By Cathy Jones
‘Edensor’ was built on section 13 of the 1878 Village of Homebush Estate. ‘Edensor’ 19-21 Meredith St Homebush was built in 1906 for John P Duguid, the owner and occupier of house. The house is a two storey brick Federation house.
Duguid was a pastoral agent and tennis player. During Duguid’s occupation, the house was called ‘Dunkeld’ (Valuation List 1906, Sands Directory).
By 1911, ownership of ‘Dunkeld’ transferred to James Pearce the proprietor of the Strathfield Flour Mills. Pearce was a native of Cornwall, England, and migrated to Australia as a very young man. He started at his trade as a flour miller and was successful in his occupation. He settled in Millthorpe and was for many years manager of the Great Western Flour Mills. (Leader 1916: 5). Pearce died suddenly in 1916 and the house transferred to his widow, Mrs Mary Pearce. By 1924, ownership transferred to Mrs Alice Hogan, who lived at ‘Dunkeld’ until c.1942. The next owners were William Stuart Miller, a factory manager and his wife Mildred Alice Miller. When owned by the Millers, the house was divided into two flats. In 1968, Dr Bruce Smith and his wife Pam bought the house and returned it to a single house. Dr Smith was a physician and his bio with the RACP
Reference
Department of the Valuer General NSW – Valuation List – Valuation District of Strathfield
Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986
Late Jas. Pearce, Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 – 1938), Wednesday 23 January 1929, page 3
Obituary, Leader (Orange, NSW : 1899 – 1945), Wednesday 7 June 1916, page 5
Strathfield Council, Minutes of Council Meetings
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory, Municipality of Strathfield 1907-1932
