Mayfair … Hartford … Carlyle … Florence … Gaza … Morocco … Minnesota … Montana
An itinerary to distant and exotic places? No, Glebe house names!
Houses were often known by their names in the days before the numbering of houses became fully systematised early in the 20thC.
Apart from the obvious influences suggested above, many other preoccupations and aspirations are demonstrated in the way properties have been named by their builders, architects or owners.
In Glebe, for example, there are the ‘Rivers of Tasmania’ terraces (1903) in Glebe Point Road (corner Hereford Street) where Derwent, Tamar, Huon and Esk stand side by side. Further down Glebe Point Road at Nos. 433-445, there are terraces (1899-1900) named alphabetically – and with some brevity – Abna, Boro, Cama, Divo, Edna (not displayed), Freya and Gaza.
The Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon terraces (1892) in Wigram Road (Nos. 63-71) suggest an owner, architect or builder with a classical education or perhaps aspirations to one.
Was St Elmo (1895) named after the patron saint of ships? Many Australian houses were named after the ship which brought immigrants safely to these shores. Was St Helens (1902) a reference to the attractive legend that this saint, reputedly the mother of the Emperor Constantine, was an Englishwoman and daughter of Old King Cole?
Fashions in names
Gould* indicates that early and mid-Victorian house names displayed a sense of grandeur. For example, in Glebe we have Toxteth Park (1831) and Lyndhurst (c.1835).
In the late Victorian and Federation period (which was when much of the development occurred in Glebe), house names tended to become more personal and given names were often used. Some local examples are Edith Villas (1877), Alice Villas (1911), Florence Villa (1873-6), Beryl Lee (1910) and Louisa Terrace (1875).
Styles of presentation
House names might appear in gold leaf, frosted or stained glass fanlights (Keribree at 55 Hereford Street is an exquisite example) or in panels of timber, metal (brass, copper, gold leaf) or glass (often in combination) beside the front door or on the verandah beam above the front steps.
Researching your house name
If you are considering researching your property’s original name, you should first check the Certificate of Title for useful information (eg, date built) and then check the holdings of:
* The State Library (eg, Sands Directories, Post Office Directories, etc)
* The Society of Genealogists
* NSW Archives
* Glebe Library (local history section)
The Glebe Society also holds some limited information on this subject and we would be pleased to handle requests in writing.
The architecture of Glebe tells its own story; but house names augment this and add a poetic flourish to mere bricks and mortar.
“A house without a name is a house without soul”
6 comments. Please add yours.
We owned Freya at 435 Glebe Point Road from the early nineties until 2011. The previous owner had named it Freya because of an interest in numerology. We researched the name, copied the style of nameplate and replaced it. Some of the neighbours and long term local at the time were very pleased.
Hi Peter, there appears to be some confusion regarding the names of the terrace houses at 433-445 Glebe Point Road. The first one (at 445) is recorded here as “Abna” although elsewhere in Glebe Society publications it is called “Alma”, which I believe is correct. The 4th house (at 435) is recorded here as “Freya”, but elsewhere as “Favo”, in fact the nameplate on the house is “Favo”.
To add further confusion regarding FAVO, following the death of William Jarrett, the original owner of these homes, the names where listed as “ALMA, BORO, CAMA, DIVO, EDNA, FARO and GAZA” when advertised for auction in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1902.
I note your reference to the 7 terraces at 433-445 Glebe Point Road and the comment from Shane O’Connor (in 2013) regarding the names given to these dwellings. I too am interested in the origin of these names, although I note there have been a couple of changes over the years. The original name for No. 445 was ALMA and is recorded as such in the register of NSW Heritage properties, but now appears to be ABNA. Also, No. 435 was originally called FARO, but appears to have been changed to FAVO at some point before its heritage listing.
Is there any further information available in respect of these properties and their original four-letter names (A to G)?
Do you have any information on a house named “Hilston” or ” Hillston” in Glebe Point Road, which has had a preservation order placed on it along with three others. If you can provide the street number that would help with censuses.
There is a 5th Tasmanian River terrace, named Mersey, at No.1 Hereford Street. A shorter and wider version of those on Glebe Point Road, it has all the same internal features such as pressed metal ceilings, plaster decorations and room layout. It has been gradually restored since 1978 when it was converted from 4 flats back into a family home.
I would be interested if anyone has further information on the names of the Terraces at 433-445 Glebe Point Rd. EDNA is now proudly displayed and FAVO has been returned to its original name after spending some time under the name FREYA.
All four letter names following the alphabet Abna,Boro,Cama,Divo,Edna,Favo,Gaza