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Kneehole writing desk, Hudson Bros
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TitleKneehole writing desk, Hudson BrosDate1880About this objectThis cedar writing desk is an example of the late 19th-century utilitarian government furniture made in Sydney. It is likely to have been brought to the building by Cable Station workers in the 1880s and has remained in the building since.
Hudson Bros was a Redfern-based company established by William Henry Hudson, a cabinetmaker from Plymouth who arrived in Syndey with his family in 1846. He founded a joinery business with his son Henry in Redfern, known as Hudson and Sons.
The firm became one of Sydney’s leading builders, providing timberwork to many notable buildings including the Great Hall at the University of Sydney. After William’s retirement in 1866, the company was led by Henry, and with the involvement of William’s other sons – Robert, William and George – it took on the name of Hudson Brothers.
Hudson Brothers imported the latest woodwork machinery from America and rebuilt the original Redfern joinery shop as the Steam Joinery Works. They also operated their own sawmills in the Myall Lakes district and Pyrmont and had depots in various locations in NSW. Hudson Bros carried out several government contracts, including the construction of two hundred railway wagons (1876-1877) and the Coast Hospital, later known as Prince Henry Hospital (1881-1886). Object No.88.13CreatorHudson Bros.Inscriptions & marksCarved on the front: V R (with the image of a crown between the two letters) / FEB / 1880
Black stencil underneath the desktop: HUDSON BROS / REDFERN SAWMILLS & STEAM JOINERY WORKS / SYDNEYPlace madeSydneyMaterialCedarSourceLa Perouse MuseumOn displayNoTypeMuseum objectsOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)Production notesHudson Bros was a Redfern-based company established by William Henry Hudson, a cabinetmaker from Plymouth who arrived in Syndey with his family in 1846. He founded a joinery business with his son Henry in Redfern, known as Hudson and Sons.
The firm became one of Sydney’s leading builders, providing timberwork to many notable buildings including the Great Hall at the University of Sydney. After William’s retirement in 1866, the company was led by Henry, and with the involvement of William’s other sons – Robert, William and George – it took on the name of Hudson Brothers.
Hudson Brothers imported the latest woodwork machinery from America and rebuilt the original Redfern joinery shop as the Steam Joinery Works. They also operated their own sawmills in the Myall Lakes district and Pyrmont and had depots in various locations in NSW. Hudson Bros carried out several government contracts, including the construction of two hundred railway wagons (1876-1877) and the Coast Hospital, later known as Prince Henry Hospital (1881-1886).
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hudson-henry-3810
https://www.australianmodeller.com.au/products/hudson-brothers?srsltid=AfmBOooKMz34pcDx4CZaTCNUlXUqIEUsiVzjMJAtN_aftauGGXvld4p0 ThemesEuropean arrivalsSocial history
Hudson Bros was a Redfern-based company established by William Henry Hudson, a cabinetmaker from Plymouth who arrived in Syndey with his family in 1846. He founded a joinery business with his son Henry in Redfern, known as Hudson and Sons.
The firm became one of Sydney’s leading builders, providing timberwork to many notable buildings including the Great Hall at the University of Sydney. After William’s retirement in 1866, the company was led by Henry, and with the involvement of William’s other sons – Robert, William and George – it took on the name of Hudson Brothers.
Hudson Brothers imported the latest woodwork machinery from America and rebuilt the original Redfern joinery shop as the Steam Joinery Works. They also operated their own sawmills in the Myall Lakes district and Pyrmont and had depots in various locations in NSW. Hudson Bros carried out several government contracts, including the construction of two hundred railway wagons (1876-1877) and the Coast Hospital, later known as Prince Henry Hospital (1881-1886). Object No.88.13CreatorHudson Bros.Inscriptions & marksCarved on the front: V R (with the image of a crown between the two letters) / FEB / 1880
Black stencil underneath the desktop: HUDSON BROS / REDFERN SAWMILLS & STEAM JOINERY WORKS / SYDNEYPlace madeSydneyMaterialCedarSourceLa Perouse MuseumOn displayNoTypeMuseum objectsOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)Production notesHudson Bros was a Redfern-based company established by William Henry Hudson, a cabinetmaker from Plymouth who arrived in Syndey with his family in 1846. He founded a joinery business with his son Henry in Redfern, known as Hudson and Sons.
The firm became one of Sydney’s leading builders, providing timberwork to many notable buildings including the Great Hall at the University of Sydney. After William’s retirement in 1866, the company was led by Henry, and with the involvement of William’s other sons – Robert, William and George – it took on the name of Hudson Brothers.
Hudson Brothers imported the latest woodwork machinery from America and rebuilt the original Redfern joinery shop as the Steam Joinery Works. They also operated their own sawmills in the Myall Lakes district and Pyrmont and had depots in various locations in NSW. Hudson Bros carried out several government contracts, including the construction of two hundred railway wagons (1876-1877) and the Coast Hospital, later known as Prince Henry Hospital (1881-1886).
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hudson-henry-3810
https://www.australianmodeller.com.au/products/hudson-brothers?srsltid=AfmBOooKMz34pcDx4CZaTCNUlXUqIEUsiVzjMJAtN_aftauGGXvld4p0 ThemesEuropean arrivalsSocial history
Hudson Bros., Kneehole writing desk, Hudson Bros (1880). Randwick City Council, accessed 15/01/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/12271