House, "Hockingdon", including interiors

Item details


Name of item:	House, "Hockingdon", including interiors
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Residential buildings (private)
Category:	House
Primary address:	264 Johnston Street, Annandale, NSW 2038
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Inner West

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
264 Johnston Street	Annandale	Inner West		Cumberland	Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Hockingdon is of high historic, aesthetic, technological and social significance as a good and relatively intact villa constructed in the late 1880s as part of a residential group and development by master builder and promoter of Annandale John Young. Despite infill of the front verandahs and loss of the spire, the main part of the house retains a sense of its original form, height and character as presents to Johnston Street, and features including side tower, form and detail of the roof, front gables and open upper balcony. The form of the building as presents to Johnston Street and elevated siting makes a prominent contribution to the streetscape and group which have landmark qualities. The building is of technological significance through the early use of reinforced concrete. It is of social significance through its association with the local community and Annandale Association which was formed in the late 1960s and worked to retain and protect the house and group known as “The Witches’ Houses”. The group is an outstanding and unique collection of late Victorian, high quality dwellings that are considered to be worthy of State heritage significance. Note: This inventory sheet is not intended to be a definitive study of the heritage item, therefore information may not be accurate and complete. The information should be regarded as a general guide. Further research is always recommended as part of the preparation of development proposals for heritage items.
	Date significance updated: 23 Nov 12
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Attributed to John William Richards and John Young
Builder/Maker:	John Young
Physical description:	No. 264 Johnston Street is a three storey (over basement level) rendered brick and concrete house with steep pitched gabled roof clad in terracotta tiles and rendered chimney with deep profiled cornice and pots constructed in the 1880s. The building form matches No. 262 Johnston Street with a metal capped tower (without the spire) with timber framed windows and rendered mouldings topped by a deep profiled cornice attached to the north eastern corner of the building and solid infill and timber framed double hung windows to the former front verandahs. A gable roofed projection with decorative barge board and rendered details to the gable end extends into the third floor open balcony which also features a solid balustrade. A single storey flat roofed projection is attached to the southern façade at the base of a two storey high stair window with leadlight glazing. Flat and skillion roofed wings extend from the rear of the main portion of the house which also features a rendered chimney. Located on the western side of the street, the house is sited well above street level behind a high sandstone wall with palisade fence over which extends across the front of the site and adjacent properties. An arched opening with gate and stone pediment over and stone stair provides access up to the house. The house is setback from the front wall, north and southern and rear site boundaries with garden area between. A high timber paling fence and gate runs across the rear boundary.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The building is in very good condition.
Modifications and dates:	1970s: Following a fire in the building the stairwell and internal and external timberwork were rebuilt and replaced. The slate roof had been replaced by a tile roof in an earlier period and again after the fire. 1980: Ground floor and rear of first floor renovated and windows replaced. The original upper tower windows and their surrounds were also replaced.
Further information:	It is not clear when the infill of the front verandahs was undertaken, probably progressively from the 1920s.


Current use:	Residential
Former use:	Residential

History

Historical notes:

