201 Albion Street, Surry Hills

G’day Charles Touma here and today I’m outside the heritage listed 201 Albion Street in the magnificent Surry Hills to talk about the fascinating stories attached to this property. The story starts with a bloke by the name of George Hill who was the son of 2 convicts. Now George barely went to school but was very streetwise as he was earning a living as a cattle farmer at the age of 10. He went on to establish one of the largest slaughterhouses in Sydney, on Sussex Street in the CBD, where he sold a range of meats to the butchers around Sydney. The rapidly growing population needed feeding and George capitalised, growing a large pile of cash which he used to buy a large block of land here on Albion Street in Surry Hills, some blocks on Bourke Street as well as 3 pubs and multiple farms. That parcel of land he bought on Albion Street was right here, stretching from what is now 197 Albion Street to 207 Albion Street. When Hill moved to Surry Hills in 1835 he said there were only 3 houses in the whole suburb.

On his block of land, Hill built 3 two-storey terraced houses here at 197-201, then another 2 terraced houses at 203-205 and at 207 Albion Street he built Durham Hall, a large two-storey detached house. So the 3 terraces here at 197-201 are believed to have been constructed in 1838. A few years later a newspaper advert for 201 read: “a genteel cottage to rent, 5 rooms, store, and servant’s room, garden with a well of water”. All five terraced houses from 197 to 205 Albion Street remained in the Hill family until they were sold in 1907 for 870 pounds. Yes 870 pounds for all 5 properties! By the 1920s Italian immigrants, Giovanni and Cetrina Natoli turned 197 into a Fruit Shop. In 1969 a company called Reliance Holdings bought all 3 terraces at 197-201 and in 1971, 197 became an Antiques shop of sorts.

In 1979 Council approved the terraces here at 197-201 for restoration. In the 1980s a publisher of Newsletters, Phillip Luker established his business HQ here initially at 197 and then purchased 201 in 1985. In 2000 the building was purchased by the current owner who made extensive renovations and replaced the old ‘well of water’ with a swim jet pool. The owner is an art collector and since 2015 has exhibited Australian and international art in the two front rooms as Badger and Fox Gallery and Filter Fine Art. I have just listed it for sale, It’s a stunning property with quite a story attached. I’ve been selling real estate in Redfern and Surry Hills for over 20 years and I consider it my mission to keep these stories alive of our local community. My name’s Charles Touma, my Ray White office on Thurlow Street is always open for you to come in and have a chat.