SUMMER 2020
HISTORIC HOUSES ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
EVENTS
TOURS
TALKS
WALKS
Historic Houses Association of Australia Ltd 1A Carthona Ave, Darling Point, NSW, 2027 www.hha.net.au
02 9252 5554
Front Cover Image: Mahratta, Peter Sheridan
ABOUT HHA The Historic Houses Association of Australia Ltd. (HHA) is a registered charity and volunteer organisation that supports owners and promotes public interest in historic houses and properties throughout Australia.
HOW TO BOOK Booking for HHA events is essential. Tickets can be booked online through our website: www.hha.net.au/events or you can book over the phone on 02 9252 5554. Tickets are not refundable. You have the right to a refund if the event to which you purchased a ticket is cancelled, rescheduled (and you cannot attend the rescheduled event) or significantly relocated. We are unable to offer refunds under any other circumstances including changing your mind, sickness or holidays. Tickets are transferable. Please advise the office if you wish for someone else to attend using your ticket. Tickets are not transferable between events.
www.hha.net.au
@historic_houses_australia
@HistoricHousesAssociationofAustralia
@HHAAUS
FROM THE CHAIR As the New Year starts, more than ever, we should be mindful of the need to protect our built heritage. We see the fate of historic houses in Parramatta sealed to make way for the new development of the replacement for the Powerhouse Museum. Lessons have not been learned as these important examples of domestic architecture will be destroyed in the name of 'progress'. With the recent 90th birthday of our patron, Jack Mundey, we are reminded of the brave works of Jack and his co-workers who risked life and limb to protect historic
areas of Sydney, saving examples of early life in the colony for future generations. Our next conference in the second half of 2021 touches on these themes. Early in the year we have a wonderful tour planned to the Southern Highlands and I look forward to seeing many of you at the events that appear in this newsletter. Here is hoping for a cooler, wetter, kinder 2020. Kind regards, Tim Duddy
FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER This Summer we are thrilled to focus on architecture in our events program – hear about the first colonial architect Francis Greenway, join an indepth study of BJ Waterhouse houses around Neutral Bay, and explore recent design innovation at UTS. A highlight of the program is Art Deco – starting with a talk on Sydney Art Deco, followed by a tour of buildings around Elizabeth Bay and Potts Point, and culminating in a special visit to view one of the best private collections of Art Deco inspired
furnishing, objects and artwork. I'm also delighted to announce the first of the regional tours for 2020 – ‘The Vice-Regal Retreat: Southern Highlands' with Judith Dunn from 20 to 22 March. Expressions of interest are also open for a tour of Launceston in September with Scott Carlin. As always, I want to thank you for your continued support of the Historic Houses Association. With thanks, Dr Bernadette Flynn
GET INVOLVED Our current volunteers and all those interested in helping our work are invited to our free Volunteers Workshop on 21 Jan 2020 (daytime or evening). Volunteers support the important work of the Historic Houses Association in many diverse and interesting ways - from assisting history guides, greeting people at Open Houses, taking photographs at our events, office administration, and conducting heritage research for our property network. Hear from General Manager Bernadette Flynn, Development Manager Hannah Clayton Atkin, and Board member and long-term
volunteer AlexO Redmond. Workshop your interests in a session with the HHA staff. Find out how you can support our work as you develop your personal strengths and make connections within the organisation. Held at Lindesay, a National Trust property. Register online (www.hha.net.au/upcomingevents) or call the office to attend.
EVENTS LAST QUARTER Visitors appreciated the generosity of owners who opened their homes to HHA guests - at Abbotsford House, Leurella, the Lepastrier-modified house in Leura, and the MkII Pettit and Sevitt in St Ives. Other highlights included Beatrice Sheepers' new historical walk, ‘Trains, Tunnels and Tombstones’ ; Graham Spindler's tour of Victorian era Randwick; and Jennifer Farrer’'s Lindfield Federation era walk, which included 'Woodlands' - the home of the Johnston sisters who inspired Ethel Turner's book 'Seven Little Australians'. As always, thanks go to our volunteers, to our ever insightful attendees, and, of course, to our heritage house custodians, walk leaders and speakers.
