By Cathy Jones (2023)
’Mornington’ 77 Homebush Road Strathfield was built in 1892 for Albert Francis Ellis, a railway official. The house is a Victorian Italianate style, single storey house with stuccoed walls and a hipped and gabled terracotta tile roof.
This property is built on the Bushy Hill Estate, which was offered for sale in 1880 by estate agents and auctioneers Hardie and Gorman. Lot 6 and 7 of Section 1 was sold to Mr Webster for £150. Lot 7 was sold to Albert Francis Ellis by W J Webster around 1891 with the house built by 1892. The house first appears in Sands Directory in 1894 named ‘Mornington’ and occupied by Albert Ellis.
Albert Francis Ellis (1851-1909) was born in England and commenced his official career as a junior clerk at King’s Cross Railway Station, on the Great Northern Railway, England. After serving there for some time, he went to India, under engagement, and was there for 10 years in the employ of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, at Bombay. While in India, he married Emily Ann Vears (1852-1898). In 1882, he migrated to New South Wales. He brought a letter of introduction from Sir James Fergusson, Governor of Bombay, to Sir John Robertson, which resulted in an offer of employment as the chief clerk in the office of the Traffic Manager, which he accepted. In 1887, he was appointed station master at Wallerawang NSW, then Mount Victoria and then Bathurst. His final appointment was Station Master of Homebush Rail Station. In 1898, Ellis’s wife Emily died leaving a family of six children. The Sands Directory notes from 1898 the house was leased, though Ellis maintained ownership. Sands Directory notes the following occupants of ‘Mornington’: W M Walsh 1900-1903, George Pettit 1904, 1905-1906 Michael Usher 1905-1906 and 1907-1910 Ernest Trigg.
In 1909, Ellis was killed in an accident at Strathfield Rail Station aged 58 years. The coroner’s inquest was held at the Horse and Jockey Hotel, Parramatta Road Homebush. The Coroner concluded that the cause of death was ‘effects of injuries, accidentally incurred through being run over train leaving a railway carriage on the wrong side’
Strathfield Council’s Valuation lists 1909-1911 indicate change of ownership in 1909 to Ernest Samuel Trigg (1872-1963) who owned the house until about 1911. Ernest Trigg was a prominent engineer and head of Meadowbank Engineering Company. Trigg then moved to ‘Cheppen’, a house located in Victoria St, Strathfield. Trigg lived there until his death. He is buried at St Thomas Anglican Church Enfield. ‘Cheppen’ was demolished in the late 1960’s with other houses and Summit Place was built in its place.
From 1911 to at least 1932 ‘Mornington’ was the home of Mrs Isabella Fenton-Spencer. Isabella Fenton-Spencer (c. 1862-1935) (née Oglivy) was a headmistress of various NSW public schools, a foundation member and vice-president of the Dickens Fellowship, a regular contributor to Sydney Press and was active in the United Australia Party.
In 1945, Mrs Fenton-Spencer’s estate sold ‘Mornington’ to Norman & Nola Harris, a school teacher and his wife.
Reference
Advertising (1880, November 4). Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 – 1931), p. 1. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108750904
Gibbney J & Smith, A (eds) (1987) A Biographical Register. 1788-1939. Notes from the name index of the Australian Dictionary of Biography. Volume I A-K. Volume II L-Z, Published Australian National University
“INQUEST.” The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954) 22 July 1909: 10. Web. 28 Jun 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15114613>.
The Late Mr. A. E. Ellis. (1909, July 23). Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 – 1931), p. 3. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114769338
Property Sales. (1880, November 27). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13477065
Station Master Ellis’ Death. (1909, July 22). Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 – 1931), p. 8. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114768500
Mrs. I. F. Spencer. (1935, May 10). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 17. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17145024
State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia; Returns of the Colony; Series: NRS 1286; File: Public Service Lists (Blue Books); Reel: 3611
