Leuralla

Last updated

Leuralla
LeuraNSWLeuralla.jpg
Leuralla
General information
TypeHouse
Architectural style Federation Free Classical
Location36 Olympian Parade
Leura, New South Wales
Coordinates 33°43′29″S150°19′47″E / 33.7246°S 150.3297°E / -33.7246; 150.3297
Construction started1910
Completed1914
Governing bodyThe Evatt Family
Design and construction
Architect(s) Edward Hewlett Hogben
(1875–1936) [1] [2]
Website
Leuralla Toy & Railway Museum

Leuralla is a historic house in Leura, a suburb in the Blue Mountains, in New South Wales, Australia. [3] It was the location of the Leuralla Toy & Railway Museum, [4] which closed in 2022. [5]

Contents

The present house was built between 1910 and 1914 and was designed by architect Edward Hewlett Hogben. The garden was developed around the 1914 house and is 5 hectares (12 acres) in size. A formal garden lay out was used originally by Andreas and later Paul Sorensen improved the garden overall. An amphitheatre [6] is located on the edge of the escarpment and overlooks the Jamison Valley. [7]

Background

Leuralla was built for the independently wealthy yachtsman and big-game fisherman [8] Harry Andreas [9] (1879 –1955), [10] his wife Alice and their young family. Harry and Alice Andreas lived at Leuralla until after World War II. In 1928, Clive Evatt QC (1900 –1984) married Marjorie Andreas, a daughter, of Harry and Alice, and the Evatt family connection to the property began. Clive Evatt Jnr, an Andreas grandson, managed the property. Clive Evatt and his wife, Elizabeth Evatt, are the founders of the present museum. They are responsible for the exhibition of H.V. Evatt QC KStJ (1894 –1965) memorabilia and for the toy and railway collection displayed in various buildings. Herbert Vere Evatt was Clive Evatt Snr's brother but had no particular connection with Leuralla and had a home of his own in Leura. [7]

House and out-buildings

In 1903 a house, known as Leuralla, was built on the current site but was destroyed by bushfire in 1909. Between 1910 and 1914 the present house was built and the design was influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. The house is an example of an early 20th Century permanent residence for a wealthy family. It is an imposing two-storey house set in extensive grounds in the Federation Free Classical style and is notable for its entry portico and stair, symmetry, and bracketed cornice. The walls and chimneys are rendered and the building is on a rockfaced sandstone base. Leuralla has a hipped roof with short projecting hipped wings on the southern and northern sides. The wide external sandstone staircase which has twin flights from the ground under a single storey portico. The portico is topped by a first floor balcony with balustrading. Doric columns complement the entry and the front door is multi-paned and has sidelights. There are symmetrically placed hipped roof bay windows on the northern and southern sides of the portico. The roof is covered in slate and ridged in terracotta. The garage has Federation Anglo-Dutch style influences and its walls are shingled with a weatherboard spandrel. There is a single-storeyed sandstone outbuilding with a gabled roof on the Olympian Parade side of the grounds. [7]

Garden and amphitheatre

Andreas established an exotic garden from his earliest ownership of Leuralla and much of it was saved from the 1909 bushfire. It was redeveloped around the 1914 house and is still 5 hectares (12 acres) in size. A formal garden lay out was used originally by Andreas and later Paul Sorensen improved the garden overall. There is a sculpture garden on the south side of Olympian Parade. The amphitheatre [6] on the edge of the escarpment takes advantages of its spectacular setting overlooking the Jamieson Valley. [7]

Distinguished guests

As the home of the Katoomba Music Society in the 1930s, Leuralla hosted numerous interesting musical guests including: the internationally renowned pianist Solomon Cutner CBE , known as The Great Solomon; the composer and conductor Sir Eugene Goosens; and music critic and cricket commentator Sir Neville Cardus CBE . [11] During the 1927 Royal Tour of Australasia, Harry Andreas had acted as a fishing guide for The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) in the Bay of Islands, [12] whilst the young Princess "Lillibet" was at home in London.

