By Cathy Jones 2025
‘Gundaibe’ 10 Vernon Street Strathfield was built in 1894-1895 and is a Victorian Italianate house. The house first appears in the 1896 Sands Directory for W D McIntrye and named ‘Gundaibe’. The Vernon Street was renumbered in 1966 but this house number was unchanged.
This house is located on land originally granted to James Wilshire in 1810. In 1874, land was acquired by members of the Vernon family from the the subdivision of Wilshire’s land marketed as the Redmire Estate. The land was subdivided and marketed for sale in 1880 as the ‘Mount Vernon Estate’ (DP 528), creating Vernon Street, Brunswick Street (then called Redmyre St) and had lots on Redmyre Road (south between Vernon Street and Homebush Road) and on Homebush Rd (east between Redmyre Road and Brunswick Street).
John Vernon transferred ownership of Lots 4, 5, 6, and 7 to William Tanner Snr, a licensed victualler, in June 1885. In July 1888, Lots 4-7 were transferred to William Beaumont and William Small as tenants in common. Beaumont was the father-in-law of William Small. Beaumont lived at ‘Presteign’ The Boulevarde and Small in Wakeford Road and was Manager of the Australia Hotel in Sydney. In 1890, part of the land was transferred to Strathfield Council for the extension of Carrington Avenue to Vernon Street.
Strathfield Council’s Valuation lists record John Astle, a builder and carpenter from Burwood in 1893 and 1894 as the land owner. It is more likely that Astle was engaged as the builder of the house and the owners were Beaumont and Small. The valuation lists note that a house is under construction in 1893 but by 1894 the house was built.
In August 1894, the house was transferred to Jemima McIntyre (1831-1913) (nee Pilcher). Mrs McIntyre was the widow of the Rev. Allen McIntyre. A transmission application was made by Jemima McIntyre (1863-1946), her daughter in April 1914. She married George Christie, a solicitor (1857-1942). In July 1946, a transmission application was made by her son George Christie, a solicitor, in July 1946.
In February 1947, George Christie transferred the property to Alison Marion Wirrell, wife of Norman George Wirrell, a clerk. The property was next transferred to Gordon Henry Simonds of Spit Junction in September 1960.
References
Department of Valuer-General, Valuation Lists, Municipality of Strathfield
NSW Land Registry
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory 1884-1932
Strathfield Council Valuation Lists 1900-01, 1906-07, 1917, 1924, 1942, 1960
Wise’s Post Office Suburban Directory 1936.
