‘Kooyong’ 49 Redmyre Road Strathfield

by Cathy Jones (2023)

‘Kooyong’ 49 Redmyre Road Strathfield is a single story Federation Queen Anne style house with a slate roof, chimneys and front verandah supported by timber posts. The house is located on the Kings Estate.

This estate includes land bounded by Ardittos Lane to the north, Elva Street to the east, Redmyre Road to the south and Homebush Road to the west. The land was purchased by Robert Joshua King and Mary Ann Balmain, wife of surveyor and Strathfield Council Town Clerk John Hope Balmain, in 1903.  Prior to this time, it was largely considered unusable due to the presence of a watercourse and creek (which is now a Sydney Water closed stormwater conduit) from Powell’s Creek.  King and Balmain subdivided the two allotments into 66 feet wide blocks fronting Redmyre Road and The Avenue (later Churchill Avenue), a new street to link Elva Street and Homebush Road.  The land was then auctioned as the ‘King Estate’.

The land was gradually taken up with the last allotments sold in 1914.  Many of the sales did not correspond with the original subdivisions, a number of purchasers preferring narrower frontages.  A covenant was placed on most sales requiring ‘one main building only on the said land and such building shall be a double fronted…and be built of brick and/stone with roof of slates and/or tiles and shall not cost less than £300”.

The house is built on parts of Lots 50 and 51 of the Kings Estate.  These lots were purchased by Sarah Dodson, wife of builder John Dodson on 11 September 1908.  Strathfield Council valuation records note an increase of capital value from £240 to £740 in 1908-1909 indicating that a house was built, likely by its owner, the builder John Dodson. Dodson was also responsible for the building of 51 and 53 Redmyre Road. The house first appears in the 1910 Sands Directory named ‘Hameriei’ and occupied by Mrs E M Wundenberg. 

Dodson rented the house to Mrs Elise Wunderberg from 1909-1911. Dodson sold the house to Hester Chicken in 1911.  Chicken, was the daughter of Joseph Chicken, the owner and manager of the Homebush Flour Mills.  Chicken owned the house as an investment property until 1921.  During Chicken’s ownership, the house was rented to Bernard B Shutter (1912), Mrs Small (1913-1914), Mrs A Barrett (1915) who named the house ‘Konigsburg’.  From 1917-1919, it was occupied by Norman Royle, physician and surgeon who named the house ‘Hanerlie’ and in 1920-1921 by the Rev. Joseph Robertson, a Congregational Minister

In 1921, the house was sold to Baynard Ross Moore (1877-1925), and his wife Marjorie Carrington Moore (née Town) (1886-1969).  The house was renamed ‘Kooyong’. Baynard Moore, a clerk, died in 1925 aged 38 years. The couple had three children John, Barnaby and Mollie. Barnyard Moore was buried at St  Thomas Anglican Church Enfield. In 1927, ownership of the house was transferred (by transmission) to Roy Moore of North Sydney, Ironmonger, Andrew Town of Homebush, Master Carrier, Marjorie Moore, widow and Mollie Taylor of Strathfield, married woman.  Mrs Marjorie Moore continued to live at ‘Kooyong’ until her death in 1969, when the house was sold to Beatrice Howell (d.2011).  Mrs Moore was the daughter of racing identity Andrew Town and his wife Susannah Onus Town. 

Redmyre Road was renumbered in 1966, however this house number remained located at 49 Redmyre Road Strathfield.

References

DEATH OF THE REV. JOSEPH ROBERTSON. (1921, August 8). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 10. Retrieved July 11, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15938733

Family Notices (1925, October 28). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 14. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16251420

Family Notices (1925, October 28). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 13. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16251446

Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986

Land Title Searches

Sands Sydney Directory

Strathfield Council valuation lists 1908, 1909, 1910