Toy and railway museum

Nazi-themed toys at Leuralla with disclaimer Leuralla Nazi Toys.jpg
Nazi-themed toys at Leuralla with disclaimer

Leuralla housed a toy museum from 1980 to 2022. It included a collection of toys, children's literature, games and models from the 20th Century. Items included rare tinplate trains, airplanes, zeppelins, ships, automobiles, lead and elastolin figures, as well as working model train layouts complete with train station, harbour, farm & garden and military scenes.

Represented characters included Alice in Wonderland, Tintin, Babar, Winnie the Pooh, Noddy and Rupert Bear, Popeye, James Bond, Action Man, Barbie and Harry Potter. Important dolls, teddybears and stuffed animals, Meccano, construction kit, games and jigsaws, children's literature & comics were also represented. The grounds feature an outdoor display of model trains and original ephemera from NSW railways such as signage, benches and station contents, which were being removed and disposed of in the 1980s. The house also features a commemorative museum to the great Australian politician, intellectual and statesman Dr. H V Evatt.

The museum included a display of Nazi-themed toys that were used to indoctrinate children in the German Nazi era. A sign at the display said that the museum "disclaims and condemns" such use and that they are shown for public knowledge. After the closure of the museum in 2022, [5] the Nazi-themed toys were excluded from the sale of the collection. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leura, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia

Leura is a suburb in the City of Blue Mountains local government area that is located 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the series of small towns stretched along the Main Western railway line and Great Western Highway that bisects the Blue Mountains National Park. Leura is situated adjacent to Katoomba, the largest centre in the upper mountains, and the two towns merge along Leura's western edge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphitheatre, Victoria</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Amphitheatre is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Pyrenees Highway in the Pyrenees Shire, south-west of Avoca. At the 2021 census, Amphitheatre and the surrounding area had a population of 223.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry and Penelope Seidler House</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

The Harry and Penelope Seidler House is a heritage-listed modernist house located at 13 Kalang Avenue in the Sydney suburb of Killara in the Ku-ring-gai Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by architects Penelope and Harry Seidler and Harry Seidler & Associates, and built from 1966 to 1967 by Peter Cussel. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 June 2008.

Elizabeth Andreas Evatt, an eminent Australian reformist lawyer and jurist who sat on numerous national and international tribunals and commissions, was the first Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia, the first female judge of an Australian federal court, and the first Australian to be elected to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werris Creek railway station</span> Railway station in New South Wales, Australia

Werris Creek railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located at the junction of the Main Northern, Mungindi and Binnaway–Werris Creek lines (Keilbahnhof) in Werris Creek in the Liverpool Plains Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The station serves the town of Werris Creek and was built between 1877 and 1880. The station is also known as Werris Creek Railway Station, yard group and movable relics. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Clive Raleigh Evatt was an Australian politician, barrister and raconteur. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1939 until 1959. At various times he sat as a member of the Industrial Labor Party, Labor Party and as an independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rona, Bellevue Hill</span> House in New South Wales, Australia

Rona is a historic house in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia. The house is listed on the Australian Register of the National Estate and is listed on the Municipality of Woollahra local government heritage list. The house is situated in the northern end of the suburb and sold for A$58 million in 2018, making it one of Australia's most expensive homes at the time.

Harry Andreas was an Australian businessman and company director. As a big-game fisherman he pioneered the sport in New Zealand. He was the inventor of the Andreas Fortuna Game Fish Reel and is described in the 1935 edition of Who's Who in Australia as being of "Independent Means".

Penelope Alice Marjorie Seidler AM is an Australian architect, former member of National Gallery of Australia Council, and current member of the NGA Foundation Board. She is also an accountant and director of the Sydney-based architectural firm Harry Seidler and associates. She was the wife and professional partner of architect Harry Seidler. She was the subject of the 2014 Archibald prize winning portrait by Fiona Lowry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenalvon House</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Glenalvon House is a heritage-listed homestead located at 8 Lithgow Street, Campbelltown in the City of Campbelltown local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed and built in 1841 by Michael Byrne. It is also known as Glenalvon and Glenalvon and Stables. The property is owned by Department of Planning and Infrastructure, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice and Police Museum</span> Living history museum in New South Wales, Australia

