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Hooper's Cottage, 17 Gilderthorpe Avenue front view
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Full titleHooper's Cottage, 17 Gilderthorpe Avenue front viewDate15th September 2003DescriptionKnown as oldest farmhouse in Randwick, once situated on 15 acres. Built by George Hooper in the early 1840s.
This two-storey Georgian residence was built in late 1848 by George Hooper on 15 acres purchased for market gardens and orchards. This land was subdivided in the mid 1880s. The house was built of local sandstone for George Hooper, a prominent member of Randwick Council and Council's auditor during the 1860s.
George Hooper sold a major portion of the property in 1864 and moved to Hawkwood near Esk, Queensland shortly afterwards.
He died in Brisbane on 15th August 1888.
Hooper Cottage has remained the property of George Hooper's descendants until the late 1970s. The house remained unaltered up to this date and the rare insurance plaque on the front wall may still be seen.
(Source: Randwick City Council)
The following information comes from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage:
Hooper Cottage has historic significance as the second-oldest building remaining, the oldest farmhouse building and the only remaining building illustrative of working class cottages in the Randwick Municipal Area in what was once a rural setting. Hooper Cottage has the ability to demonstrate a way of life in early Randwick and Sydney through its role in housing market gardeners who supplied the City's markets.
The cottage has social significance for its ability to illustrate 19th century lifestyles and perceptions. The contrasts in scale and finishes between the kitchen area to the rear (which may have been servant's quarters) and the vernacular Georgian house market gardener George Hooper built illustrate perceptions of social status in the 19th century. Architecturally and aesthetically significant
as an increasingly rare sandstone worker's cottage which was converted to servant's quarters/kitchen block, and an intact example of vernacular Georgian domestic architecture. (J. Hannigan 1994)
Physical description: Vernacular two storey Georgian cottage, rectangular plan, small roof span,
symmetrical chimneys, windows, doors. Rear facade faces Gilderthorpe Avenue (formerly Orange Street).
Orientation clearly shows it was part of a much larger estate (65 acres).
Skillion verandah at rear (main facade to north). Has a rare insurance plaque above top middle
window on north facade.
Detached rear single storey sandstone kitchen /servants' quarters (was probably Hooper's original
c1847 cottage, later converted once he built his 1848 vernacular Georgian house). Open courtyard between.
Modifications and dates: 1860s Orange Street renamed Gilderthorpe Avenue.
c1860 the name Figtree Avenue first appears on a map.
C1868 Northern verandah fell off c1968 and was rebuilt in 1980.
1889 Water Board map shows:
kitchen and main house separate
kitchen has bread oven extension (North side, towards house)
outside WC in NW corner of property
No verandah on kitchen
1994
Works completed by mid 1994: (cost $45,000; 30,000 provided as low interest loan by NSW Heritage
Assistance Programme).
Kitchen verandah rebuilt and extended along the full length of the western kitchen wall. Rooves
replaced, gutters, downpipes, stormater system installed to minimise rising damp problem. Plumbing in
bathroom and kitchen replaced, bathroom window installed to match original kitchen window.
Kitchen: removed old defective existing structure, built brick pier foundations, timber posts,
timber roof structure to detail of original verandah, new c/iron roof, galv.steel traditional downpipe and gutter.
Kitchen roof -removed old defective existing roofing, built timber fascia boards, internal timber lining, insulation foil, gal.c/iron roof sheeting, three clear corrugated sheets for skylights, gal. steel box gutter for link roof between two buildings, gal. steel traditional gutters and downpipe,
lead flashing around chimney.
Main house roof: removed old defective roofing material, original shingles still under roofing iron, existing batons badly termite affected. Shingles removed to replace batons. Built timber fascia boards, batons, aluminium insulation foil, gal. c/iron sheeting, gal. steel gutters and downpipes, lead flashings around chimneys.
Bathroom - kitchen - stone work.
Replaced 6 badly eroded sandstone blocks next to door to kitchen, built stone window sill for bathroom window, stone fill to narrow down window to match original kitchen window.
Hooper Cottage's land:
1824 Land originally a Crown grant to Captain Marsh in 1824.
1847 Alderman, Council auditor and one of area's first residents, Market Gardener George Hooper bought the land (65 acres) for orchards and market gardens, and built the first (single storey) cottage in the same year on about 13 acres as a farmhouse.
1848 Hooper builds vernacular 2 storey Georgian house with courtyard, and converts original cottage to kitchen/servants' quarters.
c.1860 the name Figtree Avenue first appears on a map (street to west of cottage).
1864 George Hooper leaves for Queensland, making Simeon Pearce his trustee. Estate and house left
in trust to Hooper's wife Mary. Pearce was actively trying to entice wealthy residents to the Randwick area, and Hooper was a friend of the Pearce family. George's brother James Hooper worked as a market gardener on Randwick Road in 1858/9 (Sands Directory), and from 1865-1880 James was listed as living in Orange Street (name changed to Gilderthorpe Avenue sometime after 1925).
