|
|
Property Details
| Property ID: 40 |
|
|
|
| Street Address: | |
| Suburb/Postcode: | Summer Hill
2130 |
| City: | Sydney |
| State: | NSW |
| Country: | Australia |
|
|
| Council/LGA: | Inner West |
| Zoning: | |
|
|
| Category: | House |
| Name(s): | "CARLETON", "RENWICK HOSPITAL FOR INFANTS" |
| Built: | c. 1884 |
| Architect: | |
| Builder: | |
| Architectual Type: | Victorian |
| Demolished: | No |
|
|
|
A gargantuan Victorian Mansion built of brick with stucco, hipped roof of slate and tall stucco chimneys with tall terra cotta pots. Despite unsympathetic modifications, numerous notable features still remain.
The house features two two storey facetted window bays which flank the main entry on the ground floor on either side. Originally the house featured a majestic two storey wrap-around verandah. Of what little remains of the verandahs and balconies on either side of the house feature decorative cast iron columns with pedestalls, cast iron fretwork frieze, brackets and balustrading. The house also features decorative bracketted eaves. A room at the back of the house near the Liverpool Road frontage features a facetted and parapetted window bay with double-hung windows. The house stands on a very large block of land, prominently positioned on the corner of Liverpool road and Gower street. It's interesting to note that the house was built with it's frontage facing away from Liverpool Road - a more uncommon design choice at the time.
Although now compromised with numerous unsympathetic changes that occured during it's use as a hospital, the bulk of the mansion has survived and many attractive features still exist and could be restored. The developers who have purchased the property aim to replicate and restore it's once most prominent feature - it's two storey wrap-around verandah. |
|
|
Early History
'Carleton' was built in 1884 as the residence of Charles Carleton Skarratt, a wealthy businessman and property owner living in Sydney. In June 1878, about 100 acres of land known as the Ashfield Racecourse, being part of the Underwood Estate at the junction of Parramatta and Liverpool roads, Summer Hill, was subdivided into about 390 allotments.[1] The subdivision was on account and by order of the Trustees of the Underwood Estate. On September 23, 1878 an auction sale occurred with many of the allotments being sold off (view map at Ref #3).[2][3] Mr. Skarratt purchased several allotments of Section 3 of the subdivision with frontages to Liverpool road and Gower street, forming one large corner block of land for the future location of his mansion.
Prior to the construction of ‘Carleton’, in the early 1870’s, Mr. Skarratt was the proprietor of the Royal Hotel located in George street in the city and resided at the hotel with his wife. In July 1872, Mr. Skarratt purchased the hotel for a sum of 25,000 pounds from C. Newton, Brother and Co., following a deal having fallen through to sell it to a Mr. Brown.[4] By around 1875, Mr. and Mrs. Skarratt would move to reside at ‘Apsley House’, located at Upper William street North in the suburb of Darlinghurst.[5] They would reside there until around 1881 and then would put the property on the market for sale due to their departure for Europe.[6] They would return to Sydney in 1883.
