Bronte House
Encyclopedia
Bronte House is an historic house in the Sydney suburb of Bronte
. It is situated at 470 Bronte Road and is listed on the Register of the National Estate
as well as having a New South Wales state heritage listing.
, who set it on the edge of what is now known as Bronte Gully. Construction began circa 1838, but Lewis sold the house in 1843, when it was still incomplete, to the barrister Robert Lowe (later to be known as Viscount Sherbrooke). Lowe completed the construction of the house and its gardens and named it after Lord Nelson, who was known as the Duke of Bronte (a place in Sicily). Lowe's wife Georgiana was a painter and painted a number of pictures of Bronte House.
The house has been described as a "magnificent, mid-Victorian mansion". It is a sandstone, one-storey bungalow with verandahs on the west and east sides. It features a service wing that extends to the south, plus two octagonal rooms that feature cone-shaped roofs. The garden, situated on the edge of the gully, developed as a major feature in its own right.
The garden was neglected over the years, until well-known Sydney identity Leo Schofield
became the tenant. Schofield has been credited with restoring the garden to its original glory. The house is now owned by Waverley Council and is leased to private tenants, who are expected to maintain the house and gardens and open it to the public a few times a year.
Bronte, New South Wales
Bronte is a beachside suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bronte is located 8 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the Waverley Council local government area of the Eastern Suburbs....
. It is situated at 470 Bronte Road and is listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
as well as having a New South Wales state heritage listing.
History and description
Bronte House was originally designed by the Colonial Architect Mortimer LewisMortimer Lewis
Mortimer William Lewis , was an English architect and surveyor who migrated to Australia and became Colonial Architect in the state of New South Wales from 1835 to 1849. Lewis was responsible for designing and overseeing many government buildings in Sydney and rural New South Wales, many of which...
, who set it on the edge of what is now known as Bronte Gully. Construction began circa 1838, but Lewis sold the house in 1843, when it was still incomplete, to the barrister Robert Lowe (later to be known as Viscount Sherbrooke). Lowe completed the construction of the house and its gardens and named it after Lord Nelson, who was known as the Duke of Bronte (a place in Sicily). Lowe's wife Georgiana was a painter and painted a number of pictures of Bronte House.
The house has been described as a "magnificent, mid-Victorian mansion". It is a sandstone, one-storey bungalow with verandahs on the west and east sides. It features a service wing that extends to the south, plus two octagonal rooms that feature cone-shaped roofs. The garden, situated on the edge of the gully, developed as a major feature in its own right.
The garden was neglected over the years, until well-known Sydney identity Leo Schofield
Leo Schofield
Leo Schofield AM is an Australian restaurant critic, advertising professional and arts festival director....
became the tenant. Schofield has been credited with restoring the garden to its original glory. The house is now owned by Waverley Council and is leased to private tenants, who are expected to maintain the house and gardens and open it to the public a few times a year.