Cleveland House Part 4 - 2 Years later

CLEVELAND HOUSE 2 YEARS ON 

FEBRUARY 26th 2016 

Cleveland House - Part 3

Here Are Some

of the Pictures Cleveland

house Over The Years 

Cleveland house - Part 1

Cleveland House - Buckingham Street & Chalmers St - Central - Built Around 1823…

. It is Now 2023 So The House itself Is Approx 200 Yrs Old…. 

Cleveland House Is Situated On Part Of Section 408 Of The Parish Of Alexandria, Which Comprised Of 10 Acres Of Land Origianlly Granted To Charles Smith In 1809 And Came To Be Known As Cleveland Gardens.

From The Date Of The Original Grant Until The Subdivision Of  The Cleveland The Only Roads Giving Access To The Boundaries Of Elizabeth Street South And Devonshire Street.

Historical Notes 

Cleveland House was built in about 1823-4 for prominent emancipist merchant Daniel Cooper. The house was built on about twelve acres of land which was originally granted to Charles Smith by Governor Macquarie in 1809 (Annable, 1991:12). Smith used this land, known as Cleveland Gardens, as either a market garden or nursery. Upon his purchase of the land Cooper spent (Pounds)4000 on construction of the house, believed to be the work of architect Francis Greenway (Annable, 1991: 5). The Cooper family moved into the house in 1825 but only resided there until 1829 when Cooper separated from his wife. At the time the house was let to provide Mrs Cooper with a source of income. (Annable, 1991:6) 

Until 1855 the house and its land was let out mainly to various families for residential purposes. However, in the 1830s the property was also used as a school. During this time the property is believed to have held prime views of the Darling Harbour and city areas. The decision in 1850 to build Redfern terminus brought industry to the area. This resulted in the subdivision of many of the gentlemen's estates in the neighbouring suburb of Surry Hills. This caused Surry Hills to be built out and changed its character from a picturesque 'village' to a high density suburb (Annable, 1991:6). 

Daniel Cooper returned to England in 1831 and left the house in the trust of James Cooper on the death of his ex-wife, Hannah, in 1836. Daniel Cooper died in 1853 and James Cooper sold the estate, which now amounted to around 13 acres (Annable, 1991:22), jointly to Moorehead and Walker (Annable, 1991:14-15). In 1855 this estate was subdivide into eight sections as part of the redevelopment of Surry Hills. The section containing the house and the outbuildings, lots 7, 8 and 12, were sold as a single property to Isaac Levey and inherited by his son, Montague, in 1860. For a short time after the subdivision the property was used for residential purposes but from 1858 the uses were varied. Uses included a school, laundry, boarding house, gentlemen's apartment and a government labour bureau (Annable, 1991:6) 

A further subdivision of land, lots 7 and 8, occurred in 1886. However, only 2 of these were purchased. From about the mid-1870s the outbuildings were used as a cordial factory, Barrett's. It is thought that some new buildings and extension of existing buildings took place to accommodate the factory. This use continued until it was sold to Peach and Jones bottle merchants in 1896 (Annable, 1991:6). At this time, the house was still owned by Levey (Annable, 1991:16). 

In 1903, the Order of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan purchased the entire unit of the original 1855 subdivision, with the exception of the two lots that were purchased in the 1886 subdivision. The Order used the property as a receiving place in the city for its refuge. Cleveland House was used as a convent for the nuns. They built a large four-storey building to house the refuge and a commercial laundry which was opened in 1904 (Annable, 1991:8) In the late 1920s the refuge became a home for aged and infirm women (Annable, 1991:17) 

In 1946 the property was sold to the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who used it for the same purposes as the Good Samaritans (Annable, 1991:8) 

In 1958 Cleveland House was purchased by the NSW Society for Crippled Children. The refuge, built in 1904, was used as a hospital, clinic and for administration. Cleveland House was also used for administration. The former convent garden was filled in to be used as a lawn area and later for parking. Additional small buildings were constructed on the site (Annable, 1991:8). 

The property was sold in 1988 to Denerin Pty Ltd and all the buildings with the exception of Cleveland House were demolished and further subdivisions have occurred (Annable, 1991:8). Today there is a small garden at the front of the house and a grassed area between the side of the house and Chalmers Street. A large apartment complex is located at the rear (south) of the house. 

The house has been in private hands throughout its 186 year history. It is today owned by LGS Enterprise, which runs a medical education business InViVo Communications from the building (Central Sydney magazine, 10/2/2010, 4).

Check out Cleveland House Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4 

Central Station - From Cemetary To Train Station

10 Things You Might Not Have Known About

 - Central Station

1. Central Station Was Built On Top Of A Cemetary. Devonshire Street Cemetary Was Acquired By The Government To Build The Station in 1901. 

2. Central Station As It Stands Was Sydney's Third Station.The Original Station Was Built In Redfern in 1855. An Upgraded Station Was Built In 1870 But Both Were Considered Too Small & Too Far Away From The City Centre By 1885. 

3. The Station Opened on August 4th, 1906. Stage Two, Incorporating two Additional Floors, Began In 1915 But World War 1 Slowed Construction Considerably & It Was Not Completed Until 1921. 

