By Cathy Jones (2020, updated 2025)
‘St Vigeans’ 12 Vernon Street was built in 1897. The house first appears in the 1898 Sands Directory with John L Gardiner as an occupier. The house was originally named ‘Yabalom’. Vernon Street was renumbered in 1966 but this house 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).
Ownership of the land was transferred a few times until it was owned by William Beaumont. In July 1896, Beaumont transferred ownership of the land to local builder John Lyon Gardner with the condition that “Gardiner and executive administrators or assigned shall not nor will at any time within the period of five years from the first day of August 1894 erect or build or cause or permit or suffer to be erected or built on the above described land more than one building such building to be erected as a residence or dwelling house and to be constructed of brick or stone except out buildings and our offices which may be of wood and not to contain not less than five rooms with necessary out buildings and offices.”
Gardiner was a well known local builder, who designed and built many homes in the Strathfield area during the Federation period. The house was likely built in 1897 as Gardiner is noted as the occupant in the 1898 Sands Directory in the house, called ‘Yabalom’.
In May 1898, he transferred ownership of the property to John Hardy. Hardy was a well known jeweller of the firm Hardy Bros and was a Strathfield resident, living at ‘Strathfield House’. From 1899-1906, the occupant of the house now called ‘Keera’ was Percy Hardy, son of John Hardy.
After Hardy’s death in 1907, an application for transmission was made by his widow Emma Elizabeth Hardy, widow, Arthur James Kelynack of Sydney barrister at law and John McLean Arnott of Strathfield, manufacturer in June 1910. Arnott was the son-in-law of John Hardy.
In July 1910, ownership transferred to Ellen Bolger, wife of Edward Bolger of Sydney manufacturer “for her separate use”. In November 1911, the property was transferred to James Carrie, a landowner. Carrie is noted as the occupant in Sands Directory in the house now known as ‘St Vigeans’.
In October 1917, an application by transmission was made by William Edward Wilson, bank manager and Marie Henderson Carrie, spinster and in December 1919, the property was sold to Helena Leslie Isherwood, wife of Charles Henry Isherwood of Strathfield, merchant. Ownership next transferred in December 1934 to Eileen Muriel Clarke, wife of Albert Clarke, a Sales Manager. It was still in the ownership of this family in the early 1960s.
References
Department of Valuer-General, Valuation Lists, Municipality of Strathfield
Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986
Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory 1884-1932
Land Title Searches
Strathfield Council Valuation Lists 1900-01, 1906-07, 1917
Wise’s Post Office Suburban Directory 1936.