The site is part of 290 acres which was originally granted in 1799 to Major, later Colonel, George Johnston, a marine officer of the First Fleet. His son Captain Robert Johnston later leased portions and oversaw the first subdivisions, known as North Annandale Estate from 1874. In 1877 John Young, a prominent building contractor in the late 19th century and Mayor of Leichhardt (1879-80 and 1884-86), consolidated 280 acres and transferred it to the Sydney Freehold Land, Building and Investment Company Ltd which he formed in 1878 and which proceeded to subdivide and sell residential allotments over the next 30 years.
Annandale was to be a “model township”. Young created the 100ft wide boulevard along the main ridge, Johnston Street, which was intended to be the finest street in the Colony and encouraged the symmetrical street grid pattern. John Young also left a lasting imprint on the area in the form of a group of buildings centred around The Abbey (No. 272 Johnston Street) which was constructed near his home, Kentville (now demolished). The Abbey appears to have been constructed by Young between 1881 and 1882 for his own home, however, he never resided there. Young was a high ranking mason and the building is rich in Masonic symbolism and laid out similar to a typical lodge. It is thought that he used the house for Masonic meetings and as a showpiece of his work. Oybin (No. 270 Johnston Street) next to the Abbey was constructed for the architect C H E Blackman. Two of the so called Witches’ Houses, Hockingdon and Highroyd (Nos. 264 and 262 Johnston Street) were constructed to provide an income for his daughters and Kenilworth (No. 260 Johnston Street) and Claremont (258 Johnston Street, now demolished) were also constructed by Young for leasing.
Young reacquired the subdivided sites on the western, high side of Johnston Street south of his estate and Weynton Street in a series of purchases in the early 1880s. It is assumed that the house was constructed some time between 1886 and 1889. A Sydney Water Plan dated 1890 and revised in 1892 shows the brick house, Etheldine, and adjacent houses. Etheldine occupied by WD Matthews, is first listed in the Sands Directory in 1890 and later was listed as Hockingdon. In 1924 architect HC Kent, who worked on the setting out and construction of the houses, described the building methods used by Young during this period. It is said that surplus stone from Young’s work at St Mary’s Cathedral was used in Annandale and Kent also suggested left over stone from Callan Park was also used. Kent described Young’s early use of reinforced concrete using railway sleepers, broken sandstone and bricks which was used for footings, superstructure and upper floors in the buildings at North Annandale. The house continued to be leased to a number of tenants and from the 1920s appears to have been used for multiple lettings and the open balconies on the first and second floors were enclosed from this time. When the spire was struck by lightning in the 1890s it was demolished and has not been replaced. Extensive alterations occurred after a fire in the early 1970s which damaged the stairwell, top floor and roof. All of these elements have been rebuilt and roof replaced. Works were also carried out in 1980.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Hockingdon is of historic significance, constructed by John Young in the late 1880s as a speculative “gentleman’s villa” and part of his vision for the development of the area. The building is part of the earliest residential developments in Annandale and possibly one of the earliest (with the adjacent group) residential buildings to incorporate reinforced concrete in the building structure. The building has typically undergone some alterations and additions in response to on-going residential use which reflects the growth and development and social changes in Annandale and the wider area.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Hockingdon is associated with architect and master builder John Young and has also been attributed as a design of architect John William Richards who designed the Annandale Council Chambers (No. 79 Johnston Street).
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The main portion of the building is of high aesthetic significance as a good and largely intact example of a late Victorian "gentleman's villa" that retains its original form, height and scale as presents to Johnston Street and original features such as side tower, roofscape, front double gable and open balcony and associated details and elements. With the other Witches’ Houses it has landmark qualities. The group and associated stone wall and gates make a unique contribution to the Johnston Street streetscape and area in general.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The building is associated with a number of local residents and occupants and is highly regarded by the local community as one of the “Witches’ Houses”. It is associated with the work of the Annandale Association who prevented the demolition of the buildings.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The building has the potential to yield information about the early use of reinforced concrete for residential purposes in NSW. The concrete was used for the footings and floor structure of the building.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The building is a rare example of a Victorian villa that incorporates reinforced concrete into the structure. With the adjacent group it forms part of an outstanding and rare collection of large speculative residential buildings of historic, architectural and technological merit. The building and group remain as rare examples of residential buildings constructed by master builder John Young.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Hockingdon is an outstanding example of a late Victorian "gentlemen's villa" residence that retains its original site boundaries and curtilage, access and relationship with the rear lane.
Integrity/Intactness:	High
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

Elements that contribute to the architectural character of the building as presents to Johnston Street should be retained, particularly: - the form, height and scale of the main section of the building; - side tower and openings; - roof form and ridge and associated elements including front gables and chimneys; - open balcony; - long stair window on the southern façade and leaded glazing. The existing curtilage of the building and setbacks should be retained. Any additions should be restricted to the rear.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Leichhardt Local Environmental Plan 2013	I62	23 Dec 13

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Leichhardt Municipality Heritage Study	1990		McDonald McPhee Pty Ltd (Craig Burton, Wendy Thorp)		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Gary Nicholls/ The Annandale Association	1981	Hockingdon The Story of a House
Written	Max Solling and Peter Reynolds	1997	Leichhardt: On the Margins of the City

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1940064

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