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Images- Leichhardt and area Witches’
Houses, Annandale |
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architect |
attrib. John Young |
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location |
Johnston Street Annandale |
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date |
1880s |
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style |
Victorian Free Gothic |
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construction |
various |
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type |
Houses |
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| Layout of the Johnston Street group | |
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| The Abbey, Johnston Street (on the National Estate) | |
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| Oybin | |
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| Greba | |
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| Hockindon | |
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| Highroyd during restoration | |
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| Kenilworth, former home of Henry Parkes | |
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John Young “The Eminent Australian Builder” John Young master builder, engineer and masoner, erected a row of notable and original houses in Annandale, situated along Johnston Street. Six of these houses remain to be significant historically and architecturally: Nos 260-272 Johnston Street are: Kenilworth, Highroyd, Hockingdon, the now demolished Claremont, Oybin, Greba and The Abbey.  Johnston Street, Annandale, ca 1880s showing The Abbey Kenilworth: 260 Johnston Street, built 1888-1889 The house Sir Henry Parkes rented for the last years of his life and died there in 1896. Originally there was another identical house called “Claremont” at 258 Johnston Street, which was demolished in 1967. This pair of houses featured a centre spire. The design of the four original “Witches Houses” display Gothic and Romanesque features which are likely the work of architect John Richards. It is thought the homes were dubbed the “Witched Houses” from the resemblance of the silhouettes of the towers to witches hats.  Kennilworth Highroyd & Hockingdon 262, 264 Johnston Street, 1888-1890. Hockingdon and Highroyd were built as a pair, to provide an income for Young’s daughters, Annie and Nellie, although they never lived there. These two houses featured side spires, unlike the other two “Witches Houses”.  Hockingdon Oybin: 270 Johnston Street, Annandale Situated next to the Abbey Oybin was built for the architect C.H.E Blackmann who occupied it from 1881 to 1885. A handsome example of the Victorian Italliannate villa, the home features a square tower over the front enterance, a typical feature of houses built in the 1880s in Annandale and nearby suburbs.  Oybin The Abbey The Abbey is the most notable and renowned of the houses built by John Young, It has been suggested that the architect may have been William Wardell (architect of St Mary’s Cathederal) in conjunction with Young. The Abbey has been described as a stone Gothic Revival mansion, modelled on a Scottish manor. Young gave his imagination free rein and the house incorporates gables, arches, gargoyles, lions, quatrefoils, chimneys, turrets, a cloister and a tower with copper cladding (it was rumoured that Young may have stolen gargoyles from St Mary’s Cathedral, which he built, but there was no proof). Young was the highest ranking Mason in Australia and The Abbey incorporates Masonic themes. It is possible that the building may have been used by Young as a Masonic Lodge. After Young’s death, The Abbey was occupied by a series of tenants, who subdivided the house to create flats and flatettes. A new owner acquired the house in 1959 and restored it. It is now on the Register of the National Estate. Kentville Kentville, was built as John Young’s home, in a three-hectare garden setting adjacent to Rozelle Bay. The land was bought by Young in 1877, and included a cottage built by Robert Johnston. Young enlarged the cottage and named it Kentville after his home county in the UK. He also built a bowling green on the land and opened it to the public – thought to be Sydney’s first lawn bowls green. Young hoped that the Annandale area would be fine enough to rival places like Darling Point – a suburb for the “genteel” classes - but by 1895 Annandale was referred to as a “working man’s suburb”, similar to its neighbouring inner-city suburbs, with workers housing interspersed with manufacturing industry. John Young’s vision for Annandale was never realised. With special thanks to http://localnotes.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/the-houses-of-john-young/ |
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Major George Johnston (1764-1823) captained a ship of the First Fleet,
which brought convicts to Australia from England. He was granted 100
acres of land in the area around Annandale and Stanmore, which became
known as Johnston's Bush. He later renamed it Annandale after his
birthplace Annan in Scotland, United Kingdom. His name is remembered in
Johnston Street, Johnstons Creek and Johnstons Bay. Johnston and his
wife Ester Abrahams, one of the convicts on the ship, farmed it with
their children. They built a fine residence called Annandale House in
1799, a distance back from Parramatta Road. It was demolished in 1905
but the gatehouse still stands in Johnston Street on the grounds of
Annandale Public school. His son Robert inherited the estate but in 1877
sold it to John Young, who was a businessman, architect and mayor. Young began turning the Johnston estate into an attractive suburb by building some very picturesque houses. One of those houses was Kenilworth, with a "witch's cap" style of roof common to that period of architecture, which Young rented to Henry Parkes, father of Federation and former Premier of NSW. Other houses in the group were The Abbey, Oybin, Rozelle (now demolished), Greba, Hockingdon, Highroyd and Claremont (now demolished). Some of the houses are popularly known as "witches houses" because their towers resemble witches' hats. Of the various houses in this group, The Abbey is the most notable. Built by John Young, The Abbey has been described as a stone Gothic Revival mansion, modelled on Scottish manors. Young gave his imagination a free rein and the house incorporates gables, arches, gargoyles, lions, quatrefoils, chimneys, turrets, a cloister and a tower with copper cladding (it was rumoured that Young may have stolen gargoyles from St Mary's Cathedral, which he built, but there was no proof). Young was the highest ranking Mason in Australia and The Abbey incorporates Masonic themes. It is possible that the building may have been used by Young as a Masonic Lodge. After Young's death, The Abbey was occupied by a series of tenants, who subdivided the house to create flats and flatettes. A new owner acquired the house in 1959 and restored it. It is now on the National Estate. Another home in the area was Kentville, which was built as John Young's home, in a three-hectare garden setting adjacent to Rozelle Bay. The land was bought by Young in 1877, and included a cottage built by Robert Johnston. Young enlarged the cottage and named it Kentville after his home county in the UK. He also built a bowling green on the land and opened it to the public. Young hoped that the Annandale area would be fine enough to rival places like Darling Point, but was unable to get rid of industries in the area or prevent the subdivision of lots. He died in 1907. The land was subdivided in the late part of the 19th century and more so after Young's death. Since then it has undergone a number of social transformations, from factory floors, migrant stop off, ageing population, to now young families and modern small and micro businesses. Source Annandale on the Web. The Municipality of Annandale was incorporated on 2nd January 1894 but merged with the Municipality of Leichhardt in 1949. The old Council Chambers are now the home of the Annandale Neighbourhood centre. |
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