REGIONAL TOUR The Vice-Regal Retreat: Southern Highlands Tour Friday 20 - Sunday 22 March
Join this unique guided tour of the beautiful Southern Highlands, showcasing its destination as a summer holiday resort during the 19th century. Once the NSW Governors came here for their holidays, the elite of Sydney followed, joining early grantees to form the idyllic lifestyle of summer hunts and hunt balls. Judith Dunn OAM will lead the tour and take you into houses not usually open to the public (including Hopewood House and Golden Vale Homestead). You will follow the ridge line of the Mittagong Range stud farms known as 'the nursery slopes of NSW’', enjoy exclusive fine dining experiences and curated tours including Joadja ghost town. Other highlights: the rare surviving summer residence of 16 Governors and a beautiful vice regal church. Judith will provide full commentary between venues. Ticket Cost: $1850 (single supplement +$160)
STUDY Stucco, Stone and Shingles: The Architecture of B J Waterhouse Saturday 28 March, 9.30am - 12.30pm
Regarded as one of the most outstanding residential architects working in Sydney in the early 20th century, Bertrand James Waterhouse (18761965) was initially influenced by the Arts & Crafts Movement and later the textures and stucco walls of the Mediterranean. In this in-depth examination of Waterhouse's architectural career, led by architectural historian Robert Griffin, we begin with a lecture and morning tea at 'Nutcote'. The walking tour takes in a range of properties, including two of his own houses in Neutral Bay and his important early commissions, 'Brent Knowle' and 'Ailsa'. A number of these houses will be opened exclusively for the HHA. Ticket Cost: $85 (HHA Members receive 15% discount)
OPEN HOUSE Morton House, Woodford Sunday 16 February 10.00am - 12.00pm
The original owners, the Mortons, were inspired by their early connections to Castlecrag and Walter Burley Griffin himself, to build a house that does not intrude on the natural environment. They built around special trees and mass planted native trees and bushes to attract local bird-life. The house has been described as simply, 'putting four walls around a beautiful place.' Join us on an exploration of this fascinating and very special example of 'organic architecture'. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
OPEN HOUSE Art Deco Inspired Elizabeth Bay Sunday 29 March 10.00am - 12.00pm
Dr Peter Sheridan AM and Jan Hatch are long term collectors of Art Deco inspired furniture, sculpture, ceramics and glass. Join them in their Elizabeth Bay home to hear how a unique and extensive private collection developed over time. View the furniture of Maurice Adams, Dominique, Eames, Wegner, Epstein, Hille and Halalballa. Enjoy designs by Lalique, Brandt, and Schneider along with artwork by Margaret Preston, Rover Thomas, Cressida Campbell and others. Bakelite and Catalin radios from the 1930s and 1940s will also be on display. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
WALKS Innovative Architecture: The UTS Campus Friday 21 February or Friday 6 March, 10:00am - 12:00pm
After investing more than one billion dollars in the redevelopment of its city campus, the University of Technology Sydney is now home to some cutting-edge educational facilities, dramatic architecture, and stunning interior spaces.  We'll visit the aluminium-clad Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, the gently curving Vicki Sara Building, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building (designed by Frank Gehry), and UTS Central - the recently completed glass-encased structure showcasing an elegant double-helix staircase. Join Beatrice Scheepers in discovering the marvels of this precinct. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
WALKS The Curious Case of Greenway & Macquarie Saturday 29 February, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Two hundred years ago, the Governor of NSW joined forces with a talented convict to transform the penal settlement of Sydney into a handsome colonial town. In a few short years, Australia's first major architectural achievements would rise up from the ground and Sydney's skyline would change forever. But behind the grand structures lay a very human story. One of dreams, defiance, and an unlikely partnership between two proud men. This CBD tour with Max Burns-McRuvie will retrace the steps of the characters who shaped the colony's constructions and ambitions, highlighting what remains, what is lost and what was never realised. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
