Ewenton

Ewenton's land (a larger section bounded by Adolphus Street in the west, Darling Street in the north, Johnston's Bay in the south and Sandy Bay in the east) was bought at auction in 1837 by Robert Blake, from Professor Gilchrist. Blake was Quartermaster Sergeant in His Majesty's 17th Regiment of Foot soldiers, who chose a civil career instead. He was appointed to the NSW Sheriff's Office in 1835, and made under sheriff of the colony on 1 July 1837. Blake's scheme on his estate was to build a number of houses one at a time on varying sized blocks of his land to bring in rental income, along with Darling Street buildings.[2][1]

Ewenton's house was originally constructed for Robert Blake in 1854–1855 as "Blake Vale", a simple single-storied colonial house with a part basement (probably with an attic roof) on the Johnston's Bay side of the property. Blake moved in during December 1854 after the birth of his first son, D'Arcy Stephen, who died on 12 June 1855 at seven months. Blake sold the property in October 1856, moving back to (another of his houses) Mount Shamrock (8, 8a Ewenton Street).[1]

The property was bought in 1856 by Major Ewen Wallace Cameron, a successful businessman and partner in Thomas Sutcliffe Mort & Co. in charge of wool consignments, squatting accounts and pastoral finance. Cameron also bought other adjoining properties off Blake (with his fluctuating finances) in 1860 and 1861. The 13 lots were entered from Darling Street, Adolphus Street and the entry roadway called Wallscourt Avenue. The name became Ewenton Street after Cameron bought Blake Vale.[2] Blake had only created one other road, Blake Street. 9 of Cameron's 12 children to his wife Sophia Usher (b. 1830 in Mauritius, of a father said to have been secretary to Lord Minto, former Governor-General of India) were born at Ewenton. Mrs Cameron's origins and possible exotic tastes may explain the style of the upper floor bay window.[2][1]

In 1860 to accommodate his growing family Cameron engaged Balmain architect James McDonald to add an elaborate entrance portico and stone upper storey with slate roof to Blake Vale, with bayed and pedimented windows in Victorian Simplified Classical style, providing panoramic views of the city of Sydney. It seems that the ground floor and basement incorporated Blake Vale. Cameron named the house "Ewenton". The upper storey had a bay window of singular appearance. The new addition contained two large rooms with views of the bay: three smaller rooms were located above the entrance side of the house.[2][1]

The house was substantially extended in different stages 1860 & 1872. The architect for stages 2 & 3 (1860, 1872) was James McDonald, (1814-1902).[1]

The 1872 extensions (a three-storey wing in stone with slate roof, with basement on the south side of the house) to accommodate Cameron's growing family were in a robust high Victorian style. The massive stone four-storey exterior is heavily articulated in a flat bas-relief decoration around the windows. The high quality stonework has unusual detailing, heavily outlined window openings with curious tops, not like anything from McDonald's other work, and possibly influenced by the Cameron family's travels overseas (in 1886-8). Although the continuous window sills can be found in McDonald's other work in Balmain, the stone window architraves and centre-holed "top knots" are extremely rare in Australian architecture[2][1]

Ewenton was entered through impressive gates at the end of Blake Street. Carriages turned south inside the gates and followed a high level driveway around the south side of the house to stables and coach house on the lower part of the site. A sharp turn back near the 1872 wing allowed carriages to arrive at the portico. Pedestrian access was down a flight of steps in line with the main gate then by curving path to the entrance portico. Steps and a central path, at right angles to the house, led back up the driveway. Cameron retained McDonald to see to the driveway, erection of retaining walls, and general ground improvements. A photograph after 1872 showed Cameron also had a wharf, slipway and boatshed below.[2][1]

The house is of post-Colonial, Italianate classical and rustic Italianate styles in parts.[1]

Cameron died at Ewenton in 1876. By the terms of his will the house remained the family home and rental properties were to be sold off. His widow Sophia died in 1878. The older daughters had all reached 21 before the property settlement took place in 1878. Including reclamation of the waterfront the total property now measured a little more than 9 acres.[1]

The Cameron trustees subdivided the land into two sections, one either side of Ewenton Street. They had gained permission from the Hunt family to extend Ewenton Street south to join Grafton Street, making access south to houses more easy and making the Cameron lots more attractive for sale. New streets with family names were created on the Cameron land: Wallace and Charles Street. Not counting Ewenton's own land, Section A east of Ewenton Street was divided into four lots to contain houses already built by Blake: Shannon Grove, Mt. Shamrock, Maryville, Wallscourt Lodge, and a fifth lot being the latter's front garden. Land to the west of Ewenton Street also went on the market, along with other Cameron lands, in all the estate encompassing "13 family residences and shops", ten acres of unsubdivided land on Iron Cove and four acres at Taylor's Bay, Bradley's Head.[1]

Johanna Cameron, wife of John Cameron, commission agent, bought Ewenton in March 1879. John Cameron (not a son of E. W. Cameron) was mayor of Balmain in 1883 and 1884 and lived at Shannon Grove until the end of the 1880s.[2][1]

After the Trustees sold off the lots in sections A & B, Ewenton still remained the family home for a few years. Following Sophia's death, daughter Barbara Nail cared for the family. In 1880 eldest son George became the head of the family. Mrs Nail died in 1890 at Ewenton, aged 78. That year the surviving Camerons moved to Lerna, 1 Ballast Point Road, home of daughter Julian (third child) and her husband John Waugh.[1]

