By Cathy Jones
Early land owners of lots from the Redmire Estate were John and Donald Vernon. Donald Vernon was traffic manager of NSW Railways and built the home ‘Parkstone’ (which has been demolished but faced Margaret Street). John Vernon, the NSW Auditor General, built ‘Springfield’ (which has been demolished and faced Redmyre Road). The Vernon’s subdivided their land c.1880 as the ‘Mount Vernon Estate’, which created Vernon Street, Brunswick Street (then called Redmyre St) and lots on Redmyre Road and Homebush Rd. Properties 34 to 70 Redmyre Road are built on the Mount Vernon Estate.
‘Dalehurst’ was built c.1892 for Mrs C Bray who named the house ‘Ellington’. By 1896, the house was owned by George Lowlett and then from c.1901 T Stirling until c.1918. From c.1897 to c.1918, the house was leased to the Rev. W Cunliffe-Jones, a Congregational Church minister and his wife Maud. The Strathfield-Homebush Congregational Church was built in 1884. Rev. Cuncliffe-Jones was the second minister appointed as Minister to the Strathfield-Homebush Congregational Church (Albert Road Strathfied – now the Uniting Korean Parish).
From c.1918 to 1923, the house was owned and occupied by the Hon. William Hurley (1848-1924), a member of the NSW Parliament. Hurley served in NSW Legislative Assembly from 1895 to 1904 and then moved to the NSW Legislative Council from 1904 to 1924. Hurley served on the NSW Public Works Committee from 1905 to 1922 and was appointed Royal Commissioner for Boarder Railways in 1916. From c.1924, the house was owned by Ellen Elizabeth May. In May 1951, the house was sold to Dr Neil Campbell for £6500.
References
Sands Directory for Sydney and Suburbs 1900-1932
Strathfield Council Building Application Register
Strathfield Council Valuation Lists 1894 to 1960
Strathfield Council Notices of Land Transfer (1927-1960s)
Wise’s Post Office Directory 1908, 1936
Strathfield Heritage 