By Cathy Jones 2023
’Milverton’ is located at 115-127 The Boulevarde Strathfield within the grounds of Trinity Grammar Preparatory School. ‘Milverton’ is a large Federation Arts and Crafts building that was originally built for its owner George H Turner, a solicitor, in 1915. The building has been adaptively reused for educational purposes.
‘Milverton’ is built on the Llandilo Estate, a subdivision of the grounds of the property ‘Llandilo’ owned by Sir (Dr) Phillip Sydney Jones. In May 1915, George Turner lodged a building application to build brick house and tiled room of 11 rooms + on Lot 15, The Boulevarde[1]. The estimated value of the house was £2000[2]. The site measured 120 foot frontage with depth of 430 feet. A tender was called by Turner on 15 April 1915 for erection of a residence by the architectural firm of Kent, Budden and Greenwell[3]. The builder was Kell & Rigby, Bridge St Burwood[4].
George Herbert Turner (d.1949) was the son of late George P Turner of Huddersfield, Yorkshire. He married Edith Lillian Parker, daughter of Josiah Parker of Burwood in the Trinity Congregational Church, Strathfield on March 21 1907 by the Rev. George Littlemore[5]. The Turner family included children: Helen, Alison and Alan. Turner was registered as a solicitor in NSW with his professional rooms located at 94 Pitt Street Sydney[6].
In July 1941, owner of ‘Milverton’ transferred from George Turner to Dr William Ivor Townsend Hotten for the amount of £4250[7]. Turner moved to 20 Agnes Street Strathfield, where he died in 1949[8].
Dr William Ivor Townsend Hotten (1899-1987) became the first President of the newly formed Section of Anaesthetics of the NSW Branch of the BMA and a Foundation Member of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists. He was born in Sydney on 24 August 1899 and attended Fort Street High School and graduated from Medicine at the University of Sydney in 1923[9]. In 1927, he married Marjorie Taylor (1904-1987).
After graduation and several years in hospital residencies, he entered general practice with Dr Dansey in Strathfield, where he lived until his retirement to Bowral[10]. He had been appointed Assistant Honorary Anaesthetist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1930. In 1939 he was appointed Senior Honorary Anaesthetist and was, in effect, head of department, although it had not been officially constituted as a department at the time. After moving to ‘Milverton’ in 1941, he developed a ‘magnificent garden which became a ruling passion’[11].
During World War II, he was also active on the staff of the Western Suburbs Hospital and 113th AGH Concord. He responded to the increasing demands of specialised surgery, first thoracic and then also cardiac. His career achievements include: 1934, first President of the newly formed Section of Anaesthetics of the NSW Branch of the BMA; 1934, Foundation Member of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists; 1934 to 1960, Lecturer in Anaesthetics, University of Sydney; 1939, DA RACP&S (England); 1948, FRACP; 1951, FFARCS (England); and 1952, Foundation Fellow of ARACS. In 1944, the Diploma in Anaesthetics was established in the University of Sydney and Ivor was Examiner and Lecturer in this for many years[12]. In 1981, he published his Memoirs of the Old Master… marking the 50th Anniversary of the Department of Anaesthetics[13].
In 1967, Trinity Grammar School purchased ‘Milverton’. ‘Milverton’ was located ‘two doors from the Preparatory School at Strathfield and it had been adapted for a Sub-Primary School at a cost of $17,000’. The new building was opened by Mr Percy Beckenham, Director of Primary Education on February 4 1968 and dedicated by Bishop F O Hulme-Moir, new chairman of the School Council.
‘Milverton’ was identified in the Strathfield Heritage Study by Michael Fox & Associates 1986. This study recommended listing as a heritage item.
References
Electoral roll, Electorate of Parkes, 1934
Family Notices (1949, August 22), Sydney Morning Herald (George Herbert Turner)
Hotten, William (1950), Who’s Who in Australia, XIVth Edition, Melbourne Australia
Latham, C. E & Nichols, A. (1974), Trinity Grammar School – a history, The Council of Trinity Grammar School, Sydney
Mellor, Lise (2008) Hotten, William (Ivor) Townsend. Faculty of Medicine Online Museum and Archive, University of Sydney. https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine/museum/mwmuseum/index.php/Hotten,_William_(Ivor)_Townsend
Marriages Turner-Parker (1907 March 21) Sydney Morning Herald
Notice of Transfer of Land under Local Government Act, Part of Lot 15 DP6093
NSW Law Almanac (1900)
Strathfield Council Building Register Vol. 1 (Application 237/1915)
Tender (1915, April 13), Sydney Morning Herald
Footnotes
[1] Strathfield Council Building Register Vol. 1 Application 237/1915
[2] Strathfield Council Building Register Vol. 1 Application 237/1915
[3] Tender (1915) Sydney Morning Herald
[4] Strathfield Council Building Register Vol. 1 Application 237/1915
[5] Marriages Turner-Parker (1907 March 21) Sydney Morning Herald
[6] NSW Law Almanac (1900)
[7] Notice of Transfer of Land under Local Government Act, Part of Lot 15 DP6093
[8] Family Notices (1949, August 22), Sydney Morning Herald (George Herbert Turner)
[9] Mellor (2008)
[10] Mellor (2008)
[11] Mellor (2008)
[12] Mellor (2008)
[13] Mellor (2008)
Strathfield Heritage 