By Cathy Jones
21 to 67 Redmyre Road Strathfield are built on the ‘King 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”.
‘Mahaotte’ 55 Redmyre Road Strathfield is a single storey face brick Federation Queen Anne style house. The house is situated on part Lots 48 and 49 that were purchased from King and Balmain by Sarah Dodson, wife of builder John Dodson on 12 November 1909. The house was likely built by Dodson in late 1909-1910. After completion, the house was sold to Eveline Muir, wife of George Muir, a business manager of Burwood. The house was named ‘Mahaotte’.
In 1912, the house was purchased by John Telfer, an engineer. Following Telfer’s death, the house was sold in 1957 to Marie Selleck. It remained in the ownership of the Sellick family until 1982.
References
Department of the Valuer General NSW – Valuation List – Valuation District of Strathfield 1924, 1930 and 1960
Sands Directory for Sydney and Suburbs 1900-1932
Strathfield Council Notices of Land Transfer (1927-1960s)
Strathfield Heritage 