Glebe's 1830s Georgian villa, Lyndhurst listed

Glebe's 1830s Georgian villa, Lyndhurst listed
Staff ReporterDecember 7, 2020

The 1833 Georgian Villa Lyndhurst in Glebe has been listed for sale as the owners are off to Darlinghurst's Iona.

Now set on 1507 sqm after once being on a 14 hectare plot, the six bedroom home is surrounded by established gardens which feature mature palm trees and a tranquil fountain.

Each of the entertaining rooms on the lower level open through French doors to a wide colonial style veranda.

The modernised kitchen and bathrooms are designed by heritage architect Clive Lucas.

The property is available through Harriet France and Tony Barron for May 21 auction.

The home was built by esteemed architect John Verge as a 'Marine Villa' for principal Colonial surgeon James Bowman, the husband of the iconic pastoralist John Macarthur's daughter Mary.

Lyndhurst was sold in straitened circumstances in 1847 and bought by Anglican Bishop William Broughton to establish St James College, Australia’s first theological seminary.

Later a Catholic Benedictine Monastery under the name of St Mary’s College, the sale of the property in 1877 provided the funds that enabled the establishment of St Ignatius College, Riverview and St Patrick’s Seminary, Manly.

The home was bought by the Department of Main Roads in 1972 and slated for demolition to make way for an expressway.

Saved at the last minute due to agitation by the Save Lyndhurst Committee, a Builders Labourers Federation green ban and a change of state government, the process of restoring ‘Lyndhurst’ to its former glory began in 1979.

The official headquarters of the Historic Houses Trust from 1986, the residence was passed into private hands in 2004.

The median house price in Glebe is $1,550,000, according to CoreLogic RP Data.

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