Construction and ownership by Skarratt family
In May 1883, tenders were posted in the Sydney Morning Herald calling for “the erection and completion of a villa residence at Summer Hill”. The final closing date for the tenders was set to May 31, 1883.[7] The tenders were released by the prominent Sydney architect G. A. Morell (later Morell and Kemp), who was responsible for the design of numerous first-class residences and buildings in Sydney, including the Her Majesty’s Theatre. Construction of the mansion ‘Carleton’ would commence at the very start of January 1884. During that same month, ads were posted for the sale of land located nearby mentioning notable nearby residences including the “now erecting mansion of C. C. Skarratt, Esq”.[8] Later ads in May 1884 also made mention of it’s construction, being referred to as “the Palatial Edifice now being built by C. Skarratt, Esq”.[9] By September 1884, construction of the mansion had been completed and the Skarratt family moved into their new home.[10] About two years later in September 1886, tenders were released by the architects Morell and Kemp, calling for builders “for the erection of Stables and Coachhouse at Carleton, Summer Hill, for C. C. Skaratt, Esq.”. The tenders closed on September 30, 1886 and the stables and coachhouse would have been built and completed sometime in 1887.[11]
Over the years that the Skarratt family would occupy the mansion, a number of children were born at the house. On May 22, 1889, a daughter was born at ‘Carleton’ to Mr. and Mrs. McQuade.[12] Mrs. McQuade was Emilie Carleton Skarratt, the third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Skarratt and wife of Arthur Frederick Hale McQuade, whom she married on March 8, 1887.[13] In 1893, Mr. and Mrs. Skarratt, along with most of the family would depart for England and during that time, Mr. and Mrs. Keigwin would reside at ‘Carleton’. Mrs. Keigwin was Amy Carleton Skarratt, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Skarratt who married Thomas Henry Keigwin on January 8, 1888.[14] On May 17, 1893, twin sons were born at ‘Carleton’ to Mr. and Mrs. Keigwin.[15]
From late 1894, ‘Carleton’ would be put on the market for lease and in 1895 it would be tenanted by an American couple, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Scott. In June 1895, Mr. and Mrs. Scott held a two-day party at ‘Carleton’, one was held for their Sydney friends on Wednesday, June 5, while another was held the next day for their American friends to enable them to meet a Dr. Gillette of New York who was visiting Sydney at the time.[16] Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Scott would return to America the following year and an auction sale of personal effects and items took place at the residence in January 1896.[17] The property would be placed on the market for lease the following month and by April 1896 it would be occupied by a D. Stratton.
On November 23, 1900, while residing in London, Charles Carleton Skarratt passed away aged 77.[18] Mr. Skarratt was a prominent and respected Sydney citizen who held numerous leading positions in various companies, corporations and owned a great deal of valuable property across the city.[19] He served as a director of several mining and financial companies such as the Junction Gold Mining Company, Webb’s South Silver Mining Company, Australasian Mining Exchange Company, the Mercantile Mutual Insurance Company and Anglo-Australian Investment, Finance and Land Company. He also served as director of Tooth’s Brewery Company and the Sydney Tramway and Omnibus Company. Having purchased the Royal Hotel in George street in 1872, among other properties throughout the city, in January 1888 (with Kelso King), he purchased 6 stores in Pitt street (No’s 26 through to 36) for a sum of 35,000 pounds.[20] Among other accomplishments, he would serve as the Hon. Treasurer of the NSW Zoological Society and the Tattersall’s Club. Mr. Skarratt possessed a keen interest in sports such as Coursing and Pigeon-shooting and served as the director of the NSW Coursing Club. About a year after his death, in late 1901, ‘Carleton’ would be purchased by Dr. Henry Vincent Critchley Hinder, a prominent Sydney surgeon.
Ownership by Dr. Critchley Hinder
Prior to residing at ‘Carleton’, Dr. Critchley Hinder and his wife, Enid Marguerite Pockley, whom he married on January 17, 1898[21] resided at a Victorian cottage called ‘Summer Lees’, located nearby in Elizabeth street, Ashfield.[22] Over the years that Dr. Hinder and his wife would occupy the mansion, a number of children would be born to the couple. On February 1, 1905, a son (Eric Henry Critchley Hinder) was born at ‘Carleton’,[23] although passed away only a few months later on June 22, 1905.[24] Two more sons would be born to Dr. and Mrs. Hinder at the residence, one on May 25, 1906[25] and another on August 5, 1910.[26] On February 20, 1910, Olive Mary Elizabeth King passed away at ‘Carleton’ at the age of 46.[27] It’s not known if she held any relation to the couple and was instead likely to have been a patient receiving treatment from Dr. Hinder at the time. Given Dr. Hinder’s position as President of the NSW branch of the British Medical Association, in November 1909, the Hinder’s would host a moonlight garden party for the medical members of the association on the grounds of ‘Carleton’. Reportedly up to 600 guests would attend the party and the spacious grounds of the mansion were beautifully lit up and decorated for the occasion.[28]
