Stanmore, New South Wales

Stanmore was named by a prosperous saddler, John Jones. He purchased land in 1835 where Newington College now stands and called it the Stanmore Estate. Jones named it after his birthplace of Stanmore, a north London suburb. The current suburb of Stanmore is larger than the original estate and includes the area originally known as Kingston.

The first Norfolk pines on the Australian mainland were planted along the line of Percival Road, leading to Parramatta Road by Lt Colonel George Johnston. He was the owner of Annandale House, built in 1799 on the hill between Macaulay and Albany Roads, Stanmore. It was from here where Johnston marched with his troops to Castle Hill on 5 March 1804 to quell the convict revolt and where he rode on 26 January 1808 to arrest Governor Bligh during the Rum Rebellion. ^[1]

[edit] Commercial Area and Transport

Stanmore railway station is on the Inner West line of the CityRail network. Stanmore has a small shopping centre beside Stanmore railway station. Commercial developments also run along the length of Parramatta Road. The Olympia Milk Bar is located on Parramatta Road, while the Globe Theatre was a local landmark which is now demolished.

Trafalgar Street shops

Percival Road shops

The Olympia Milk Bar, Parramatta Road

[edit] Olympia Milk Bar

The Olympia Milk Bar is a cultural icon situated on Sydney's main traffic artery, Parramatta Road, Stanmore. Considerable folk lore has built up about the aged proprietor and the opening hours of the Olympia.^{[citation needed]}

The interior of the Olympia is much like a time capsule, albeit a quite poorly lit one. There are displays of old chocolate boxes and vintage advertisements around the shop. The milk bar contains facilities for making milk shakes and ice creams, but the selection of chocolate bars now seems to be fairly limited. The Stanmore Cinema was formerly adjacent to the premises, but was demolished in 2002. The upper floor of the building once contained a hair salon, known as the Olympia Salon.^{[citation needed]}

The owner is the inspiration for the song "Dr Death" by Sydney garage band Sheik The Shayk. An excerpt from an upcoming novel by Anthony Macris (Capital, Volume One, Part Two) features an exhaustively detailed description of the premises ^[2]. Further detailed descriptions of the owner and the premises can be found in the book Strawberry Hills Forever by Vanessa Berry.

[edit] Schools

Founders' Wing, Newington College

Stanmore Public School

Stanmore is home to Newington College, an independent GPS boys school and the state primary Stanmore Public School ^[3]. The architecturual historian Morton Herman said of Newington's design by Thomas Rowe^[4]:

“

The 1881 building is an almost perfect example of scholastic Gothic Revival architecture.

”

Also in the grounds of Newington is the old church built in 1874. It is made from sandstone rubble and features a spire; it was used by the Methodist congregation until a larger church was built in 1883. The first church then became a school hall and is now used as an art room. It is now listed on the Register of the National Estate.^[5]

Of Stanmore Public's design by Blackman and Parkes he said^[6] :

“

... the whole building is a very pleasant essay in correct and simple classicism, with the triple stairs giving unexpected dignity.

”

[edit] Churches

St Michaels Catholic Church.
St Augustines Anglican Church.
West Kingston Uniting Church.

[edit] Notable residents

Birthplace of former Prime Minister Harold Holt (1908-1967).

[edit] References

^ The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, page 246
^ Anthony Macris. "The Olympia", Jacket Magazine, July, 2000.
^ Stanmore Public School
^ The Architecture of Victorian Sydney (Syd, 1956)pp 76
^ Register of the National Estate:Retrieved 9th April, 2008
^ The Architecture of Victorian Sydney (Syd, 1956)pp 76

[edit] External links

Stanmore, New South Wales is at coordinates 33°53′39″S 151°09′52″E / -33.89423, 151.16436 (Stanmore, New South Wales)Coordinates: 33°53′39″S 151°09′52″E / -33.89423, 151.16436 (Stanmore, New South Wales)

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