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Former Leigh College Hall |
The former Leigh College is located at 416-420 Liverpool
Road, Strathfield South. The site is very prominent, with street
frontages on Liverpool Road, Hill Street and Hillcrest Street at Enfield
[or Strathfield South].
This site includes three significant historic properties: ‘Brundah’, a
Victorian style house, ‘Leigh College Hall’, a neo-Georgian Revival
style building and the E. Vickery Memorial Chapel. All three buildings
are listed as heritage items on Strathfield Council Local Environmental
Plan 85.
History
The Victorian house ‘Brundah’ appears to have been erected
between 1883 and 1886 for Thomas Alt, a wine merchant. This house is
one of the oldest existing houses in Enfield and would have
overlooked the Cooks River, when it was first built. The Alt family
owned ‘Brundah’ until 1911 when it was sold to Paul Lamarand.
Previously stables existed, which dated from the 1860’s. It is
assumed that the extensive two storey service wing at the rear of
the house may be from the same period as the house or part of an
earlier building.
In 1915, the Methodist Church Conference ratified the purchase of
this property for the purposes of a Theological College, giving the
name ‘Leigh’ in commemoration of the Rev. Samuel Leigh, the first
Wesleyan Missionary to the Colonies. The Rev. W E Bennett was
appointed the first Principal. By the mid 1920’s pressures had
mounted for a new College and in 1927, the foundation stone was laid
for the new building by the Governor of NSW, Sir Dudley de Chair.
The new building, known as ‘Leigh College’ opened in 1928 at the
cost of 25,000 pounds. The architect was Byera Hadley and builder C
F Gage. The College provided accommodation for male students who travelled
daily to Sydney University to receive instruction. The old house
‘Brundah’ provided space for dining facilities and the residence of
the Principal. It was not until 1952 that the building was completed
with a faithful adherence to the original design.
In April 1927 the College was further expanded with the construction
of a small chapel known as the E Vickery Memorial Chapel. It was
donated by Mrs Elizabeth Newman of ‘Tiptree’ Llandilo Ave
Strathfield in memory of her father, the Hon. Ebenezer Vickery MLC.
Vickery was one of Australia’s wealthiest men and a great benefactor
of the Methodist Church in Sydney.
In 1974, the Enfield site became the United Theological College
following a merger between Leigh College [Methodist], Camden College
[Congregational] and St. Andrews College [Presbyterian]. Since the
mid 1960s however, the buildings became progressively inadequate for
their purpose. The student population changed from young, single
men, to include those of both sexes, some married and with an
average closer to 35.
In 1987 much of the land, including the former stables, was sold for
residential development and Leigh Hall along with ‘Brundah’ were
used for the teaching of English mostly to overseas students or
recent migrants. In 1998, Australian College of Languages relocated
to a city location.
Noor Al Houda Islamic College has recently commenced occupation of
this site.
Related link
Article on sale of building, date not specified.
References
‘Our coming of age’, The Methodist Church Strathfield, 1908-1929
[booklet]
‘The History of Leigh Hall & Brundah House’, Noor Al Houda Islamic
College, 2004 [pamphlet]
Schwager/Brooks and Partners Pty Ltd Architects and Planners,
“Conservation and Re-use Analysis for Uniting Church Theological
College Enfield’, January 1985
Acknowledgement to Kathy Reichs for information on Byera Hadley.
Heritage Status
Many requests have been received regarding the heritage
status of this site. This is the current heritage status of this site
as far as I am aware.
Statutory listings
Local heritage list [Strathfield Council Planning Scheme Ordinance]
All three buildings are listed as heritage items on Strathfield
Council’s Local Environmental Plan 85, which is incorporated into
the Strathfield Planning Scheme Ordinance [as schedule 9 and 10].
The items are listed as ‘United Theological College, formerly known
as Leigh College including E. Vickery Memorial Hall, 420 Liverpool
Rd South Strathfield’ and ‘Victorian Villa, formerly United
Theological College, 420 Liverpool Rd South Strathfield’
United Theological College, formerly known as Leigh College
including E. Vickery Memorial Hall, 420 Liverpool Rd South
Strathfield. The heritage inventory sheet is 228. The assessment is
dated 1986 and written by heritage consultants Fox & Associates.
The description, history, significance statement of this item
states:
Constructed in 1952 [note: this is incorrect, date of construction is
1927-28] this two storey symmetrical building is
constructed of face brick. A tile hip roof has a square clock tower
with a copper dome and features a stone portico, stone string
course, brick voussoirs, stone sills, elaborate stone entablatures
to central windows on the wings and simple brick detailing to the
corners.
