By Cathy Jones 2024
Marion St Heritage Conservation Area is built on part of the original 1841 land grant to Joseph Hyde Potts, Secretary of Bank of NSW. The land was subdivided in 1923 and offered for sale as the ‘Crown of Strathfield’ Estate, however most houses on this estate were not built until the 1930’s. . The ‘Crown of Strathfield’ subdivision includes a public recreation area, which was later dedicated as Kessell Square, one of Strathfield Council’s neighbourhood parks.
18 Marion Street, an interwar cottage, was built in 1929 for William Winter Cosgrove.
In November 1928, William Cosgrove purchased Lot 76 DP 12405 from the Land Investment Company Ltd. The site was located on the north-eastern corner of the intersection of Marion Street and Edgar Street Strathfield. The land title contained a covenant which required that the main building must be built in brick and/or stone and/or concrete, that the land must not contain any factory, poultry farm, brickyard quarry hoarding or hotel.
In August 1929, Cosgrove gained approval from Council to build a brick cottage of five rooms at value of ₤1400. William Cosgrove (1890-1952) was an electrical engineer. He also served as was Mayor of Strathfield 1940 to 1943 and served as an Alderman from 1930-1950. Cosgrove was an electrician and is credited for developing street lights on nature strips in Strathfield. These lights were discontinued in the 1980s as Sydney County Council refused to service the non-standard lights. Cosgrove Road and Cosgrove Reserve are named for him.
In July 1953, the property transferred to John Francis Cosgrove (by transmission application), after the death of William Cosgrove. In April 1964, the property transferred to Owen Davies of Croydon, an engineer for £8850. In November 1973 the property transferred to Joan Davies (by transmission application). In December 1975, the property transferred to Michael Turley, contractor carrier and Philomena Turley, his wife as joint tenants.