The Justice and Police Museum is a heritage-listed former water police station, offices and courthouse and now justice and police museum located at 4-8 Phillip Street on the corner of Albert Street, in the Sydney central business district in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Edmund Blacket, Alexander Dawson and James Barnet and built from 1854 to 1886. It is also known as Police Station & Law Courts (former) and Traffic Court. The property is owned by the Department of Justice, a department of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Leura is a heritage-listed former residence and school boarding house and now residence at 24 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Walter Liberty Vernon and Howard Joseland, and built during 1891. It is also known as Street House. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Innes Post and Telegraph Office</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Glen Innes Post and Telegraph Office is a heritage-listed post office at Grey Street, Glen Innes, Glen Innes Severn, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by NSW Government Architect's Office under Walter Liberty Vernon. and built from 1895 to 1896 by Sandbrook Brothers. The property is owned by Australia Post. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 23 June 2000. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 8 November 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evatt House</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Evatt House is a heritage-listed house located at 69 Junction Road in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga in the Ku-ring-gai Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Parklands. The property is privately owned. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 24 September 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodford Academy</span> Former Australian academy school and museum

Woodford Academy is a heritage-listed former academy school, inn, private residence and boarding house and now a museum, tourist attraction, art gallery and coffeehouse at 90-92 Great Western Highway, Woodford in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1828 to 1835 by Thomas Michael Pembroke. It is also known as Woodman's Inn, King's Arms Inn, Buss's Inn, Woodford House and Woodford Academy. The property is owned by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 1 March 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everglades, Leura</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Everglades is a heritage-listed former residence, art gallery, cafe and garden and now tourist destination, house museum and garden at 37 - 49 Everglades Avenue, Leura, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. The garden was designed by Paul Sorensen and the design of the house is also attributed to Paul Sorensen; and built from 1915 to 1938 by Ted Cohen. It is also known as Everglades Gardens. The property is owned by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 1 March 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ewenton</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Ewenton is a heritage-listed residence at 1 Blake Street, Balmain, Inner West Council, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by James McDonald and built from 1854 to 1872. It is also known as Blake Vale. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Hewlett Hogben</span>

Edward Hewlett Hogben was an Australian architect who had a prominent role in modernising the Carrington Hotel, Katoomba in 1911 when he designed the new facade for Sir James Joynton Smith. In partnership with the estate agent Alfred Craig, and then with the Goyder brothers, he played an influential role in the architectural development of both Katoomba and Leura between the wars. An early commission in 1905 was the design of the Kanowna guesthouses for John Connely in Wascoe Street, Leura. His most distinguished private home was the second Leuralla, built for Harry Andreas.

Paul Edwin Bielenberg Sorensen was a Danish-born Australian landscape gardener and nurseryman. After leaving Europe due to the outbreak of the First World War, Sorensen lived in Australia for the rest of his life, mostly in the Blue Mountains. He designed and planted over 100 gardens, of which the best known is "Everglades", in Leura, Australia.

References

  1. ↑ "DEATH OF MR. E. H. HOGBEN". The Sydney Morning Herald . No. 30, 628. New South Wales, Australia. 3 March 1936. p. 9. Retrieved 26 November 2019– via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ HUBERT ARCHITECTS in conjunction with SIOBHAN LAVELLE, R. IAN JACK & COLLEEN MORRIS 28 April 2003, Page 60. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Desiatnik, Shane (4 June 2014). "Museum challenged to remove Nazi era toys". Blue Mountains Gazette.
  4. ↑ New South Wales Toy & Railway Museum. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  5. 1 2 Barlass, Tim (21 May 2021). "Last night at the museum: End of a toy story". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 Leuralla Cliff-Top Garden and Amphitheatre. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "NSW Heritage Branch – Leuralla, Garage, Outbuilding, Amphitheatre and Gardens". Office of Environment and Heritage. NSW Government . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "DEATH OF MRS. E. P. ANDREAS". The Sydney Morning Herald . National Library of Australia. 3 November 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  9. ↑ BD&Ms. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  10. ↑ BD&Ms. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  11. ↑ Leuralla – Guests Archived 24 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  12. ↑ "ROYAL ANGLERS". The Register . Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 25 February 1927. p. 9. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  13. ↑ Lewis, C. B. (2022). "Clive Evatt's Blue Mountains Toy and Railway Museum 'Leuralla' closes its doors, treasures for sale." The Canberra Times. October 5 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.