Cooks Hill home of Arnott's biscuit family listed
Leslieville, the original Cooks Hill family home of the legendary Arnott's biscuit family has been listed for sale.
The stately sandstone home was built for William Arnott in the 1870's on the outskirts of Newcastle, next door to his Steam Biscuit Factory that opened in 1877. It was demolished in 1949.
Set on 633 sqm, the six bedroom home has been restored by its current owners. Eight original fireplaces are still in tact, as are the gardens and ornate lacework.
The home is described as one of the 'few sites remaining in NSW and possibly Australia assoicated with both the personal and business life of William Arnott' by the Office of Environment and Heritage.
Century 21 Novacastian agent Rob O'Brien has the listing that was priced between $2.45 million and $2.65 million on its 2016 listing.
William Arnott relocated from Scotland to Australian in 1848 when William was 21. He proceeded to work as a baker in Mayfield as well as try to get into gold mining.
He relocated to Newcastle in 1865 and opened a bakery on Hunter Street, which became well known for its biscuits, which began to ship to Sydney in 1882.
The Arnott's tenure at the home ended in 1968 when they sold it to adult education group WEA.