Original Villas Of Woolloomooloo Hill, Potts Point & Elizabeth Bay - 17 Allotments - Granted By Governor Darling

Originally  the great Valley Of Darlinghurst was originally subdivided by Governor Ralph Darling in the mid 1820s when he created 17 allotments of land parcels to house public servants & other private citizens.
With the 17 land grants that Governor Darling  allowed he had strict conditions that there could only be one dwelling per allotment, that each each dwelling should be built facing the city along the ridge, & 
that the land should have landscaped gardens around.




ELIZABETH BAY HOUSE 
House








TUSCULUM 








ROCKWALL
BARHAM. 






GRANTHAM

BROUGHAM LODGE 
KELLETT HOUSE 

Elizabeth Bay House - Elizabeth Bay - Sydney - New South Wales

Elizabeth Bay House - Elizabeth Bay - New South Wales 

10 Things You May Not Have Known About Elizabeth Bay House...

1. It Was Built Between 1835-1839 In The Regency Architectural Style And Was Originally Surrounded By A 22 Hectare Garden In What Was Then The Fashionable Suburb Of Woolloomooloo Hill. The Area Has Evolved Into The Densely Populated Suburb Of Elizabeth Bay. 

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2. The Rooms, Sweeping Staircase And Lavish Furnishings Reveal The Tastes Of Its Original Owner, Alexander Macleay, The One Time Colonial Secretary Of New South Wales. Magnificent Gardens Expressed His Passion For The Natural World But In The 1840's Downturn Ushered Him Towards Financial Ruin 

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3. Macleay Arrived In Sydney From England In January 1826, With His Wife Eliza, Nine Of Ten Surviving Children, And His Extensive Entomological Collection. At The Time, He Possessed The Finest And Most Extensive Collection Of Any Private Individual In England. 

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4. Architect John Verge Produced A Design For A Splendid "Marine Villa" In The Greek Revival Style, Which Was At Its Peak Of Popularity Then. 

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5. A Nearby Grotto With Accompanying Stone Walls And Steps, Plus Several Trees, Are All That Remain Of The Original Extensive Garden. It Held Macleay's Considerable Native And Exotic Plant Collection, An Orchard And Kitchen Garden. 

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6. The Main Axis Of The House Is Aligned With The Winter Solstice. Though No Documents Are Known To Discuss This Feature, It Is Not Likely To Be An Accident. 

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7. For The Remainder Of The 19th Century And Well Into The 20th Century, Elizabeth Bay House Had A Chequered History. With The Property Being Subdivided. THE gardens Were Reduced To A Small Fragment. The House Became Home For A Succession Of Tenants, Including Many Artists. 

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8. In 1961 The National Trust Started To List And Publicise Important Historic Places. Elizabeth Bay House Was One Of The First 50 Places Named. 

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9. In 1977, The House Was Extensively Restored And Refurbished, Initially So It Could Become The Official Residence Of The Lord Mayor Of Sydney. Later Elizabeth Bay House Became One Of The First Properties Acquired By The Historic Houses Trust 

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10. THE property Was Used As The Setting For A Jessica Mauboy Music Video In 2010

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"A Few Days Ago I Saw One Of The Most Perfect Places I ever Saw In My Life"
Mrs Robert Lowe Wrote To Her Mother In 1842. 

"The Drive To The House Is Cut Through Rocks Covered With The Splendid Wild Shrubs And Flowers Of This Country. Here And There An Immense Primevil Tree. The House Is Built Of White Stone And Looks Like A Nobleman's Place. In The Garden Are The Plants Of Every Climate From Rio To The West And East Indies, China And Even England. Bulbs From The Cape And Beautiful Roses Are To Be Seen. Oranges, Lemons, Citrons, Guavas And Pomegranites Are in Full Bloom"

But There Were Drawbacks To the Garden  Of Elizabeth Bay House, Home Of Alexander Macleay, Colonial Secretary Of New South Wales, As Seen Through the Eyes of An English Woman Accustomed To Soft Greeness. it Was Too Dry; The Plants Grew out of Sandy White Soil. "A few English Showers" She Observed "Would Improve It."
Macleay's Domain Was 54 Acres And Was The Wonder Of the Colony.
The Land Had Come To Him In 1828 As A grant From Governor Darling, Who Respected his Knowledge As A Naturalist And Horticulturalist. Macleay Completed Elizabeth Bay House In 1837, But Lived There Only 9 Years. 
His Heirs Used Pistols & Bloodhounds To Guard The Treasures Of the Garden Against Despoilers. But In The Long Run There Was no Defence Against Land Hunger.
A Great Slice Of the Garden Was Sold In 1875; And The Rest Of The Estate Was Cut Up In 1927. 
Today.... A Few Yards Of Earth Are the Only Setting Left For One Of The Finest Examples Of Regency Architecture in Sydney...