road.
Harrie Osborne Greenland (1883-1948) was an accountant and worked for Arnott’s Biscuits in Newcastle New South Wales. Greenland married Edith Campbell in 1908. Greenland moved to Sydney when the business transferred its operations to Homebush. He and his wife lived at ‘Halcyon’ until their deaths.
The house was then sold to Walter Forsyth, a solicitor of the firm Sly & Russell. Forsyth served as an Alderman on Strathfield Council from 1948-1954[9]. By 1960, the house was owned by Ian and Audrey Gordon.
The house has been re-adapted as a childcare centre.
References
Advertising (1915, December 24). Construction and Local Government Journal, p1. Viewed from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109635661
Boag, C. (1993). The Story of Arnott’s Biscuits, Landsdowne Publishing Pty Ltd
Department of Valuer-General, Valuation Lists, Municipality of Strathfield
Electoral Rolls, Division of Lowe, 1954 (Walter and Betty Forsyth)
Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986
Family Notices (1948, October 22). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 14. Retrieved August 23, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18092481
OBITUARY. (1934, October 27). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 19. Retrieved August 23, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17124825
NSW Electoral Rolls, Division of Nepean 1917 (Greenland)
‘The Salon’ Vol.7 June 1916
Sands Sydney & Suburban Directory 1910-1932
Strathfield Council Building Register Vol.1
Strathfield Council Local Environmental Plan – Schedule 5 Environmental Heritage viewed at https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/epi-2013-0115#sch.5
Footnotes
[1] Fox & Associates (1986) Strathfield Heritage Study
[2] OBITUARY. (1934, October 27). SMH, p. 19.
[3] Strathfield Council Building Register Vol.1
[4] Strathfield Council Building Register Vol.1
[5] Advertising (1915, December 24). Construction and Local Government Journal, p1.
[6] Family Notices (1948, October 22). SMH, p. 14.
[7] Strathfield Council Local Environmental Plan – Schedule 5 Environmental Heritage
[8] Sands Sydney Directory – Strathfield Municipality 1917-1932
[9] Electoral Rolls, Division of Lowe, 1954 (Walter and Betty Forsyth)
Strathfield Heritage 