Description & Building History

March 29, 2018

Description & Building History

Kings Cross 1932

THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This is just a rough draft of a history. (will gradually be added to)
It was in 1919 that the mansion called Rosebank was formally sold. The purchasers gained council approval for redevelopment and then the sandstone villa was demolished to make way for Rosebank Avenue (now Farrell Avenue). The stone and iron retaining wall on our northern boundary was part of the old Rosebank estate. I was told that it dates from 1834.

The ‘Transfer of Land’ document dated 30^th December 1919 shows that an architect named John Henry Theodore Peters purchased lots five and six of deposited plan #9403 from the architects Thomas Pollard Sampson and Harold Minton Taylor for the sum of ₤3,800. Peters (I am told) lodged plans to build Richmond Hall in 1920, although 1990s council documents that we we have, state that the council does not have copies of the original plans or development application.

Peters built Richmond Hall (2-4 Farrell Avenue) c.1920. A year or so later he built the sister building, 6-8 Farrell (where he lived for some time) and later, the 'third sister' 10-12 Farrell. He also built blocks of units in Kings Cross Road.

The Truth newspaper carried this article about him and a scandalous divorce case on Sunday 10th March 1940.

Some early photos of Rosebank Street (Farrell Ave.) and Clapton Place

Farrell Ave 1920s Lister flats & St Albans

Richmond Hall would have been built by this time. The building you can just see to the right on the corner of Farrell and Kirketon Road was a private hospital (I believe). This, along with many other buildings and the massive tin shed that was a taxi base were demolished to make way for the Palisades and Tewkesbury projects.

Clapton Place extension 1921 1

Clapton Place extension 1921 2

Richmond Hall would have been under construction or just completed at this time.

Clapton Place realignment August 1940

Rosebank Street Footpath 1957 2

Rosebank Street Footpath 1957

Aerial view 1930s Cross Shows taxi base

Imperial Hotel and Farrell Avenue Opening

Imperial Hotel and Farrell Avenue opening

Collapsed retaining wall 1973

Collapsed retaining wall Feb. 2008

The similarity between the 1973 wall collapse and the collapse of our own wall in 2008 is remarkable. The difference between the two dates is basically, after the 1973 collapse, developers were able to build a huge, red brick apartment complex. After the 2008 collapse we had to employ stone masons to restore the 1834 wall and iron fence to exacting heritage standards.

Early photos of Kings Cross

Kings Cross from William St Mid-1960s

Kings Cross from William St Mid-60s

1940 North side Kings Cross Road

Darlinghurst Road 1964

Bayswater & Darlinghurst Rd 1960

Fire Station 1930

Coke Sign 1965

Fire Station 1930

Kings Cross Hotel 1934

Kings Cross intersection 1957

Kings Cross Road from Victoria street 1934

Mansions Hotel 1937

North to Kings Cross Hotel from Victoria Street

West down William 1916 from Cross

West down William 1916 from cross

William and Victoria Street 1911 Hotel

William St from Victoria Street 1940

Victoria & William 1970s tunnel construction

1973-1975 saw the centre of Kings Cross demolished to make way for the Kings cross tunnel. The history of its construction is here: link. 118 properties were resumed and demolished. At the time they said a deeper tunnel under existing buildings might conflict with the eastern suburbs railway work, but it was really just the cheaper option and showed the utter contempt Kings Cross was held in by the establishment .