Ewenton was left vacant in 1891 but in 1892 Mrs Stainger converted it to a boarding house and was there until 1893. It was empty for a couple of years until 1896 when the Bethany Deaconess Institution took occupancy. John Harper was there from 1897 to 1898, George Lawson from 1899 to 1905, and Madame Bovin from 1906 to 1913. Sitting on just under 2 acres, Ewenton was conveyed to Walter Henry Holt, squatter, Queensland, and Alfred Edmund Jaques, Sydney solicitor, in 1886. A number of transfers of title followed in 1891 and 1896. It became a family home again when sold to Henry Brisbane Swan of Swan Brothers, timber merchants of Abattoir Road (now Lilyfield Road), Rozelle in 1911.[1]

The increasing pollution of Rozelle Bay by the Glebe Island abattoir, impending reclamation of the bay and resumption of Swan's original timber yard there for the Rozelle goods railway, were probably factors in his decision to buy Ewenton. He expanded his business by opening a timber yard on the waterfront (later Grafton Street), south of Ewenton, in 1913. Swan was fastidious and saw to it that the yard and Ewenton's garden were kept quite separate. He moored his sailing and motor boats at the foot of the garden. Swan was the mayor of Balmain in 1893, 1894 and 1914–1915.[1]

The garden had a well sited in the "top garden" on the entrance side of the house, at the foot of a great English oak tree. The well was lined with stone, and was very likely a survivor of the Blake Vale days. He and his wife lived in the 1860s wing, keeping the 1872 wing as studies, one on each of the three levels. The old kitchen area and butler's pantry in the basement of the 1860 wing had become a cellar. The long row of servant bells and cords could still be seen in the 1920s. Son Lyle was a barrister, but took over the timber business on his father's death in 1926. Lyle was mayor of Balmain in 1929–1931.[2][1]

The Swan family were to own Ewenton until 1950. In 1951 it was purchased by Dickson Primer & Co., P/L, who expanded Swan's timber business on the property. Dickson Primer built a large shed alongside Ewenton and used the house as a store building. Its condition deteriorated. The site was rezoned residential in 1980.[2][1]

In 1980 after neglect and vandalism (the bay window and verandah were demolished, cedar joinery and fittings plundered) the house caught fire, gutting the 1850s section and partially destroying the roof. The 1872 section was saved by prompt local fire brigade action.[1]

Following a long period (when it was used as an industrial and storage site (the house was used for storing records), c. 1960-1981) as a derelict industrial site, it was restored as a residence in 1985, as part of the Cameron's Cove redevelopment. The remaining grounds including several Victorian-period trees (figs and camphor laurels), some early 20th-century retaining walls and paths, were conserved and landscaped. The bay window was reinstated, based on historic photographs and analysis. The portico, verandah and other details were carefully conserved.[1]

In 1985 a four-lot subdivision was approved by Leichhardt Council, along with partial refurbishment of the house, demolition of the factory building and erection of 60 townhouses, Cameron's Cove.[1]

The property was bought by Brydeen P/L (now the Australian Centre for Languages) in 1987, which applied for alterations and additions for use as a school. This was refused by Leichhardt Council, appealed to the Land & Environment Court, and the appeal discontinued in 1989.[1]

Dr John and Susan Yiannikas bought Ewenton in 1991 and following extensive works to the house they concentrated their efforts on the creation of a garden. Modifications to the garaging, drive and entrance made the house functional, and provided deep beds for bold plantings, creating a wonderful sense of place.[1]

A mass of understorey planting of exotic sub-tropical perennials and heritage shrubs complements the mature camphor laurel trees. Originally planted by gardener and passionate tropical plant enthusiast Brendan Lewis.[1]

The garden in its current form is derived from the environmental factors the landscape now faces and the desire to have a garden suited to the period of its architecture. The garden's current direction is due to the collaborative efforts of the owners and landscape designer Myles Baldwin. Baldwin trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney and was head gardener at Bronte House.[1]

Interior refurbishment, further exterior restoration, installation of a basement (interior) swimming pool, and erection of a re-used Victorian gazebo in the garden, were approved in 1992.[1]

In 1998 a new 2 car garage and basement storage area (converted to a swimming pool), a re-used (i.e. relocated) Victorian gazebo in the garden and new sandstone driveway following the general arrangement of the Victorian driveway were approved and built near the southern end of the 1872 wing, off Grafton Lane.[1]

Ewenton has historic and aesthetic heritage significance in its external fabric and waterfront setting as one of the very few large Victorian waterfront estates in Balmain which remain largely intact, and demonstrate the changing tastes of the Victorian era. The house was originally constructed in 1854–1855 and substantially extended in different stages from 1860 to 1872, and is of post-Colonial, Italianate classical and rustic Italianate styles, with unusually interesting sandstone detailing. It retains the core part of its grounds including several Victorian-period trees (including three camphor laurels), some early 20th-century retaining walls and paths. The property has historic significance for its association with Major Ewen Wallace Cameron, partner in Thomas Sutcliffe Mort & Co., and one of Balmain's leading citizens, and architect (of 1860 and 1872 additions) James McDonald, early Balmain identity.[6][1]

Ewenton was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]

Media related to Ewenton at Wikimedia Commons