Rona, Bellevue Hill

Rona
General information
Type House
Architectural style Victorian Rustic Gothic Revival
Location 51 Fairfax Road, Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
Coordinates 33°52′27″S 151°14′59″E / 33.8742°S 151.2497°E / -33.8742; 151.2497Coordinates: 33°52′27″S 151°14′59″E / 33.8742°S 151.2497°E / -33.8742; 151.2497
Completed 1883
Governing body Private ownership
Design and construction
Architect Gustavus Alphonse Morrell
Website
NSW Heritage Branch

Rona is a historic house in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill. It is listed on the Australian Register of the National Estate[1] and is situated high in the northern end of the suburb. It is accessible from both 41 Fairfax Road and 2 Ginahgulla Road via the stables gates. Ginahgulla Road has a four other heritage listed homes.[2]

The estate

Rona was originally a 16-acre state and was sub-leased from Frederick Tooth, a member of the Tooth family of Cranbrook, by Sir Edward Knox, the founder of CSR Limited. It was bought in 1880 by Knox's son, Edward William Knox, and William Oswald Gilchrist. Knox Jnr and his brother, Tom, built Rona and Leura respectively and in 1900 Gilchrist sold to Sir Colin Stephen who built Llanillo. Stephen was Edward William Knox's son-in-law and his daughter, Helen Rutlege, wrote the story of Rona and the Knox family in a book entitled My Grandfather's House.[3] Llanillo has since been demolished and the land sub-divided but Leura still stands with a Victoria Road address. Rona is still set in expansive, though greatly reduced, gardens that have now been redeveloped by Myles Baldwin.[4]

Greycliffe House inspired the design of Rona
The Rona gate house on Ginahgulla Road

The house

Rona was designed by G.A. Morell and built in 1883 for Edward William Knox. The design was based on Greycliffe House, another heritage-listed home in Nielsen Park, Vaucluse, New South Wales, that had been the childhood home of Mrs Knox. Like Greycliffe, Rona is a two-storey house in the Victorian Rustic Gothic Revival style and built in Sydney sandstone. The house was severely damaged by fire in 1905 and restored with modifications by the architect William Wardell Jnr. In 1951, the architect John Mansfield removed the large south centre gable, and by creating a courtyard, converted it into two apartments for descendents of the Knox family. This century, the courtyard has again been roofed, but in glass, and the area is once again enclosed.

The stables

The stables were built at the same time as the house and in similar style. In 1959 they were converted into a residence by the architect John Amory for a Knox family descendant. The building has now been reunited with the house by the creation of a new driveway and gates from Ginaghulla Road.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Entry AHD2579". Australian Heritage Database. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
  2. ↑ Heritage of Australia, p.2/131
  3. ↑ Rutledge, Helen (1986), My grandfather's house, Doubleday
  4. ↑ The Sun-Herald - Sydney mansion 'set to sell for record $30m'
  5. ↑ Woollahra – local history fast facts Retrieved 29 August 2012
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