1840-80 period of market gardens and orchards in area, supplying close by City Markets. Occupants of Hooper's cottage were market gardeners.
1887 Cottage bought by Catherine Hooper, widow of James Hooper, and her daughter Mary Ann McQuigan.
Mid 1880s subdivisions and public sales in Randwick area. "Hooper's garden or "Garden Estate" titles.
1890s sale of land around Hooper's cottage. Orange Street renamed Gilderthorpe Avenue and Clovelly Road (cottage is on northern side of this road, on western side of Figtree Avenue).
c.1925 Orange Street renamed Gilderthorpe Avenue.
1930s urbanisation of area complete. Hooper Cottage on existing sized block.
c.Mid 1940s 19 Hill's figs (Ficus hillii) planted along Figtree Avenue, including two near Hooper's Cottage.
c.1968 Northern verandah fell off c1968 and was rebuilt 1980.
During 1978 Randwick Council tried to purchase the cottage to preserve it, but the family of the former owner refused to sell to Council.
During 1979 the cottage (deceased estate of Elizabeth Aveline McGuigan) was put on the market for sale and the Heritage Council of NSW received representations from the Randwick and District Historical Society and Randwick Council seeking a conservation order.
On 4 January 1980 an Interim Conservation Order was placed over the property. On the 12 February a
Permanent Conservation Order was placed over the property.
In 1985 Randwick Council closes off southern end of Figtree Avenue and makes road closure park, 2 Hill's figs (Ficus hillii) in park outside Hooper's Cottage date from c1930/40).
On 2 April 1999 the property is transferred to the State Heritage Register.
(Source: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage).
The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name: Heritage Office
Database number: 5045457
File number: S90/06037 & HC 32254
Original Photograph Size; 300 DPILocationsRandwick (N.S.W.)StreetsGilderthorpe Avenue (Randwick, N.S.W.)Figtree Avenue (Randwick, N.S.W.)Geo Tags[1] Houses & Buildings (Detailed entries)Hooper's Cottage (Randwick, N.S.W.)SubjectsDwellingsHousingHistoric buildingsSandstoneGardensParksSourceRandwick City LibraryFile FormatJPEGIdentifierD00325DRequest accessClick here to purchase a high-res file quoting the Identifier above
This two-storey Georgian residence was built in late 1848 by George Hooper on 15 acres purchased for market gardens and orchards. This land was subdivided in the mid 1880s. The house was built of local sandstone for George Hooper, a prominent member of Randwick Council and Council's auditor during the 1860s.
George Hooper sold a major portion of the property in 1864 and moved to Hawkwood near Esk, Queensland shortly afterwards.
He died in Brisbane on 15th August 1888.
Hooper Cottage has remained the property of George Hooper's descendants until the late 1970s. The house remained unaltered up to this date and the rare insurance plaque on the front wall may still be seen.
(Source: Randwick City Council)
The following information comes from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage:
Hooper Cottage has historic significance as the second-oldest building remaining, the oldest farmhouse building and the only remaining building illustrative of working class cottages in the Randwick Municipal Area in what was once a rural setting. Hooper Cottage has the ability to demonstrate a way of life in early Randwick and Sydney through its role in housing market gardeners who supplied the City's markets.
The cottage has social significance for its ability to illustrate 19th century lifestyles and perceptions. The contrasts in scale and finishes between the kitchen area to the rear (which may have been servant's quarters) and the vernacular Georgian house market gardener George Hooper built illustrate perceptions of social status in the 19th century. Architecturally and aesthetically significant
as an increasingly rare sandstone worker's cottage which was converted to servant's quarters/kitchen block, and an intact example of vernacular Georgian domestic architecture. (J. Hannigan 1994)
Physical description: Vernacular two storey Georgian cottage, rectangular plan, small roof span,
symmetrical chimneys, windows, doors. Rear facade faces Gilderthorpe Avenue (formerly Orange Street).
Orientation clearly shows it was part of a much larger estate (65 acres).
Skillion verandah at rear (main facade to north). Has a rare insurance plaque above top middle
window on north facade.
Detached rear single storey sandstone kitchen /servants' quarters (was probably Hooper's original
c1847 cottage, later converted once he built his 1848 vernacular Georgian house). Open courtyard between.
Modifications and dates: 1860s Orange Street renamed Gilderthorpe Avenue.
c1860 the name Figtree Avenue first appears on a map.
C1868 Northern verandah fell off c1968 and was rebuilt in 1980.
