Eastern side – odd numbers
1 was occupied from 1943 by Henry J Lea
3 Wallana was occupied from 1927 by Ernest Muller
5 was occupied from 1932 by F Pollock
7 [1] Ringinglow, This property forms part of the Ramona Estate. For its history prior to the subdivision of the Ramona Estate see the story of the house Ramona elsewhere on this website under Houses – Beecroft Road.
Lots 20-22 of the Ramona Estate subdivision were purchased by a Beecroft warehouseman, Henry Sotheran also of Beecroft but a company secretary. Sotheran sold this lot in October 1941 to Ernest John Coote and his wife Lillian Eleanor. He was a commercial traveller from Mosman. In May 1950 they sold it to R A Investments which in turn sold it in 1957 to Stanley Joseph Austin a company director of Beecroft. Austin sold it to Keith Allan Coble and his wife Heather who had it as their family home until 2016 when they moved into an aged care facility.
[1] The information on this property derives from S Rosen Heritage Impact Statement: 7 Boronia Avenue Beecroft, April 2019.
9 was the home from 1937 of William E Livermore
11 was the home from 1943 of Arthur G Shaw
17 was the home from 1943 of Colin M Lovell
19 was the home from 1943 of Francis G Monaghan
21 was the home from 1937 of Althea Agnes Murray
23 was the home from 1930 of Roy Cavanough
25 Orwell was the home from 1928 of J M Gillies
27 Carinya was the home from 1937 of Eric B Jones
29, Harrow was the home from 1930 of N B Taylor. It was the home of Betty Grant a President of the Civic Trust and member from at least 1991 to 2003.
31 Galteemore is thought to have been built in the 1920s. It was home of: 1931 G Powell,1932 Arthur Henry Tozer, greengrocer, and his wife Jessie May, 1937 Alfred Arthur Valentin, a mechanic, and his wife Eleanor.
33 was the home from 1943 of Oswald G Hulbert. It was sold in 2023.
35 [1]. This lot occupies part of Lot 30 of the Ramona Estate. For the earlier history of this estate see the text under the description of Ramona at 130 Beecroft Road, Beecroft.
Thomas Bembrick and estate agent from Hornsby purchased Lot 30 on 29 October 1920. It was the last remaining lot of the Ramona Estate to sell. Seven years later he purchased the neighbouring Loy 29 in October 1927. In December 1934 both of these lots were sold as vacant land to Ernest Walter Hawkins a Manager of Carlingford. He already owned Lot 33 which now comprises 16 Murray Road. Mr Hawkins subdivided the 3 lots so as to extend the backyard of 16 Murray Road and corresponding reduce the depth of Lots 29 and 30. Mr Hawkins built his home on 16 Murray Road, where he then resided.
In December 1945, Mr Hawkins sold the vacant land at 35 Boronia Avenue to Harold John Lovell and his wife Lesley Jean. Mr Lovell was described as a spring manufacturer. Electoral rolls show Mr & Mrs Lovell as residing at 35 Boronia Avenue as from 1949 and so the house was built at some stage between 1945 and 1949.
The Lovells sold the property in June 1956 to the Walton-Cowil family of Eastwood. They in turn sold the property to Peter Nicholls and his wife Shirley in 1962. Peter Nicholls was a bank officer. He was actively involved with Beecroft Presbyterian Church and each effectively remained in the home until their respective deaths subject to times in hospital and similar facilities. The estate sold the property in 2014 to the current owners.
[1] The information on this property derives from Sue Rosen Heritage Impact Statement on 35 Boronia Avenue Beecroft August 2017.
35A was the address for Peter Corey from at least 1977 to 2007 while he was a member of the Civic Trust.
37, Myooi then Kenella and then Ashington. In 1891 Christian Nielsen Lykke purchased 4 acres. The next owners are presently unknown but it was purchased in 1907 by Julia Deborah Hodgson widow. She may have built the house. In 1910 Thomas Sherington Alexander Kenyon, labourer then law stationer of Beecroft Road owned the house. In 1913 John Stanley Moffatt, an accountant and his wife Annie Kathleen were renting the house until at least 1916. From 1918 to 1920 the house was leased by Harry S Mort. The Kenyons sold the house in 1919 to Walter Rothwell commercial traveller. Ownership then progresses so that in 1922 it was owned by Charles Samuel Willis and then from at least 1926 to 1943, Euphemia Arnott Willis (nee Moxey). Her husband Charles Samuel Willis died here in 1938. It was leased however from 1923 to 1933 by Herbert R Rothwell, Between 1985 and 2004 it was the home of B M Ash who was a member of the Civic Trust.
