Images of Sydney Buildings.

[PJCPJC]

Could anyone please help me find images of these 2 buildings?  I assumed they are available because they were owned by prominent, wealthy men in Sydney, but I have tried all the obvious avenues and I have run out of ideas.

1.  Napoleon Cottage, Brisbane Street, Surry Hills.
Gregory BOARD 1809 - 1888 lived there for many years and died there - probate £208,292 which in those days was quite a fortune.

2.  Glenbank, Norton Street, Ashfield
Gregory's son Gregory BOARD 1841 - 1915 lived there for many years, and, according to his obituary in The Sydney Morning Herald, "deceased was the possessor of one of the largest private collections in the State of pictures, bronzes, and objects of art. The art gallery at Glenbank, for size and completeness, is even said to be unrivalled in New South Wales."  I am amazed I cannot find an image for this one.

Best wishes to all, and any help would be very much appreciated.

[alison2763]

Hi,
I presume when you say you have checked all obvious avenues- you have checked with the local council and or museum if there is one ?
I see on NLA there was another man of  Napolean Cottage , Mr Thomas T BALCOMBE who dies in Paddington  on 13.10.1861.
Maybe his descendants may have a photo ?

Regards
Alison

[alison2763]

Hi again,
Do either of these buildings still exist ? You can use Google Earth street view and walk down those streets, I just did but had no exact address to look at 
Regards
Alison

[PJCPJC]

Hi Alison,

Thank you very much for your replies.  These buildings no longer exist, and Mr. Balcombe lived in a different building called Napoleon Cottage.  I admit I meant obvious online avenues - I have not tried the local council.

Many thanks,

Peter.

[PrueM]

Hi Peter,
The following is via Picture Australia.  It gives an idea of what the house in Ashfield may have looked like:
http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=3342


If you do a search for Brisbane Street, Surry Hills on Picture Australia  (http://www.pictureaustralia.org/) you will find a lot of photos of the old street before it was resumed, along with photos of the resumption under way.  Unfortunately it may be that "Napoleon Cottage" went the way of much of Surry Hills in the early 20th century.

Cheers
Prue

[PJCPJC]

Hi Prue,

Thanks for your kind reply.  I tried Picture Australia yesterday, and came up with nothing for Napoleon Cottage.  As for the Norton Street link, thanks again but I imagine Glenbank was much more substantial because of the art gallery within.  I realise some things are simply not on the internet, but I am not quite ready to give up.

Many thanks,

Peter.

[PrueM]

Hi Peter,

I suspect that your houses simply were never photographed, or if they were, they were not "named" so if the photos were available publicly you would never know that you were looking at them. 

Accordingly I suspect your "Napoleon Cottage" may feature in the photos of Brisbane Street as it seems almost the entire street was photographed before demolition.  It's a pity you don't have a street number for reference (I have lots of early Sydney houses with the same problem!)  Re. Norton Street, I was thinking of stylistic similarities rather than size.  I wonder if perhaps the house was pictured in a book or something from the pre-digital era that isn't available online...perhaps a local historical society might be able to advise further?

Cheers
Prue

[PJCPJC]

Hi Prue,

The Brisbane Street pictures I have just seen on Picture Australia suggest Napoleon Cottage was already demolished.  It had been a detached property, described in 1912 in the Sydney Morning Herald, in an article reminiscing about the 1860's thus:-

"Brisbane Street contained only three or four houses, notably among them a large cottage known as "Napoleon Cottage", which was for many years the residence of one of Sydney's old identities, Mr. Gregory Board, an old-time publican and timber merchant, who amassed a fortune. The neighbourhood at that time was not built upon, and consisted of open paddocks extending to the Old South Head-road (now Oxford Street) on the southern side of Mr Board's residence extending to Albion Street (Mr. Terry Hughes's property) and Surry Hills was vacant land used as paddocks for depasturing cattle ..."

The next week, a reader's letter to the editor remarked:-

"... but Mr. Stack is wrong about the Sheriff Gardens, that is, so far as the old Sheriff Gardens are concerned. They started from the end of Goulburn Street, and went right up to what I know as the slate quarry, now, I think, Riley Street. Mr. Gregory Board's property was on one side, and the Sheriff Gardens on the other side of a creek that ran from Surry Hills."

I must admit I was hoping too at least find a sketch.

Thank you very much for your efforts.

Peter.

[Dennis1938]

Dear PJCPJC
Having stumbled across RootsChat, I found your interesting message about Gregory Board & Napoleon.Cottage. My Wife is a "BOARD" and we have traced her 4xGGF Gregory Board Snr. (who died in 1811 at Southwark London, England). Her 3XGGF another Gregory Board remained in England but his Brother William was transported to OZ with his wife Elizabeth in 1805 for Coining. I have been trying to trace his Kin in Oz.
The Gregory Board of Napoleon Cottage was named after his Grandfather and Williams brother Gregory. I have also found the Gregory Board of Glenbank that you mentione too. If you are interested, I would love to exchange our infomation as we now have a copy of the 1st GB's Will which refers to William being in a foriegn country and also the Two Children that they had to leave behind in England!
Regards
Dennis