4. The Foundation POf Central's Sandstone Clock Tower Was Laid On Setember 26th, 1903.It Was Not Completed Until 10.22amon March 3rd, 1921, When The Clock Started Ticking

5. Prior To Electric Trains & Underground Lines, Central Consisted Of 19 Terminal Platforms.,.In 1926 , New Platforms (16-23) Were Built At A Higher Level To Service The City circle & North Shore Lines Over The Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

6. Platforms Servicing The Eastern Suburbs Were Built In 1979.  They Are Platforms 24 & 25

7. The First Train To Leave The New Station Left From Platform 12.  It Made A Special Run To Parramatta. 

8. central Is The Busiest Station In Sydney.  It Services About 146,000 Travellers Per Day. 

9.Many Sites & Plans Were Put Forward Before The Old Devonshire Strret Cemetary Was Chosen. A Hyde Park Station Was ALso On The Drawing Board

 

10. Pitt Street Was Widened  & Eddy Avenue Created As Part Of The Station Master Plan. The Plan Required The Relocations Of Major City Infrastructure, Including A Tram Depot, The Police Superintendant's Residence In Pitt Street, The Police Barracks, The Benevolent Society & Christ Church Parsonage.

Central Station And Eddy Avenue - Sydney - New South Wales

Central Station And Eddy Avenue - Built On The Grounds Of The Devonshire Street Cemetary Known As The Sandhills Cemetary. After 1903

Benevolent Asylum - Railway Sqaure, Pitt St Side, Near Roadway To Station

THE BENEVOLENT ASYLUM
RAILWAY SQUARE, PITT STREET, NEAR VEHICLE ROADWAY TO STATION 

Erected By Governor Macquarie In 1820 With Accommodation For 60 Aged & Infirmed Persons. Demolished In 1901 To Make Way For Central Station. 
On 27th July 1822 Governor Macquarie Listed 67 Public Buildings Undertaken For Sydney During His Administration Frkm 1810 - 1821 including "An Asylum For 100 Infirm, Blind & Lame, Poor Persons.... Situated At The Southern Wxtremity Of The Town In An Airy Situation."
A Society Had Been Promoted In 1813, But Because Of Its Meagre Resources It Was Felt That A Move Should Be Made To Provide Indoor As Well As Outdoor Relief. A Meeting, The Governor Presiding Was Held On The 6th May 1818 At a Which It Was Resolved  
"That An Association  Should Be Formed For The Relief Of The Poor, aged & Inform & For Other Benevolant Purposes."

A Subscription List Was At Once Opened, And 
"Macquarie Headed it With A Donation Of Twelve Guineas. Thirty Five Others Present Added Their Names, The Total Amount Promised Being £178.10.0

The New  Society "Pledged To Work For The establishment Of An Asylum For The Poor & For The Infirm, In Which They Might Receive Not Only Food, Shelter & Personal Attention, But Also Medical Treatment , Religious Instruction & Consolation."

Honorary Medical Asvisers To The Asylum Were Dr William Redfern, Who’d Been Transported To Sydney Cove In 1801 For Being in Overt Sympathy With Sailors Of The Royal Navy During The Mutiny Of The Nore In 1797, &  DrWilliam  Bland, Who’d Been Transported For His Part In A Duel That’d Been Fatal For His Adversary. 
In 1819 Governor Macquarie Undertook To Erect On Crown Land... 
"A Suitable, Plain Building, Near The New Turnpike House, For The Accommodation Of 50 To 60 Persons. It Was Erected On The Site Now Occupied By Central Station"

The Benevolant Society Came About In 1813 & Is Still Going Strong Today. & Out Of All The Charities From My Own Personal Experience This Has Been The One & Only That’s Even Offered Assistance To My Family... & Ever Since, Every Year They Have Left A Hamper On Our Doorstep At Christmas, Which I Think Has Been The Best Gesture Out Of All of The Charities, Without Having To Get Involved In The Drama Of It All. They Know My Parents And I Are Struggling And I Have To Say It Was a Really Nice.
But This Is About The Benevolent Asylum For The Insane Which Was Pulled Down Sometime From 1904 When It Was Decided Sydney Needed A Railway Station To Become Central Railway Station

sydneybenevolentasylum.com.au

Cleveland house - 146 - 164 Chalmers Street - Surry Hills - NSW
Part 2

Seeing Cleveland House Is A Very Sad Sight Indeed. It's Located Near Central Station. And If You Don't Know Or It's Location It Doesn't Stand Out At All. Apparently Its Been Dated As One Of The Oldest Remaining Houses In Australia, Apart From Some Of The Buildings Located At The Rocks & Millers Point.
The Whole Area There Was Called Cleveland Paddocks & Cleveland Gardens, And This Only A Guess, But I Think It Probably Extended All The Way Up Cleveland Street. Many People Have Lived There Over The Last 2 Centuries..... Yes... 2 Centuries.
What It Looks Like To Me, & This Is A Guess, That Whoever Or Whatever Owns It, & I Guess It's A Building Company Are Leaving It  so It Falls Down On Its Own, & Then They'll Demolish It & Whack Up Some Cheap And Nasty Units  for Maximum Money... And In A Few Years Everyone Will Forget It Was Ever There.