It is a modest single storey Federation style dwelling with a front gable, verandah with turned timber posts and slate roof. It was significantly altered by the additions on the north and a garage on the south, with a subdivision to the rear, in 2012 [1].
[1] Northern District Times, 12 December 2012.
39 Coo-ee was the home from 1913 of Albert Henry Cowley, a commercial traveller, his wife Florence Madge (nee Topping) and family. They were still in the home until at least 1951. Florence was the sister of Minnie Surgeon who lived at 181-183 Beecroft Road, Cheltenham [1].
[1] For more information on the surgeon family look elsewhere on this web site under Houses-Beecroft Road, Cheltenham.
55 The house at this location is no longer the original home. From 1910 the original home was that of William Tinsley, plumber and family. In 1931 William Tinsley petitioned the local council to construct a concrete footpath. In 1937 the house was occupied by Frank Wilson, a clerk, and his family.
Western side – even numbers
Oaklands. This house had been situated on the western corner of Boronia Avenue and Kirkham Street. The land had been purchased in 1909 by Charles Churchill Tucker as part of 8 acres to build this, his second home in Beecroft, which was a large Federation style house. At the entrance to this home, on the southern corner of Kirkham Street and Boronia Avenue, he planted Chinese elms that can still be seen.
The 1894 gazetted Boronia Avenue did not immediately result in a road being built because Tucker complained that he had not been properly compensated for it travelling across his land. In 1903 he relented and suggested to the Beecroft Progress Association that unemployed men might be used to build the road, but nothing happened.
After Tucker’s death in 1917, his widow requested Hornsby Council to form the road so as to assist with the subdivision and sale of her former home. Council declined on the basis that it lacked funds. These machinations and delays have contributed to the avenue taking ages to be constructed on the western end and being a beautifully unkerbed, wide and tree lined.
The Tucker’s house was purchased by the Badgery-Parker family and when Oaklands was eventually demolished in the 1960s, Parker Close was built in the resulting subdivision.
4, Holwood and then Copley was originally built in 1923 by Irvine J Robinson. This house was demolished. The next built around 1949 in an Old English style. The original owners sold in 2015 [1].
The garden is listed on the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Register which comprises Schedule 5 (Environmental Heritage) of the Hornsby Local Environment Plan 2013.
[1] Northern District Times, 19 August 2015
6, was occupied in 1935 by Arthur F Brunker
8, was occupied in 1943 by William H Gulliver
10, was occupied in 1943 by Walter F Hall
12 was occupied in 1943 by James T Gatenby. Later it was the first home in Beecroft of Talbot Duckmanton (1921-1995) who was general manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission from 1965 to 1982. He lived here in the late 1950s to early 1960s. He later moved to Norma Crescent, Cheltenham
20B, Kia Ora at one stage 14 Boronia, was built in 1886 (originally with a Murray Road address) for Alfred Barnby (1850-1923) and Angelina Charlotte Sarah (nee Wachsmann and born Berry) (1846-1932). Alfred was the son of Edgar & Hannah Barnby and came to Sydney as a naval architect by at least 1881 [1]. In Sydney he met a widow who was running a boarding house and they married in 1880. Their two sons were born in Sydney in 1881 and 1884. Angelina Barnby was the mother of Albert Wachsmann [2].
It originally had 6 acres with the stables and servants quarters closer to Devlins Creek. The lounge has a key hole window which is very dramatic and contains original glass. It was the home of T W Corey between 1990 and 2000 during which time he was a member of the Civic Trust. Steven and Donna Aisbett sold it in 2011 [3].
[1] Sydney Morning Herald, 29 January 1881
[2] For more information on Wacchsmann see a separate article on this web site under People. For more information on the elder son, Sydney Norfolk Barnby see a separate article on this website under Boer War
[3] Northern District Times 20 April 2011 p.7
22, Crowthorn, was built in 1943 for Harry Wheat and extensively renovated in the early 2000s.
24, Boronia (formerly Wolobrai then Waimea), was built in 1902 by Albert Wachsmann for leasing. It was occupied by the Quodling family until 1908 and they named it Wolobrai. After the Quodling family, it was occupied by Robert Babour a civil servant and his wife Agnes Violet Reid Barbour. Robert was at one time the Secretary of the Cheltenham Recreation Club and was heavily involved in the Masonic order. By 1930 the house was rented to G L Eves. Subsequent occupants include Louise Augustus Triebel a schoolmaster and his wife Jessie and then in 1937 by Allen Flitton a litho artist and his wife Kathleen Clair. Between 1998 and 2007 it was owned by J Werner who was, during those years, a member of the Civic Trust.
