Type House Architectural style Federation architecture | Governing body Private home Construction started 1913 | |
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Location 20 Martin Road, Centennial Park, New South Wales 2021 | ||
Highbury is a historic house in the Sydney suburb of Centennial Park, Sydney, Australia. It was the home of Australian novelist Patrick White for approximately twenty-six years, until his death in 1990.
Contents
Map of Highbury, 20 Martin Rd, Centennial Park NSW 2021, Australia
History and description
Highbury was built in 1913 for the jeweller William Kerr in the Federation Bungalow style. Kerr had acquired the land in 1908. It was designed by Sydney architect William Nixon (1859-1931), who had worked in the Colonial Architect Office before going into private practice. It was built in the new residential area known as Centennial Park, which had been hived off by the state government and sold to pay for the creation of a new park, also to be known as Centennial Park. The government specified that certain types of buildings could not be built, for example, terraced houses, to raise the standard of housing in the new suburb. Large detached homes like Highbury became the norm in the area. Kerr lived in the house until his death in 1954, after which it was acquired by the electrical contractor, Frederick Angles.
Patrick White moved into Highbury in 1964 and lived there with his partner, Manoly Lascaris, after leaving his home in the suburb of Castle Hill. The house and the environs of Centennial Park became significant elements in White's novels. White and Lascaris were socially active and hosted many dinner parties in the house. White's biographer, David Marr, described White as a genial host. White died in 1990; the house was given a state heritage listing due to its association with White, who was the first Australian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Manoly Lascaris continued to live in the house almost until he died in 2003.