| Historical notes: | Most of the suburb of Annandale, 290 acres was granted in 1799 to Major, later Colonel, George Johnston, a marine officer of the First Fleet who commanded the military forces of the colony and named the area after his home town in Scotland. Johnston constructed Annandale House on his grant which was also the associated with the introduction of brick-making in the colony, the first batch of bricks being manufactured on the banks of White’s Creek. The house was located on the southern side of the main road, (Parramatta Road) nearly opposite Johnston Street. It was largely constructed of local cedar in the Georgian style. The family occupied the house from 1800 and despite development closing in on all sides, the Annandale Estate remained intact into the 1870s. Annandale House was demolished c.1912.
Johnston was succeeded by his son, Captain Robert Johnston, who had been a naval commander. He leased portions of the estate to industry and oversaw the first subdivision of the estate, known as North Annandale Estate in 1874 and 1875. However sales of the large allotments did not proceed well. A subsequent subdivision in 1876, comprising of the land bounded by Parramatta Road, Johnston Street, Collins and Nelson Streets was transferred to Robert’s son, George Johnston, who inturn sold the 75 lots to John Young. Young subsequently purchased the remaining land from Johnston in 1877. John Young, prominent building contractor in the late 19th century and Mayor of Leichhardt (1879-80 and 1884-86), in turn resold the 280 acres estate to the Sydney Freehold Land, Building and Investment Company Ltd which he formed in 1878 and which proceeded to subdivide and sell smaller allotments over a period of over 30 years.
‘Oybin’ was designed and built in 1880 by the architect, Charles H. E. Blackmann, who lived there from 1880-1885. Blackmann originally bought the block next door where the Abbey was built in 1881. Blackmann bought the lot in January 1880, originally 55 feet, and this was extended to a final lot size of 93 feet, 18 feet having been taken from The Abbey (272 Johnston Street) and 25 feet from Roselle (268 Johnston Street). The name 'Oybin' has romantic origins being a ruined Gothic castle and monastery near Zittau in Saxony where Blackmann met and married his wife Bertha.
Blackmann was born in Poland in 1835 and educated in Germany, travelling the world before arriving in Victoria in 1856 to join the Gold Rush, finding enough gold to return to Germany to complete his architectural training. IN 1866 he returned with Bertha, variously teaching draftsmanship, managing a gold mine in Tasmania and finally designing the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Melbourne, after which he joined the Victorian Colonial Architects Office. In 1879 he joined the NSW Colonial Architects Office and moved to Sydney. He was involved in the Sydney International Exhibition, preparing the drawings for the Refreshment Pavilion and supervised the building of the Goulburn Public Offices. In 1880 he formed a partnership with Varney Parkes, the 21 year old son of Sir Henry Parkes, and had a flourishing practice, mainly designing commercial and residential buildings. In 1886 Blackmann formed a new partnership with John Sulman from England, who purchased half the practice. Shortly after Blackmann left his wife and business partner for San Francisco. Despite rumours that he stole money from the partnership Sulman notes in his Reminiscences that Blackmann did not use the partnership bond to raise money and the Equity Court requried that he purchase Blackmann's share. Blackmann continued to support his family and brought thw two youngest sons up in California.
A Water Board Plan of Leichhardt (Sheet No. 10) 1889 shows large lots with houses from Nos .260-272 Johnston Street . No 270 is the largest block of land in this group.
In 1922, Oybin had been divided into six self contained flats.
In late 1969 Leichhardt Council approved in principle 2 eight storey blocks of flats at 268-270 Johnston Street. These plans were the immediate cause of the formation of the Annandale Association which opposed this redevelopment. In April 1970 the Council gave the Association time to collect a petition against the redevelopment. The National Trust classified the houses in 1971.
The properties changed hands in 1971 and in 1972 the new owners applied for a redevelopment for a 4 storey flat building on the two sites. A condition of approval by the Council in 1972 stated that “the existing historic “Oybin House” on the land shall be preserved and renovated to Council’s satisfaction and shall be used as a caretaker's residence and for communal activities in accordance with a mutally acceptable covenant.”
To prevent vandalism the Association found a group of students who were prepared to live in 'Oybin' with the owners approval rent free to prevent vandalism while the flats were being built and until restoration of Oybin could begin.
In the 1970s the flats were up for sale and Oybin was in a state of disrepair. In August the property changed hands and Algooma Investments became the owner and immediately applied to subdivide the land. Council took legal advice and took the view that the owner should be forced to comply with the original conditions.
Council records indicate that in 1974 a four storey residential flat building was completed at Nos 268-270 Johnston Street with 55 I bed flats, 16 2 bed flats and 3 bed sitting flats. No 270 was restored in 1994.
A photograph (see attached) by John Henry Harvey (1855-1938) is held by the State Library of Victoria showing the newly completed 'Oybin' with the Abbey, Roselle and Greba. This shows Oybin's extended gardens, cupola on the tower and substantial attached wings at the rear, which have since been demolished. A Water Board Plan of Leichhardt (Sheet No 10) 1889 shows large lots with houses from Nos. 260-272 Johnston Street. No 270 is the largest block of land in the group.
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John Sulman "Reminiscences", Sulman Papers, Mitchell Library, Sydney
p40 24 ibid p49
"In 1886 I rented a single room as office from Wardell & Vernon, architects, to the former of whom I had brought out an introduction from RIBA. A few small jobs coming in from friends to whom I had introductions or made in various ways enabled me to take young Cramer as a pupil, but it would have been an uphill fight to make a good practice. So when Mr Todman of Homebush suggested that it would be better to buy into an established practice I agreed and finally purchased a half share with Mr Blackmann for 3000 pounds, his books showing a net profit of 6000 pounds per annum."
p40 24 ibid p49
"After a few months Mr Blackmann indicated that he had to go to New Zealand on business and from the day of his departure I never saw him again. It appears and came out later that he had gone away with a barmaid and left his wife and family behind. They were not entirely without means as he possessed property but I had to go to Equity Court to obtain a release from the partnership … but it took nearly three years I believe to obtain it. I had to pay an extra sum for obtaining the whole practice though it was materially less profitable owing to the circumstances and the fact that I was comparatively unknown & had not yet proved myself. The one good thing I have to record about Blackmann was that he did not use the partnership bond to raise money on as he might have done. He settled in California but I heard little about his later career." |