Sometime in April 1913, Dr. Hinder suffered an accident. While performing an operation he accidently pricked one of his fingers with a needle, resulting in blood poisoning. As months passed, despite treatment from the best doctors in Sydney, his health would continue to deteriorate and he would eventually pass away at his home on September 14, 1913, at the age of 48.[29] His funeral was very highly attended.[30] Dr. Critchley Hinder was one of the most well-known, respected surgeons in Sydney and was considered to be among the best in his field of medicine. Having graduated from Sydney University in 1889, during that same year he would be appointed as a resident medical officer of the Prince Alfred Hospital. He would ascend to the positions of Hon. Assistant Surgeon of the hospital in 1895 and then eventually Hon. Surgeon in 1899.[31] He also served as the Hon. Consulting officer of the St. George Cottage Hospital[32] and as Hon. Consulting Surgeon of the Western Suburbs Cottage Hospital.[33] Dr. Hinder held a keen interest for the sport of tennis and was a vice-president of the NSW Lawn Tennis Association and the Sydney University Lawn Tennis Club. Following his death, for all his service and commitment to the Western Suburbs Cottage Hospital, in 1914, a bronze frame-portrait would be created and placed in the hospital in his memory.[34]
Mrs. Critchley Hinder would continue to reside at ‘Carleton’ until around 1920. During this time it appears that she was living at the house with a Mr. and Mrs. F. R. Holloway and family. It’s unknown if they held any relation to Mrs. Hinder or if perhaps due to the size of the mansion, she may have been renting parts of the house to the family. On August 8, 1920 a daughter was born at ‘Carleton’ to Mr. and Mrs. F. R. Holloway.[35]
Purchase by Benevolent Society and use as Renwick Hospital for Infants
On November 30, 1920 an auction sale of various items and personal effects occurred at ‘Carleton’ on account of the estate of the late Dr. Hinder.[36] It is around this time that the property would be purchased by the board of directors of the Benevolent Society of NSW and along with a neighbouring property fronting Grosvenor Crescent known as ‘Queen’s College’, would be used as the Renwick Hospital for Infants and training school for babies’ nurses. Throughout most of 1921, construction work would occur at ‘Carleton’ in order to convert the mansion into a hospital, specifically for the care of sick babies under the age of 2 years.[37][38] Just prior to or during construction, in February 1921, the Benevolent Society released tenders for the purchase of various items at ‘Carleton’ including 2 elaborate marble mantelpieces with tiles, likely removed from the mansion itself.[39] By November 1921, construction activities would be completed and the Renwick Hospital for Infants would be officially opened on Monday afternoon, November 7, 1921 by the Dame Margaret Davidson. About 2000 people, being friends and supporters of the Benevolent Society of NSW would attend the opening of the new Hospital and watch as Dame Margaret Davidson would be presented with a gold key with which to open the main entrance doors to declare the building as open.[40]
Over the many years that ‘Carleton’ would operate as the Renwick Hospital for Infants, numerous other buildings were built on the land, including a new out-patients’ department building, which was officially opened on March 24, 1926 by Mrs. George Watson, president of the ladies’ auxillary.[41][42] A new baby welfare clinic was also built and would be officially opened on November 6, 1930.[43][44] In 1937, ‘Carleton’ would cease to operate as the Renwick Hospital for Infants due to the completion of a new building, offering more facilities, room and patient accommodation for the care of infants under the age of 2 years. On June 17, 1936, the Minister for Health, Mr. Fitzsimons, unveiled the foundation-stone of the new building[45] which would be completed and officially opened the following year on June 30, 1937.[46] The mansion would then be used for administration purposes.
Development and conversion into Carleton Estate
In more recent years, the property was purchased by developers to be turned into ‘Carleton Estate’.[47] From around 2011 to 2012, the site would be cleared of all unsympathetic additions and buildings that were added during the time that it operated as the Renwick Hospital for Infants. Currently, several low-rise residential apartment buildings are being erected, mainly along the Gower street frontage and the mansion and stables are being restored and will be incorporated into the development. The developers aim to replicate, re-build and restore the mansion’s once majestic two-storey wrap-around verandah which was almost entirely removed during it’s use as a hospital. The mansion is to be converted into apartments and will be a feature piece of the development. |
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Jun 8, 1895). "SOCIAL". Sydney Morning Herald
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
|
|
|