By Cathy Jones 2025
‘Deep Dene’ 15 Vernon Street Strathfield is a Victorian Italianate. It was built c.1895-1896.
The house first appears in the 1897 Sands Directory with Henry Norton as an occupier. The house was originally named ‘Deep Dene’. Vernon Street was renumbered in 1966 but this house was unchanged.
This house is located on land originally granted to James Wilshire in 1810. Wiltshire’s grant was subdivided by William Whaley Billyard in 1867 and marketed as the ‘Redmire Estate’. In 1868, 22 acres was purchased by Mary Ann Renny, wife of Walter Renny of City of Sydney, painter. In 1874, Renny with ‘the consent of her husband’ sold 22 acres to James Vernon, of Scone, a licensed surveyor, purchased land measuring 18 acres. On April 7 1875, Vernon transferred ownership to his son, John Vernon. Vernon authorised the power of attorney to his brother Donald Vernon, of Burwood, in June 1880. The land was subdivided and marketed for sale as the ‘Mount Vernon Estate’ (DP 528) in July 1880. The ‘Mount Vernon Estate’, created Vernon Street, Brunswick Street (then called Redmyre St) and had lots on Redmyre Road (south between Vernon Street) and Homebush Rd (east between Vernon Street and Homebush Road).
Members of the Vernon family were influential in Strathfield’s early history. Donald Vernon (1839-1891) entered the civil service when 20 years of age, and occupied several important positions in the railway department, including those of auditor and traffic manager. He was appointed Secretary for Railways in 1878, Secretary to the Railway Commissioners in 1888 and retired due to ill health in August 1899. He built and lived in the home ‘Parkstone’ c.1872 on The Boulevarde Strathfield (following subdivision of its grounds, it had a Margaret Street frontage and has since been demolished) and later moved to ‘Clewer’ Albert Road Strathfield where he died in 1891. John Vernon (1845-1924), brother of Donald Vernon, also worked for the Railway Department for 28 years before serving as NSW Auditor-General from 1902-1914. He was also a trustee of the Australian Museum. He lived at ‘Springfield’ Redmyre Road Strathfield (demolished) and ‘Iona’ 70 Redmyre Road Strathfield. Their father, James Vernon, was a surveyor. He died in 1894 at ‘Merley’ Albert Road Strathfield.
In December 1883 James Vernon transferred Lot 14 to Henry John Noble. A year later Noble transferred ownership to John Booth Jones, solicitor. It is likely that the house was built when the land was owned by John Booth Jones. Strathfield Council’s valuations record in the 1894-1895 valuation that a house is built, against the name ‘F Whittle’ who is likely the builder of the house.
In March 1896, Jones transferred the house to Mary Norton, wife of Henry York Norton for ‘her separate use’. Norton maintained ownership for four years and sold the property in September 1900 to Ruth Letitia Stephens, wife of Frederick Charles Stephens, dentist.
In March 1912, the property was sold to Washington Handley Soul. Soul was a pharmacist and lived at ‘Agincourt’ Albert Road Strathfield. He transferred ownership in April 1913 to his daughter Gertrude Arabella Nassour (nee Soul) (1877-1947) ‘for her separate estate’. She married Arif Nassour, a merchant.
Following her death in 1947, an application for transmission was made by solicitor Cecil Henry Wilson. Wilson transferred the property in September 1948 to Ellen Freeman and Caroline Slater as joint tenants. It was transferred in 1951 to William and Edna Potter but sold again in 1952 to Dr Reay Ignatius Eakin as Strathfield, medical practitioner, who remained the owner for twenty years. In December 1972, the property transferred to Elias Aslan and Nadia Aslan as joint tenants.
References
NSW Land Registry
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory 1884-1932
Strathfield Council Valuation Lists 1892-97, 1900-01, 1906-07, 1917, 1920, 1924, 1936, 1942, 1947, 1957, 1960
Wise’s Post Office Suburban Directory 1904, 1908, 1936.