The house is unusual with the stone chimney at the front of the house, a side entrance, two gables and small sunny rooms at each end of the verandah.
The house is listed on the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Register which comprises Schedule 5 (Environmental Heritage) of the Hornsby Local Environment Plan 2013.
26 Whangarei was occupied in 1910 by Edward Silvester O’Sullivan, a civil servant and his wife Edith Amy. By 1925 it was occupied by William Julius Baxter. By 1937 it was the home of Frederick Dalton, a fitter, his wife Robina Caroline and their daughter Robina Mary, a nurse.
28 Beverly was occupied in 1904 by George Collier Southward, a commercial traveller and his wife Florence. Florence died her in 1916 aged just 38 years. From around 1917 to 1921 it was occupied by Albert E Owen.
From at least 1922 it was the home of Reverend George Keith MA (Aberdeen) (1856-1930) a retired Presbyterian Minister having arrived in NSW from Scotland in 1889. Following his arrival he served in Condobolin from 1889 to 1916. He had been Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in NSW in 1909. He died in Cheltenham. The Presbyterian Church in Condobolin is named after him [1].
By 1932 it was occupied by Charles William Bannister, a chemist and his wife Edith.
[1] R S Ward & M D Prentis, Presbyterian Ministers in Australia 1822-1901 (New Melbourne Press, Wantirna, 2012) p78
30 Acacia was occupied in 1913 by Mervyn Kenneth MacKenzie, master engineer, and his wife Jessica Muriel (nee Tanner). It then had a succession of occupants:
1917 William Allsop
1918 John Adair
1920 Mr Hartley
1921-22 George E Davis
1923 Edward H Hayes
1924 Alan Ferguson and his wife Amy Margaret
1925 E J Giles
1931 Alex Sneddon
1936 Austin Bernard Lodge Campion, a dairy farmer, and his family. Austin was a Lieutenant in World War 1serving on the Western Front and also enlisted in World War 2. He was Secretary of the Beecroft-Pennant Hills sub-branch of the RSS and AILA, He died at Yaralla Military (now Concord) Hospital in 1942
32 The house is built around 1910 in the Federation style. From at least 1933 to 1937 it was lived in by Thomas Stewart, a boot maker, and his family and then in 1943 by Harold Sydney Blake, an advertiser, and his family. In 1947, William Joseph Henry Burton was resident.
It is listed on the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Register which comprises Schedule 5 (Environmental Heritage) of the Hornsby Local Environment Plan 2013
34 Tarawere was occupied in 1901 until at least 1952 by Frederick Charles Johnson, a civil servant and then a draftsman, and his family.
36 was occupied in 1930 by Frederick A Lenthall
38 was occupied in 1937 by Clive V Carrad
40 Raiville then Colwyn was occupied from at least 1917 to 1920 by William J Boyce and family. In 1921 to 1929 by Mountiford R Longfield, a stipendary magistrate, and family. His sister was married to William Frederick Brett who lived in 48 Boronia Avenue [1]. The property was then occupied:
1930 F Powis
1933 Ivan Francis McCarthy, a pensioner, and his family
1935 Thomas Slade Loney and his family who were still her in 1952.
[1] For more information on the Brett family look under People on this web site. For the obituary of Mountiford see Sydney Morning Herald, 8 November 1928.
44 Avilion was occupied in 1915 by Archibald McNab Booth and his family until at least 1943. His son (Eric Edwin) married Lily Dorothea Deberie Wachsman the elder daughter of Mr & Mrs A E W Wachsmann of Matai, Murray Road Beecroft [1]. This couple were married at St Johns Church of England (now Anglican) Church Beecroft and the church building was so crowded that the bridal party had difficulty in entering. In 1917 Archibald advertised for a young man to assist in his small vineyard. This property was sold in 2021.
[1] See elsewhere on this website under Houses- Murray Road and People – Wachsmann for further information.
48, Bryntirion, was the home of William Frederick Brett and his family from at least 1912 to 1933. WF Brett was the grandfather of the famous marine artist Oswald Brett [1]. His son lived around the corner at 72 Cheltenham Road, Cheltenham. His mother-in-law lived in the house and died there in 1917 aged 87 years. Her late husband was a dentist in Goulburn and had been severely wounded by Ben Hall’s bushranging gang the night before the railway was opened to Goulburn in 1869. As a result he lost the sight in one eye. The family were still in the house in 1970.
[1] For