Description
The Mango remains a magnificent and densely crowned tree. It is possibly the largest specimen of this species in the City of Sydney LGA. The Avocado however, appears to be in serious decline and its overall shape and integrity has been seriously compromised by recent heavy pruning. The age of a very stunted Macadamia Nut (Macadamia integrifolia) located in the northern garden is unknown, but may date from the earliest period as an orchard. A more detailed assessment could not be undertaken as access to the property was not possible during the course of this study.
In addition to these earlier elements, many of the subtropical trees and palms from the 1920’s ‘Boomerang’ phase of development are still present. These include The Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis), Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana), Sentry Palm (Howea belmoreana), Chinese Windmill Palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) and a Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii). Some of these species and others such as Alexandra Palms (Archontophoenix alexandrae) have been added since this period. The two Windmill Palms (9-10 metres clear trunk) located in the southern garden are amongst the largest known in the City of Sydney LGA. The relatively small, native Port Jackson Fig (Ficus rubiginosa f. rubiginosa), located in the south-western corner of the garden, may have been self-sown at some later stage. Other later additions to ‘Boomerang’ including a formal row planting of Bhutan Cypress (Cupressus torulosa) around the reflective pool, are to some degree consistent with the Spanish Mission styling/ Moorish influence of the entry and porte cochere.
This overall eclectic subtropical palette, dominated by exotic palms, retains a strong thematic landscape character. It is evocative of the Hollywood era and the Spanish Mission style of southern California. Moreover, the significance of the collection lies in the historic, cultural and social overlays from grand colonial estate to the Hollywood/ Californian influence of the 1920’s. This is a recurring theme throughout this precinct.
Significance
‘Boomerang’, including the residence, gardens and trees, is scheduled on the Register of the National Estate, the State Heritage Register, the Draft Local Environmental Plan 2011, and classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). From the 1820’s period until subdivision between 1865 and 1882, the grounds were part of the Macleay’s Elizabeth Bay House estate. This location was the site of an orchard. Following subdivision of the estate, William John Macleay acquired the leasehold on blocks at the corner of Ithaca Road and Billyard Avenue and constructed a museum for his natural history collections. A building for the Linnean Society of NSW was later constructed on an adjacent block in 1885.
An old avocado (Persea gratissima) and a large Mango (Mangifera indica) are possibly from the grounds of the Linnean Hall remain. The Mango remains a magnificent and densely crowned tree. It is possibly the largest specimen of this species in the City of Sydney LGA. The Avocado appears to be in serious decline. The Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) in the northern garden is a tall, emergent specimen and the most visually prominent component of the garden when viewed from the harbour. This species is consistent with earlier Araucaria sp. planting in the bay area. These three trees, in particular are significant in terms of their historic association and aesthetic contribution to the house and local area.
Historical notes
Governor Darling granted Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay 54 acres at Elizabeth Bay in 1826. From 1826-1926 the subject land was part of the Macleay family’s Elizabeth Bay estate garden, in which Alexander built his mansion in the 1830’s to the west. Built well before the house, the estate was widely considered at the time (1820’s onward) as “the finest house and garden in the colony” and had a number of areas, in gardenesque style. Its walled ‘orchard /orangery’ was the harbour-side part in which Boomerang was later constructed.
After Alexander’s bankruptcy, his son George subdivided and sold leaseholds between 1865-82. Billyard Avenue was formed to access some of the earliest allotments. In 1875 his cousin, William John Macleay, acquired the lease of blocks on the corner of Ithaca Road and Billyard Avenue. This allowed him to build his Macleayan Museum for his natural history collections, which had been previously stored in Elizabeth Bay House. These collections were transferred to the Macleayan Museum at the University of Sydney in 1888. William John Macleay constructed a building for the Linnean Society of NSW on an adjacent block in 1885.
The existing residence known as ‘Boomerang’, built in 1926-28 for the Albert family, was designed by architect Neville Hampson in the grand Californian Spanish Mission/ Hollywood style of the era. ‘Boomerang’ has historic, aesthetic and social significance as a relatively intact and rare example of this architectural and garden style. The gardens were designed by Max Shelley, possibly in association with Neville Hampson with later alterations by A.J. Doust.
The property has historic significance in containing landscape elements from the former Macleay Elizabeth Bay House garden and the 1920’s ‘Boomerang’ development. The Macleay estate originally extended over more than 21 hectares (54 acres) and contained a vast botanical collection, including many rarely seen specimens from northern NSW, Queensland, the South-western Pacific Islands and further abroad. Two surviving notebooks methodically record new plant introductions, their sources and exchanges with many notable people such as William Macarthur of Camden Park and William Sharp Macleay’s natural history collectors in India. The gardens contained many exotic fruit trees from around the world. It is believed that a number of existing trees on this property and adjoining properties in Billyard Avenue are remnants from the former grounds of the Elizabeth Bay estate garden and specifically the grounds of William Macleay’s Linnean Society of NSW Hall (1885) (Read, S., pers.comm., 2004) (Carlin/HHT, 2000). Several trees possibly from the grounds of the Linnean Hall remain today including an old avocado (Persea gratissima) and a large mango (Mangifera indica) on the external southern (street-side) front wall on the SE side of the entry gate. These trees are difficult to discern in photographs of the front garden of 1926 & 1929 (Read, S., pers.comm., 24/12/2007).
Gallery
