By Mark Sabolch, a visitor from the Ashfield and District Historical Society, September 2025
An insightful walking tour to Toxteth Park (House) was led by historian Max Solling on a glorious spring afternoon, Thursday 18 September 2025. As the walking party turned from Toxteth Road into Avenue Road, a quaint treelined street in central Glebe, the grandeur of Toxteth Park, located in the grounds of what is now St Scholastica’s School, became apparent.
Back in 1831 solicitor George Allen (1800-1877) and his wife Jane stepped into the new home they called Toxteth Park perched on a gentle spur in Glebe. Designed by the esteemed Sydney architect, John Verge, the house stood proudly on 95 acres of land. The Allens produced a family of fourteen children, ten of whom survived infancy, and were supported by the labour of up to fifteen assigned convicts. The villa was a rectangular two-storey block with single-storey wings in an elegant layout. Toxteth Park was one of Verge’s earliest commissions in Sydney, with nearby Lyndhurst, built 1831-1837, and Elizabeth Bay House, built a little later 1835-1838.
The eldest son of George Allen, George Wigram Allen (1824-1885) joined his father’s legal business, became Mayor of Glebe (1859-1877) and greatly expanded the villa once his father died. Using a brother-in-law as an architect, George Arthur Mansfield, George added a third storey, a tower, a ballroom and a spectacular first floor covered veranda in 1881.
Joanna Mead, Archives & Records Manager, Good Samaritan Congregational Centre, kindly led the tour through the interior of the villa and it became clear that since the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Order purchased the sprawling mansion in 1901, they have treated the building with care and respect.
After dividing into two smaller groups, our party proceeded to the History Room, which showcased a rich collection of local historical artefacts and stories. Joanna shared that the Catholic Order of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan was established in Sydney in 1857, following a decision by Australia’s first Catholic Archbishop, John Bede Polding, to form a new congregation of religious women. Rooted in the principles of the Benedictine tradition, the Order was originally based at Pitt Street, Sydney. However, they were required to relocate when their premises were demolished to make way for the construction of Central Railway Station at the turn of the century.
One of the highlights of our tour was being led onto the first floor veranda where we experienced sensational views to the city and surrounds.
The first floor verandah showcases hallmark features of the Victorian style (from George’s 1881 renovation), most notably its expansive faceted bays. Characteristic Italianate elements include ornate brackets beneath the building’s eaves and dentil moulding along the verandah’s fascia. The cast iron verandah columns reflect classical influence, with Doric styled columns at ground level transitioning to Ionic columns on the first level.
The wide verandah, a faceted bay extending through two storeys, a hipped roof above and city views.
The verandah weaves its way around the faceted bays which contribute to the picturesque aesthetic of the villa. Generously proportioned, the windows are flat-topped rather than arched, further emphasising the building’s elegant design and consideration for light penetration.
It was noted that George hosted Queen Victoria’s grandsons in 1881 who were visiting Sydney; 17-year-old Prince Albert (known as Edward, he died in 1892) and his 15-year-old brother Prince George (who returned to Australia to open the first parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 and was crowned King George V in June 1911).
In the most recent renovation of the building undertaken by the Sisters in 2016, special attention was given to uncovering and preserving the underlying paint layers and colour schemes that once adorned the house. Through careful paint scraping techniques, fragments of these historical finishes were revealed and have since been protected. Today, they remain on display within the villa, offering visitors a tangible connection to its rich heritage.
Our tour ended with a visit to the adjoining chapel built by the Sisters in 1931 and acclaimed for its extraordinary acoustics. Architecturally, it is built in a simple version of Italian Romanesque.
This was a fabulous tour; and thanks go to Max and Joanna for guiding a very pleased and informed party.
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