WALKS Callan Park - Heritage Parkland Saturday 7 March, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Join us for a walking tour with experienced guides from the Friends of Callan Park, where the beautiful park sweeps down to the foreshores of Iron Cove. See the iconic walled sandstone 1885 asylum, ha-ha walls, two unique war memorials, WWII air raid shelters, Garry Owen House (now Writing NSW), Gardener's Cottage, c. 1900 cart shed and old stables, Farm Manager's cottage and more. Enjoy the botanical riches of more tree species than New York's Central Park and learn about the ongoing initiatives to protect and govern the site for the future. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
WALKS Expressions of Deco - Potts Point & Elizabeth Bay Saturday 14 March, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Join Peter Sheridan, author of ‘Sydney Art Deco’ on an Art Deco walking tour of Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay. Throughout the walk Peter will shed light on a range of architectural gems from commercial buildings, pubs, and shops, including an extraordinary Spanish Mission house and a unique array of more than 100 Art Deco apartment blocks built between 1920 and 1950. Across one square kilometre Peter will showcase some of the best expressions of Art Deco architecture reflecting an accumulation of decorative shapes and design. Ticket Cost: $45 (HHA Members receive 22% discount)
TALKS Coffee Conversation: Glebe - From Village to City Suburb Tuesday 4 February, 10.30am - 12.00pm
In 1790 Governor Phillip granted Richard Johnson, chaplain with the First Fleet, 400 acres of land south / west of Blackwattle Bay to support his church work. This Glebe remained untouched until 1828 when the Church, financially crippled, decided to subdivide and sell. Â Robert Hannan explores the church land, the grand villas with their pleasure grounds, and outlines the cycles of boom to bust and the impact this had on the character of Glebe. This talk will be presented with many images and maps of the area that have rarely been seen. Held at History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney. Ticket Cost: $20 (HHA Members receive 25% discount
TALKS Coffee Conversation: Author Talk Sydney's Art Deco Tuesday 3 March 10.30am - 12.00pm
Peter Sheridan discusses Sydney's Art Deco architecture and presents an overview of Deco styling around Sydney. His talk offers a unique insight into the lifestyle of Sydneysiders in the 1930s and 1940s through examples of fashion and furniture, and with reference to some of Australia's best artists who lived and painted in Sydney - from the paintings of Margaret Preston, Grace Cossington Smith, and Roland Wakelin, to photographers Harold Cazneaux and Max Dupain. Peter’'s book, 'Sydney Art Deco', has been long-listed as a finalist in the Illustrated Non-Fiction section of the prestigious Indie Book Awards for 2020. Held at History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney. Ticket Cost: $20 (HHA Members receive 25% discount)
UPCOMING The Waratah on Sydney Harbour Sunday 30 August 2020 12.00pm - 3.00pm
The HHA are voyaging around the heritage sites of Sydney Harbour aboard the Waratah. Lovingly restored by Sydney Heritage Fleet, the Waratah is a 117 year-old coal burning steam tug, the oldest working tug in working order in Australia. Harking back to the age of steam enjoy the gentle 'phut phut' of the coal fired vessel as you cruise past important and interesting heritage sites with a commentary provided by an historian of the Sydney Heritage Fleet. Along the way chat to one of the engineers about the principles of the vessel and the history of the tug’s restoration. Lunch provided on board. Ticket Cost: $95 (HHA Members receive 10% discount)
INTERNATIONAL English Arts and Crafts Houses, Gardens and Collections Friday 19 June – Sunday 5 July 2020
17 day fully escorted tour led by Dr James Broadbent AM. Our tour encompasses the work of the Movement’s major designers – including William Morris, Philip Webb, C.F.A. Voysey, Charles Robert Ashbee, Detmar Blow, Gertrude Jekyll, Edwin Lutyens, Ernest Gimson and the Barnsley brothers – visiting major examples of their work in the Home Counties, the West Country and the Cotswolds. As with all the HHA study tours there are also visits to many important but smaller and more unusual places and to houses, gardens and collections not normally open to the public. Ticket Cost: $12,841 per person twin share (excluding flights)
PROPERTY NETWORK Introducing Our Latest Property Member Valleyfield - New Norfolk, Tas
The Valleyfield land was granted to two Norfolk Island convicts, William Abel (1776-1850) and his wife Mary Ann Abel (1778/82-1856), in 1813. The house was built and then licensed as the Kings Head Inn in 1822. George Lowe, another ex-convict, took over the licence of the Kings Head Inn from the Abels. Lowe built a coach house (1830) and ran a four horse coach service to Hobart Town. The site has several heritage and National Trust listed buildings including a house, coach house, stables, hop kiln and a grain store. The buildings are surrounded by established gardens. The coach house can be used as a venue for fifteen events each year.
