Federation Style

Some of you may remember my 112km serial jaunt into Sydney last year. Having completed the project I became painfully aware of all the historic precincts and suburbs that I passed but never explored. I was brought up in Marrickville but I hadn't been back there in 50 years. As a new project I am progressively exploring the old places to see what time and the successive waves of fashion have done to them.

Today was the turn of Summer Hill, a 110 hectare locality with a population of about 6000 people. It is part of the municipality of Ashfield.

There's much to be said about places like Summer Hill and I will not try to say it all here. A feature of the area are the hundreds of "Federation Style" cottages. These were an Australian version of "Queen Anne" style houses which reached a peak of popularity around the time of Australian Federation (i.e. 1901). During the 1960s a great many were criminally "modernised" while others were criminally left to rack and ruin. Many have now been returned to an approximation of their original appearance - given that they have become a great deal more valuable in that condition.

This one shows the iconic fixed window awning, tuck pointed brickwork, Marseille pattern terra cotta roof tiles and ridge adornments, tessellated porch and pathway tiling and timber (as opposed to Victorian style "lace" wrought iron) eave decoration. The appearance of sash windows, as opposed to casement types, is a puzzle as is the "colonial" window panes in lieu of leadlights and/or coloured glass inserts. Also there are no "Australiana" carved timber embellishments. Nor are there stucco finishes on gables. Nonetheless there seems little doubt that, while it may not look exactly as it originally did, it was probably built between 1895 and 1914.