Cheltenham Road was initially called Kent Street as it was an extension from Kent Road, Epping through what was colloquially called at the time “Devil’s Pinch”.
Northern (even numbered ) side
2-4 is a good example of a 1940s to 1950s bungalow of ‘international style.’ It has curved lines, wrought iron trim, Gosford sandstone chimneys and a double garage underneath. Windows are designed to capture the northern sun. This was the address of D Gambrill for membership of the Civic Trust between 1982 and 1996.
8, Inverrughie was built in 1924 for Mr A H Whitney. The Whitneys were here until at least 1934. Again it is a rambling bungalow style and has made good use of the dark blue Thornleigh brick. It has sidelights at the front door, leadlight windows and timber for the upper portion in which vents can be seen.
The house is listed on the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Register which comprises Schedule 5 (Environmental Heritage) of the Hornsby Local Environment Plan 2013.
10, Ardberg was built in 1925 for Alexander King. It is a good example of a rambling bungalow with Federation overtones. As with other houses in the street, it has a split gable.
The house is listed on the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Register which comprises Schedule 5 (Environmental Heritage) of the Hornsby Local Environment Plan 2013.
16-18, Mornington. This was built in 1925 for C Potts. It is an impressive bungalow with Federation overtones.
20, By-Way. Built in 1938 by the Porter family it has magnificent cedars in a park like setting – originally with a significant rose garden. While some have described it as being of restrained art deco in style, most recent commentary has called it ‘waterfall austerity’ style which reflects the use of brick the strong horizontal lines and the softness of the curvature. It has boxed eaves and hidden gutters. There are wide curved sandstone steps, glass brick side lights, curved corners (both inside and outside of the house, light coloured bricks and slim line steel railings). The horizontality of the designed is emphasised by the pitch of the roof, the boxed eaves, the wide band windows and the broad steps. Originally there was a sandstone path, centred by a sundial that led to the corner of the lot facing the railway – where the gate comprised a ship’s wheel from grandfather Porter’s favourite yacht. During World War 2 an air raid shelter was dug into the front yard. The only difficulty, Miss Porter used to recall, was that when it rained it acted like a tank and so filled with water.
Burt Humphreys Porter was a salesman for Anthony Hordern’s department store living in Croydon when he purchased this land from William Chorley in 1939. He went on to be head of the Fine Arts section of the store. It was then inherited by two of his daughters Jocelyn (Joy) (died 1988) and Gwen (died 2010). These maiden aunts raised one of their nephews, William (Bill) Gummow who went to be a student at Beecroft Grammar before reading law, co-authoring significant text books and becoming a Judge of the High Court of Australia.
22. The two storeyed brick house was built in 1938 for May Chorley after her parent’s home was demolished. The corner gateway was deliberately designed to give the shortest path to the railway. It is notable for its largely intact 1940s garden including a prominent cypress and sandstone fence with evidence of the original wrought iron top. The crazy paving is of the era. The white pool fence erected by Council on the corner is unfortunately discordant.
The garden is listed on the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Register which comprises Schedule 5 (Environmental Heritage) of the Hornsby Local Environment Plan 2013.
30. Built in 1951 it had a second storey added in the 1990s [1].
[1] Northern District Times, Property Supplement, 1 August 2018.
32 was occupied by a member of the Arnott family.
34 was also occupied by a member of the Arnott family in 1914.
Fairhaven was built prior to 1915 when we know that it was the home of Perceival Greaves. He stayed there until 1923 when he left and Henry Buckle lived there.
52, Strathnairn was built in the early 1920s. This was the address of J Allen for membership of the Civic Trust in 2000.
56, Normanton was built around 1910. The Peach family were living here from at least 1913 to some time after 1932.
60. This house, on the corner with Boronia Avenue, was a small private school, Eschallens College (1915-1929) [1]. It was run by Miss Harriet M Jones with assistance from her two sisters. Later, this was the boyhood home of the Australian actor Gil Tucker best known for his role as Constable Roy Baker in Cop Shop (1977-1984).
[1] For more information on the school see a separate article on this web site under Early Schools.
76, The Castle is a rare example of a reinforced concrete of art deco designed house in the District. It was built by Allen George Brown (an engineer working with Public Works) and his father, Herbert Allen Brown. A G Brown purchased the vacant land in 1946 (according to the street design, on the corner of Cheltenham and Castle Howard Roads) and the house was finished in the early 1950s. It has large cantilever slabs. In the lounge room there is a rectangular pattern embodied in the ceiling with a plastered cast mural made by Herbert in the wall. There is a spiral staircase with variable tread widths. The parquetry contains hardwood from all Australian states. The walls are of double brick, cement rendered inside and out, with flat concrete roof sections. The land was later subdivided into three lots of equal size.
Southern (odd numbered) side
3, Stonehenge, was built for Ada Chorley by her father upon her marriage to Joseph Addison. They first occupied the house in 1932. The walls are rendered cement over brick. It is still possible to see some of the stonework edging on the garden beds that was done by Allison. The house has valley views.
7, Bedarra, was built in the early 1930s for William Jnr (Bill) Chorley. It has diamond pattern bricks and shutters. The garden is of a formal layout with a path between the beds. It has an early stone fence. This was the address of Dr J Steele-Smith for membership of the Civic Trust between 1991 and 2008.
15, Highclere, was built in about 1927 for Charles McKenzie who had a timber firm. As with its neighbour, 19, it has the dark Thornleigh brick. It has a tile verandah and sandstone drive. It has its original fence and tecoma hedge.
19, Lochindaal, formerly Kings Stanley, was the first house built in this part of the street in 1925. It was built by William Chorley for his daughter Alice, who had married Albert Tullock whose family owned Phoenix Engineering (later Tullocks) at Rhodes. Kings Stanley was the town in which Alice Tullock’s mother, Lily Chorley, was born. Water and electricity were taken across the railway when this house was built. It uses sandstone in the foundations, half the wall of the verandah and in the path. The stone was quarried from the block as the house was being built. The house has leadlight front windows and sidelights.
This was the address of R Lennox for membership of the Civic Trust in 2007.
37, formerly Snaefell and then Lillianfells, was purchased as vacant land from William Chorley in 1913 by Oliver Wallace, a mining engineer. He built this home shortly afterwards. He sold the house in 1917 to Arthur Pierce, an optician in the City. They moved to Cheltenham to help with Mrs Pierce’s health. They changed the house name to reflect both Mrs Pierce’s name and because of a house they admired in Katoomba. They built a tennis court alongside the house and laid out extensive gardens as Mr Pierce was a keen gardener. They employed a gardener to help one day a week. Mr Pierce was the foundation Master of the Beecroft Masonic Lodge.
The Fennell family owned the property from at least 1962 to 1965 and then George Robins from 1965 and 1968 after that the property was owned by Hugh and Shirley Sefton.
57. This home was built around 1930. It was sold in 2013 by Yong Eun and Eun Ho Lee [1].
[1] Northern District Times, Property Supplement, 19 June 2013, p3.
61A, Dakota, is a brick cottage built around 1915.
69, was built around 1900 [1].
[1] Northern District Times, Property Supplement, 19 June 2013.
87. This international style house is a former home of pianist and a former Channel 9, musical director, Geoff Harvey OAM (1935-2019). He sold before 2002.