The E. Vickery Memorial Hall is a single storey brick and tiled roof
building. Elements include a flat roofed stone portico, round top
stained glass windows, eave brackets and decorative timber
detailing. Leigh Hall and the E. Vickery Memorial Hall are screened
from Liverpool Rd by mature plantings and area of local significance
for their architectural qualities and as a landmark along Liverpool
Road.
Victorian Villa, formerly United Theological College, 420 Liverpool
Rd South Strathfield. The heritage inventory sheet is 229. The
assessment is dated 1986 and written by heritage consultants Fox &
Associates.
Situated within Leigh College and on the crest this two storey
Victorian Italianate villa has an asymmetrical façade with
projecting two storey bay. Features include arched top windows,
tessellated tiles to the return verandah, masonry columns, eave
brackets cast iron brackets and balustrades, French doors, fan and
side lights and a south facing bay. A slate hip roof features a cast
iron windows walk. Masonry gate posts and a brick fence surround the
college grounds. The villa has some remnant pine planting and other
landscaping elements are formally placed to the driveway and the
adjacent 1930’s buildings. This Victorian villa is of local
significance for its retention of architectural detail and its
prominent location. Both the villa and planting schemes are
important landmark elements along Liverpool Road.
State Heritage Register
None of these buildings are registered on the State Heritage
Register. A list of items on the State Heritage Register can be
found on the database of the NSW Heritage Office at
www.heritage.nsw.gov.au
Non-statutory listings
There are other organisations that develop registers of items of
heritage significance. Though these registers are respected and
referenced in heritage assessments, they do not have statutory
force.
The most notable registers, particularly in regard to built
heritage, is the National Trust Historic Building Classification
Register and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects [NSW
Chapter] Register of Twentieth Century Buildings of Significance.
RAIA Register
E Vickery Memorial Chapel and Leigh Hall United Theological College
is listed on the Royal Australian Institute of Architects [NSW
Chapter] Register of Twentieth Century Buildings of Significance.
‘Brundah’ is not listed as it would not meet the threshold criteria
of being a twentieth century building because it was built in the
1880s.
National Trust Classification
The National Trust have classified the ‘United Church Theological
College Group’, ‘Chapel’ and ‘Leigh Hall’ as individual items.
The site of the former Leigh College, including front and rear
grounds, is also contained in the National Trust ‘Strathfield Urban
Conservation Area Precinct 3’. This urban conversation area was
classified in 1999. The report was prepared by Robertson & Hindmarsh
Pty Ltd, which focused on Inter-War housing.
Other matters for consideration
The Strathfield Council Significant Tree Register 1995 has
identified 4 trees including 1 Hoop Pine and 3 Canary Pines as
significant trees. The statement of significance states:
The Australian Centre for Languages (Leigh College), with its
Victorian Italianate villa is located in a prominent elevated
position adjacent to Liverpool Road (Hume Highway). The grounds
contain a magnificent collection of significant plantings, dominated
by a single, remnant Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) and three
Canary Island Date Palms (Phoenix canariensis). The Hoop Pine is an
outstanding specimen planting of landmark significance, making a
dramatic visual contribution to the streetscape and sky—line of this
area. These native dry rain forest pines were favoured in early
estate plantings for their imposing scale, adaptability under drier
conditions and their ornamental evergreen foliage. Together with
other associated Araucarias, they define much of the historic
character of Strathfield.
The three specimen plantings of Canary Island Date Palms (Phoenix
canariensis) are further significant and historic plantings. These
palms represent possibly two different periods of planting earlier
this century. The largest palm, located at the rear of the
buildings, is 12 metres in clear trunk and is one of the largest
specimens in the study area. Together these palms create a
distinctive broad—leaf landscape character, adding depth to the
Araucaria planting. Other important component plantings of historic
significance include ,a 12 metre high acaranda (Jacaranda
mimosifolia) near, the western boundary and mature Camphor Laurels (Cinnamomum
camphora). These remnant Camphor Laurels are dominated by regrowth
trees from original shelterbelt plantings. There are also two large
specimens ranging up to 16 metres in height and together these trees
continue an important and representative planting theme in the
Strathfield area.
Source:
Significant Tree Register Strathfield Council, prepared by LandArc
Landscape Architects January 1995 page 76
Author and Copyright information
This article was written by Cathy Jones, 2006
© Cathy Jones 2006. This article is subject to copyright and may not be
reproduced without permission of the author.
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