Fitzroy Terrace, Pitt St, Redfern

G’day, Charles Touma here and today I’m outside one of Redfern’s most iconic buildings on Pitt Street, known as Fitzroy Terrace, to tell the story of the evolution of this magnificent property. In 1794, a parcel of land was granted to William Roberts in order that he live there and improve the land through it’s cultivation. The parcel included a sizeable chunk of what is now Redfern and was originally named Roberts’ Farm, after it’s owner. Roberts however decided to settle on the Hawkesbury River. So was obliged to sell the land, which he did for 60 pounds to John Boxley in 1800. The land was ensuingly resold to several purchasers until in 1816, a well-respected medical pioneer, Dr William Redfern, consolidated the parcel of land with his own 70 acres to make a 100 acre parcel. Dr William Redfern had been transported to Australia as a mutineer in 1800. In 1803 he was pardoned. Over the next decade he became the very first Australian to receive a medical qualification as well as the first teacher of medical students. He established a very large private medical practise. When Redfern died in 1833, the 100 acres of his estate were subdivided into blocks of between two and five acres.

In 1842, the land was surveyed in order to lay out streets and develop residential property in Redfern. Cleveland Street and Pitt Street were considered the two upmarket areas to live in. Local man, John Alexander, bought two lots from the subdivision. Each lot was 120 feet by 224 feet or around 2500 square metres. And in 1846 the houses here at Fitzroy Terrace were built by renowned Sydney Architect, James Hume, who played a lead role in the design and construction of many important buildings at the time, including Admiralty House in Kirribilli, residence of the Governor General. Hume had migrated from Scotland as a carpenter in 1834 and quickly became considered amongst the most important architects of the 1840s in Sydney. Governor Fitzroy, a British Aristocrat, was appointed Governor of New South Wales in 1845 and as a result, the building was named after him. By 1847, the first resident moved into Fitzroy Terrace called, Henro Chatto. Chatto owned one of the large auctioneering firms in Sydney called, Chatto & Hughes.

That started a steady flow of wealthy businessmen who began to move in here. In the 1890s, number 12 Pitt Street, part of the Fitzroy Terrace is believed have to been used as a convent school. In 1970, numbers 16 and 18 were sold as one title. In 1984, a permanent conservation order was placed on Fitzroy Terrace by the State Government due to the building being the only remaining example of it’s kind in Sydney. This building can certainly be considered the epicentre of the origins of Redfern and I’m absolutely delighted, I will be bringing number 18 Pitt Street, here at Fitzroy Terrace, to market over the next few weeks. Now I have been selling in the Redfern and Surry Hills area for over 20 years, and I am proud to be associated with this landmark listing and I look forward to listing it online very shortly. My name’s Charles Touma, and my office on Thurlow Street is always open for you to come in and have a chat.