Federation Houses of Boomerang Street, Haberfield, NSW

[Previous post: Haberfield Federation Pride Next post: Kerever Park, Burradoo ]

• See also: Haberfield, the Garden Suburb
• See also: Haberfield Federation Pride

Boomerang Street begins at Waratah Street, and continues to Dobroyd Parade

A colourful history

– from http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/haberfield

3 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Haberfield has a colourful history. The peninsula jutting out into Iron Cove was encompassed by the original 1806 Sunning Hill land grant of 480 acres (194 hectares) to Ensign Nicholas Bayley of the New South Wales Corps.

By dubious means, this was acquired by the emancipist Simeon Lord, then the largest landowner in the colony and a member of the main roads board. Lord presented the land as a dowry for his daughter Sarah on her marriage to Dr David Ramsay in 1825 on condition that it was bequeathed only to the issue of that marriage.

Following her death, Sarah Ramsay’s heirs began selling land to Richard Stanton, the first 50 acres being between Deakin and Waratah Streets.

5 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Stanton was inspired by early the early town planning movement which sought to regulated uses and building types, and example he had seen in England and the USA. Stanton was a co-founder of the Town Planning Institute with John Sulman ,and the Real Estate Institute.

Haberfield is also known as the “Federation Suburb’

Houses were individually designed by the company’s architect, John Spencer-Stansfield, and anticipated accommodation for the motor car. Haberfield was a total package, intended for the rising middle class, within 30 minutes by tram or ferry to the centre of the city, and with a marketing slogan of being ‘slumless, laneless and publess’.

Rising Sun (Federation 1901) motif on gable of 25 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Richard Stanton was an ardent Federationist, as commemorated by the names placed in the streets’ footpaths (representing all but two of the members of the original 1901 federal cabinet) and by aesthetic features within his distinctive house designs – the rising sun motif, waratah and flannel flowers, and the first Australian coat of arms on the newly formed Australian army houses at 146–150 Ramsay Street.

Stanton’s model suburb was so successful it was quickly copied by other developers. By the 1930s Haberfield had been completed with house types from the earlier Queen Ann and Arts and Crafts styles, followed by early Inter-war Bungalow style. All Haberfield houses however continue to incorporate key ‘garden suburbs’ and spatial principles initiated by Stanton.
‘Boomerang Street’

7 Boomerang Street -HH

Boomerang Street was named in 1855^[1] , one of the earliest streets in the suburb, and may refer to an area where local aborigines lived then, and also to the curved shape of the street.^[2]
“Dobroyd(e) Point was frequently used by picnickers. From Parramatta Road, the ridge along Dalhousie and Boomerang Streets would be followed to the Point from which, surrounded by bushland, excellent views across Iron Cove to the Parramatta River could be beheld.”^[3]

Waratah Street to Learmouth Street:

This is an earlier development by Stanton, so contains older Federation houses of the Haberfield Estate.

7 Boomerang Street Haberfield with Magnolia

13 Boomerang Street

14 Boomerang Street

15 Boomerang Street

18 Boomerang Street

19-21 Boomerang St Haberfield

21 Boomerang Street Haberfield

24 Boomerang Street

25 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Art Nouveau leadlight at no. 24

39 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Tiled path at no 39

41 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Spring at 41 Boomerang St

47 Boomerang Street Haberfield

47 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Magnolia at 7 Boomerang Street

Magnolia and 9 Boomerang St

Learmouth Street to Dobroyd(e) Point:

1 Learmouth Street Haberfield

49 Boomerang Street Haberfield

51 Boomerang Street Haberfield

57 Boomerang Street

61 Boomerang Street Haberfield

Tesselated Paths in Boomerang Street

– From Haberfield Heritage Photostream

7 Boomerang Street -HH

28 Boomerang Street, Haberfield, NSW 2045

“Federation excellence of impressive proportions”
“Beautifully presented and featuring impressive proportions throughout, this freestanding Federation residence makes a superb example of immaculately retained traditional charm and sophisticated modern additions.”

• “Occupying a prime corner position with easy street access
• Sympathetically extended with quality appointments throughout”
  
• “Flowing open design with polished floors and high ceilings”
  
• “A selection of large lounge, dining and family living spaces
• Modern dine-in kitchen equipped with Smeg gas appliances
• Master bedroom with extensive built-in robes and ensuite
• Large garage plus storage space with side street entrance
• Wide entertainment terraces, sunlit level lawns and gardens”
  
• “High decorative ceilings, ornate details, leadlight windows”

1. ^
   “Tours of Haberfield, Past and Present, Part One”, by Vincent Crow, 2002, page 1.
2. ^ ‘Haberfield – The Development of its Character’, by Vincent Crow, 1978, page 3.
3. ^
   ‘Haberfield – The Development of its Character’, by Vincent Crow, 1978, page 3.