‘Brantwood’ 77-79 Redmyre Rd Strathfield

By Cathy Jones (2011, updated 2024)

‘Brantwood’ 77-79 Redmyre Road Strathfield is a large two storey home built c.1893.  The house is early Federation Filigree in style.

‘Brantwood’ 77-79 Redmyre Road and ‘Woodbine’ 14-16 Oxford Road were built on land owned by members of the Hardy family.  Louisa Hardy built ‘Brantwood’ and her mother Mrs Elizabeth Swift (1861-1911) built ‘Woodbine’ 14-16 Oxford Road.  Mrs Swift was the widow of Samuel Hardy (1816-1865), a jeweller.  Following the death of Louisa Hardy in 1905, both properties were owned by Mrs Swift until her death in 1911.

The Hardy family

In December 1893, Louisa Lavinia Hardy (1859-1905), of Homebush acquired land measuring two roods and nine and one half perches between Redmyre Road and Oxford Road Strathfield. This land is part of the 120 acre Crown Land granted to Thomas Rose in 1793. Louise Lavinia Hardy was daughter of jeweller Samuel Hardy (1816-1865) and Elizabeth Hardy (nee Pearson, later Swift) (1861-1911).

Samuel Hardy with his brother John established the firm Hardy Bros Jewellers., watchmakers and silversmiths. Hardy Bros jewellers is one of Australia’s oldest jewellers and operates in Sydney and other major cities in Australia.  John Hardy arrived in Sydney in July 1853 and established the jewellery business in Sydney. Prior to leaving England, he had entered into a partnership with his brother Samuel Hardy, a retail jeweller at St. Ives, Huntingdonshire, England. Samuel Hardy continued in the jewellery retail business in England and at the same time bought goods for the partnership in Australia. The partnership continued until Samuel Hardy’s death in 1865. John Hardy sent regular letters to his brother giving detailed information concerning the business in Sydney as well as information of a more personal nature.  Many of these records including the business records of Hardy Brothers have been donated to the State Library of NSW.

After Hardy’s death, Elizabeth Hardy married James Russell Swift, a barrister in 1874.  She divorced Swift in 1899.  In 1891, she and her daughter Louisa arrived in Sydney from San Francisco on the SS Monowai.  They settled in Strathfield, possibly to be close to other members of the Hardy family.  Mrs Swift’s brother-in-law John Hardy was a resident of Strathfield until his death in 1909.   Hardy resided at ‘Strathfield House’, which lent its name to the suburb and Council.

Louisa Lavinia Hardy died in 1905.  Her funeral left from ‘Woodbine’ in Oxford Road.  She is buried in the Congregational Cemetery at Rookwood. An application for transmission was made by her brother Felix Wilson Hardy (1856-1937) in February 1906 and the property was then transferred to the ownership of her mother Mrs Elizabeth Swift.

During the periods of ownership of Louisa Hardy and then Mrs Swift, the house was consistently tenanted. From 1897 to 1900, the house was leased by Walter Sewell Buzacott, principal of Buzacott & Co, engineering and ships chandlers.

From c.1902-c.1908, Neil Cameron JP leased the house.  Cameron (d.1910) was the manager of the Farmers and Dairymen’s Milk Company, Ltd., Ultimo.  His wife, Helen (d.1915) was the daughter of Alexander Meston, an early farming settler of the ClarenceValley.  Her first husband established the township of Maclean in NSW.

Mrs Swift died in 1911 leaving a vast estate with her assets in NSW and Victoria valued at over £40,000.  An application for transmission was made in January 1912 by Felix Wilson Hardy, of Strathfield and John Percy Hardy of Sydney, jeweller.

‘Brantwood’ was offered for sale in 1912.  The following advertisement appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald:

HOMEBUSH.-Two-story Residence, BRANTWOOD, OXFORD-STREET, near Council-chambers, a quiet select situation. It is well-built of brick, painted, tile roof, tiled verandah, balcony, hall, 6 rooms, linen press, pantry, bathroom, maid’s room, kitchen, scullery, etc., etc, stabling of wood. District enjoys light, dry, crisp atmosphere, and full train services. Torrens Title.

LAND. 100ft OXFORD STREET. 100ft REDMYRE ROAD, with through depth of 244ft. Messrs. HOLDSWORTH and SON are Solicitors to the Estate. AUCTION SALE, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, AT OUR ROOMS, 88 Pitt-street, at 11.30.

In 1912, the house was sold to Christian Stockman, produce merchant. It was sold in May 1919 to Arthur Stockman, of Strathfield, a farmer and produce merchant.  In 1920, ownership transferred to Gertrude Sarah Becker, wife of Vincent Becker.

Ownership by Harrie Mitchell MLA

In September 1938, Gertrude Becker sold ‘Brantwood’ to Harrie Mitchell, barrister at law for £2000.  Mitchell was the owner of the house from 1938 to 1962.  During Mitchell’s ownership, the house was divided into two flats.  Harrie Mitchell (1906 – 1967) was Member of NSW Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Burwood from 1938-1941.  Mitchell was born in Warren NSW, the son of R D J Mitchell.  He was educated at Bathurst High School and University of Sydney receiving his bachelor degree (BA) in 1929.  He was admitted to the the Bar in May 1936 and transferred to roll of solicitors in 1944. He served in the RAAAIF during World War II and was made a Major.

Mitchell had multiple business interests including chairman of Dresslers Brewery (Australia) Pty Limited, director of Farren Price Australia Limited, Time Corporation Australia Pty Limited, Home Building Co-operative Society Limited and Services Mutual Insurance Society Limited.  From 1951 to 1967, he was the federal president of Australian Legion of ex-servicemen and women, a member of Australian Council of World Veterans Federation, chairman of Policy Commission of World Veterans Federation, vice president of Lampada Della Fraternita, member of Commonwealth Advisory Council on Migration, member of central District Ambulance Board and cavaliere of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1957.

Scott family ownership

In June 1962, Harrie Mitchell sold the house for £10,250 to Andrew Murray Scott, medical practitioner of Strathfield.   In April 1969, the vacant lot at 77 Redmyre Road, which had been part of the ‘Woodbine’ Oxford Road property, was purchased by the owners of ‘Brantwood’.

Dr Scott died in July 2023.  His wife, Marjorie Scott, died in 2013.  Mrs Scott served as an Alderman on Strathfield Council from 1968-1971.

Reference

Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986

Jones., C., ‘Brantwood’, Strathfield District Historical Society Newsletter, Jan-Feb 2011

Morrison, W. Frederic, “Hardy Bros”, The Adline Centennial History of New South Wales, 1888

“Advertising (Auction of Brantwood).”, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Jan 1912, p22

‘Personal (death Neil Cameron)’, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 Oct 1910, p8.

“Will of late Mrs Swift”, Sydney Morning Herald, 14 Dec 1911, p10.

“Advertising (Auction of Brantwood).”, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Jan 1912, p22

Strathfield Council building records, meeting minutes, valuation lists and notices of transfer.

“Walter Buzacott”, Men of Mark Vol. II, 1888 pages 296-298.

‘Harrie Mitchell’, Who’s Who in Australia, 1944

Major Harrie Robert Croft Mitchell, NSW Parliamentary Archive