The scheduled leaders for this week, Susan C & John M, were indisposed but assisted greatly by handing on their notes & wisdom from the recce they did (and greatly enjoyed) a few weeks ago.
After frantic last minute study, Mary, David R & BarbaraR felt ready to face the wilds of Burwood with 19 other walkers.
Coming from opposite directions, we seamlessly met at Burwood Station & set off to explore the area to the south, hoping that the sprinkle of rain would go away. In fact it stayed away until the last couple of minutes, on our return to Burwood Station.
Leader points the way... ... and this was the way
The first of many awe inducing moments was experienced in the St Nectarios Church in Railway Parade. The 1879 Methodist Church was bought & renovated beautifully by the Greek Orthodox Church after it was purchased in 1970. It’s well worth a visit – cheaper than going to Greece!
Outside Inside
Byzantine imagery underfoot
Late 19th century terrace houses, Burwood Police Station & Court House were passed in back streets.......
Terrace housing Friendly crane drivcer A plea to the garbo?
...........before we returned to Burwood Road & its many century old shop fronts.
Great facades Interesting signs Yummy calories Cultural contents
Clarence Street became a desirable address from the 1890s when many Victorian & Federation mansions & houses were built.
Elegance in Clarence St................ ...some of it juxtaposed with a modern look.
Nearby, on the Shaftesbury Road/Church St corner is the magnificent mansion “Elim” (1871), built for the founder of the Sydney Stock Exchange. The likes of Henry Lawson & Sydney gentry attended the lavish parties there. Appropriately, it has been used for many years as a function venue.
Elim
A large home, “Woodstock”, built in 1873 for the Penfold family (wealth from tobacco trade, goldmining & Penfold’s Stationery) was acquired by the local council in 1979 for community use. Luckily it was open for a playgroup & we took advantage of the opportunity to explore it before having morning tea in the garden.
The posing group
Reminders of a long and varied history
Duff Street houses were admired on our way to the Edmund Blacket designed St Pauls Anglican Church (1871) & Rectory (1897) on Burwood Road.
Further south, on the corner of Burwood Road & Ethel Street, we enjoyed “Deolee”, a grand red brick mansion currently owned by a doctor as well as other impressive homes in Ethel Street.
Deolee, and one of the other mansions of Ethel St
The highlight of a very interesting day was undoubtedly the ambience of Appian Way, a quiet haven lined with brush box trees which runs between Burwood Road & Liverpool Road. A model housing estate was established there from 1903 by George Hoskins of iron & steel industry fame (Port Kembla & Lithgow). The houses are considered some of the most perfect & interesting examples of Federation architecture in Sydney. In the centre of the estate was a shared recreation area with grass tennis courts. The most expensive house, “Sorata”, has sadly been neglected since its sale a year ago for $6.6m!
Appian Way houses
A return to Burwood Road brought us to Hoskins’ 1888 mansion “St Cloud” (difficult to photograph!), the art deco Royal Sheaf Hotel & a short foray down Liverpool Road to see the 1916 St Joseph’s Catholic Church.
We retraced our steps past St Cloud to two more impressive mansions – “Gayton” built in the 1880s and used in the 1930s as a maternity hospital and “The Priory” (1877), one of the first mansions built on Burwood Road. It was owned by a Bathurst grazier.
Gayton The Priory
Maintenance needed But no chimney sweeps Pensive leader trying to recall the next bit of info!
Lunch ....................time for a chat for most of us............,,,,,,,,,,..........but photography is quite tiring,
After lunch at “Woodstock”, there was another surprise in Woodside Avenue. “Wellings” had its origin in the 1830s as a small wooden cottage & it was extended in the late 1860s. It is a rare example of a timber ‘gentleman’s residence’ & is the "earliest surviving evidence of (colonial) settlement in the Burwood district". A smaller building on the property, prefabricated in Germany in 1854, is a gatehouse brought from Hunters Hill in 1960 to save it from demolition.
The Wellings
Our return to the station gave us views of the 1882 Presbyterian Church, the imposing 1924 Masonic Temple, the 1879 School of Arts, later bought by Burwood Public School (which was established 1871 by local citizens), the Council Chambers & a very welcome coffee shop in Railway Parade with exceptionally friendly & efficient staff.
We were weary after all that learning & walking! (the estimated five kms was actually seven) but an excellent time was had by all.
The 22 walkers were: Helen A, Nick B, Sue B, Ann D, Annette, Carol, Martin, Aileen, Andy and Sue, Cherry, Lyndy, Elizabeth, Pat, Jenny S, Dennis, Rosemary W, Fran (our newest member) & Don Wo led by Barbara R, Mary & David R.
Thanks to 1st Aider Lyndy & to Helen A and Lyndy for being tail end Charlies.
Photos: Helen A (1,8,10-13,19,23-32,41-44); Barbara R (4-6,17,21,22,33-35,45); Don Wo (3,7,9,14-16,18,20,36-40);
'Burwood Town Centre Historical Walk'(2).