Lost Villas of Sydney: Woollahra, Merioola 1864

Original

Today (Google)

Built on Edgecliff Road in 1859 by Mr Manning (hence nearby Manning Road), from 1864 it was owned by (yet another) Woollahra lawyer, Mr Allen (whose descendants, btw, have the most amazing photo albums kept online at the NSW State Library. They span the 1890s to 1930s, written by their matriarch, and are one of the most stand-out historical records I've ever seen of Sydney's development over generations.)

In 1941, the estate was converted into a boarding house, which began a unique artistic era for Sydney. From 1945 to 1950, its landlady, Chica Edgeworth Lowe, transformed into an enclave for avant-garde artists, The Merioola Group. After its main members migrated to Europe, the mansion was demolished in 1952 for flats. Those too were later demolished, in the 2000s, and large houses replaced them.

A 1911 view of the much expanded original house.

Original

Restored

This is the fabulous view from the house, and is why the land around there was always premium. In this photo, we overlook the steep drop to Double Bay's market gardens and bayside village, and right up the Harbour to Middle Head, where we can see the then-important international shipping arrivals.

Original

Restored

The Merioola ballroom was added in 1913 to host high-society soirees and functions. When the house was demolished, the room was bought and re-installed at a function events house in Sutherland. It's still there, although quite altered. Below, it's readied for a Vice-Regal dinner in 1927.

An interior view of Merioola's entrance hall in 1946, after it had been turned into a boarding house.

After conversion to rooms, it had obviously passed its heyday, as seen below. For me, having grown up in Sydney in the 1960s and 70s, it was common to see grand old buildings rundown and often almost derelict. And that's why it was seemingly so easy to get rid of them, when modernism offered such a brighter future in comparison. Of course, we didn't see the loss of them as anything then.

Part of Sydney's 'bright young things' in 1946 at Merioola's gates.

Danseuse in the ballroom, 1946

Artiste in the ballroom, 1946

Sculptor there around the same time

Runway in the ballroom, 1949