Fiona Street, Beecroft
That part of Fiona Street which runs east/west was originally part of Mary Street, albeit separated by bush and a creek. Due to confusion about Mary Street continuing through the bush, this part of the road took on the name of the short street travelling north/south.
5A shows evidence of being built in the 1940s and 1950s. The sandstone foundations are matched by sandstone in the window stills. The windows, small front verandah and railing are all of metal. The garage is underneath showing the response of the house to its topography as well as the growing importance of the car through its incorporation into the house rather than being a separate, removed building elsewhere on the rear of the block.
10, shows a garden that takes advantage of the creek to establish a lovely street aspect. The house again has a north facing verandah and the windows have a shingled casement.
16, Torrie Lodge is of the waterfall austere style. This demonstrates an emphasis on the horizontal, makes extensive use of brick and introduces curves to soften the line of the house – in this case in the brickwork of the corners and the sandstone of the garden beds around the front steps. The timbered windows add to strengthening the horizontal line.
23, Cambewarra. This has interesting brick work with the darker bricks almost forming a necklace near the roof line and a single course of bricks just below the verandah wall level. The verandah pillars are rounded in a Romanesque style and there are leadlight sidelights to the front door. The gable is shingled. The house is very similar to 106 Copeland Road.
The house is listed on the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Register which comprises Schedule 5 (Environmental Heritage) of the Hornsby Local Environment Plan 2013.
24, on the corner of Hull Road is an unusual two storeyed house of this era. It has shallow eaves and extensive use of brick. The front garden still shows traces of sandstone terracing and a bushland garden. The verandahs face north to catch the sun.
30 was the home of John Noble [1].
[1] For more information on Noble see elsewhere on this web site under People.