1889 Water Board map shows:
kitchen and main house separate
kitchen has bread oven extension (North side, towards house)
outside WC in NW corner of property
No verandah on kitchen
1994
Works completed by mid 1994: (cost $45,000; 30,000 provided as low interest loan by NSW Heritage
Assistance Programme).
Kitchen verandah rebuilt and extended along the full length of the western kitchen wall. Rooves
replaced, gutters, downpipes, stormater system installed to minimise rising damp problem. Plumbing in
bathroom and kitchen replaced, bathroom window installed to match original kitchen window.
Kitchen: removed old defective existing structure, built brick pier foundations, timber posts,
timber roof structure to detail of original verandah, new c/iron roof, galv.steel traditional downpipe and gutter.
Kitchen roof -removed old defective existing roofing, built timber fascia boards, internal timber lining, insulation foil, gal.c/iron roof sheeting, three clear corrugated sheets for skylights, gal. steel box gutter for link roof between two buildings, gal. steel traditional gutters and downpipe,
lead flashing around chimney.
Main house roof: removed old defective roofing material, original shingles still under roofing iron, existing batons badly termite affected. Shingles removed to replace batons. Built timber fascia boards, batons, aluminium insulation foil, gal. c/iron sheeting, gal. steel gutters and downpipes, lead flashings around chimneys.
Bathroom - kitchen - stone work.
Replaced 6 badly eroded sandstone blocks next to door to kitchen, built stone window sill for bathroom window, stone fill to narrow down window to match original kitchen window.
Hooper Cottage's land:
1824 Land originally a Crown grant to Captain Marsh in 1824.
1847 Alderman, Council auditor and one of area's first residents, Market Gardener George Hooper bought the land (65 acres) for orchards and market gardens, and built the first (single storey) cottage in the same year on about 13 acres as a farmhouse.
1848 Hooper builds vernacular 2 storey Georgian house with courtyard, and converts original cottage to kitchen/servants' quarters.
c.1860 the name Figtree Avenue first appears on a map (street to west of cottage).
1864 George Hooper leaves for Queensland, making Simeon Pearce his trustee. Estate and house left
in trust to Hooper's wife Mary. Pearce was actively trying to entice wealthy residents to the Randwick area, and Hooper was a friend of the Pearce family. George's brother James Hooper worked as a market gardener on Randwick Road in 1858/9 (Sands Directory), and from 1865-1880 James was listed as living in Orange Street (name changed to Gilderthorpe Avenue sometime after 1925).
1840-80 period of market gardens and orchards in area, supplying close by City Markets. Occupants of Hooper's cottage were market gardeners.
1887 Cottage bought by Catherine Hooper, widow of James Hooper, and her daughter Mary Ann McQuigan.
Mid 1880s subdivisions and public sales in Randwick area. "Hooper's garden or "Garden Estate" titles.
1890s sale of land around Hooper's cottage. Orange Street renamed Gilderthorpe Avenue and Clovelly Road (cottage is on northern side of this road, on western side of Figtree Avenue).
c.1925 Orange Street renamed Gilderthorpe Avenue.
1930s urbanisation of area complete. Hooper Cottage on existing sized block.
c.Mid 1940s 19 Hill's figs (Ficus hillii) planted along Figtree Avenue, including two near Hooper's Cottage.
c.1968 Northern verandah fell off c1968 and was rebuilt 1980.
During 1978 Randwick Council tried to purchase the cottage to preserve it, but the family of the former owner refused to sell to Council.
During 1979 the cottage (deceased estate of Elizabeth Aveline McGuigan) was put on the market for sale and the Heritage Council of NSW received representations from the Randwick and District Historical Society and Randwick Council seeking a conservation order.
On 4 January 1980 an Interim Conservation Order was placed over the property. On the 12 February a
Permanent Conservation Order was placed over the property.
In 1985 Randwick Council closes off southern end of Figtree Avenue and makes road closure park, 2 Hill's figs (Ficus hillii) in park outside Hooper's Cottage date from c1930/40).
On 2 April 1999 the property is transferred to the State Heritage Register.
(Source: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage).
The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name: Heritage Office
Database number: 5045457
File number: S90/06037 & HC 32254
Original Photograph Size; 300 DPILocationsRandwick (N.S.W.)StreetsGilderthorpe Avenue (Randwick, N.S.W.)Figtree Avenue (Randwick, N.S.W.)Geo Tags[1] Houses & Buildings (Detailed entries)Hooper's Cottage (Randwick, N.S.W.)SubjectsDwellingsHousingHistoric buildingsSandstoneGardensParksSourceRandwick City LibraryFile FormatJPEGIdentifierD00325DRequest accessClick here to purchase a high-res file quoting the Identifier above
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Hooper's Cottage, 17 Gilderthorpe Avenue front view (15th September 2003), [D00325D]. Randwick City Council, accessed 15/01/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/4588