PROPERTY NETWORK Spotlight on a Property Member The Cedars - Hahndorf, SA
The Cedars at Hahndorf, former home of the Australian artist, Sir Hans Heysen, is one of the country's most intact and best preserved historic homes. In August 1912, Hans Heysen purchased The Cedars, which had been built as a colonial style villa in the 1870s. In 1919, and also in the early 1920s, the Heysens renovated and updated their home. It has changed very little since that time. The rooms are filled with the furniture, textiles, objects and personal items belonging to the Heysen family. Opening Times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 4.30pm. Website: www.hansheysen.com.au
PROPERTY NETWORK Join The Property Network Private owners, renovators, visitor attractions and holiday accommodation join our network of historic houses for only $50. As a member of the Property Network, HHA will endeavour to support you as custodians by offering opportunities to share knowledge, develop connections, promote your property/activities and represent your interests on a national platform. Your property will be included on our website with appropriate images and web links. You will also be featured in our promotional material, which consists of a quarterly hard copy newsletter, monthly eNews and regular social media activity should you wish it. Â We have Property Network members throughout Australia and are proactively seeking to increase our membership. www.hha.net.au/properties
OPPORTUNITIES Restoration Australia The ABC are currently searching for passionate homeowners with great projects to take part in the next two series of Restoration Australia. Whether it is restoring the decaying ruins of an historic inner-city terrace, or returning a tired heritage home to its former glory, the ABC are on the lookout for exciting residential projects with an interesting story. They are ideally looking for projects that will be starting early next year 2020 to be completed at the latest by Sept 2021. The show is not a competition; it is simply a celebration of Australia's historic properties and the fascinating stories behind them. The size and budget of the project doesn’'t matter but passion and history does. This is a great opportunity to showcase the work of everyone involved in the restoration process as well as create a video journal which can be enjoyed for many years to come. Applicants can apply directly at www.restorationaustralia.com.au or email the HHA at enquiries@hha.net.au
OPPORTUNITIES Be Connected with the HHA The HHA is a Network Partner of Be Connected. Be Connected is an Australian government initiative committed to increasing the confidence, skills and online safety of older Australians. Through the HHA you can improve your computer skills and get online. This will help you to keep up to date with what's happening at the HHA, find out the latest heritage news, and engage with like-minded communities both in Australia and around the world. Hannah Clayton Atkin (Manager Communication, Membership and Development at the HHA) will support you through the first steps to using computers and the internet, and improving your digital skills. This is a free service to help you get online. Create your new account and start learning. Call the office on 02 9252 5554 and we'll help you register with Be Connected.
DIARY DATES SUMMER 2020
January 21
Volunteer Workshop
March 3
7
Walk: UTS
Talk: Glebe
16
Open House: Woodford
21
Walk: UTS
29
Walk: Greenway & Macquarie
14
Walk: Sydney
Tour: Southern Highlands
28
Study: BJ Waterhouse
29
Open House: Art Deco
Walk: Callan Park
4
20 - 22
6
February
Talk: Art Deco
Art Deco
Historic Houses Association of Australia Ltd 1A Carthona Ave, Darling Point, NSW, 2027 www.hha.net.au
02 9252 5554