Ewbank is a heritage-listed residence and former bank building at 88 George Street, Singleton,

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, Australia. It was designed by

Benjamin Backhouse Benjamin Backhouse (182929 July 1904) was an architect and politician in Australia. He was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Early life Benjamin Backhouse was born in England in 1829. He was a Bachelor of Arts and was educa ...

and built from 1883 to 1884. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

History

Constructed in 1883-84, Ewbank was built for the Bank of New South Wales as the chambers and residence of its Singleton Branch. It was designed by architect

whose architectural partnership, Backhouse and Lough of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, designed several other chambers/residences for the Bank of New South Wales. Following downgrading of the bank's requirements, the building was sold to Mr R. Terrey who named it Ewbank and used it as a private residence. In 1981 the Heritage Council received a nomination from Roslyn Terrey, the owner of Ewbank for the making of a Permanent Conservation Order in respect of the building. Mrs Terrey wanted Ewbank's future to be assured should she not continue to own it.Branch Managers Report to the Heritage Council 27 April 1981 In view of Ewbank's architectural and historic significance a Permanent Conservation Order was placed over it on 8 January 1982. In 1989, through the Heritage Assistance Program, Roslyn Terrey received a grant of $30,000 to assist in the carrying out of verandah repairs and repainting of Ewbank. It was transferred to the State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. It was damaged in an October 2017 crash, in which a stolen truck smashed directly into the side of Ewbank. Repairs were completed in 2021.

Description

Ewbank is a two-storey Victorian building located on George Street, the main artery through Singleton. It is constructed of brick which is stuccoed and scribed to look like stone. An important architectural element is its

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

porch A porch (from Old French ''porche'', from Latin ''porticus'' "colonnade", from ''porta'' "passage") is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance of a building. A porch is placed in front of the facade of a building it commands, and form ...

which is unusual for the Singleton district. The building features a slate roof with domed ventilation vents, large pane

sash window A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned window (architecture), paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double gla ...

s, the original cast iron picket fence and gates to both front and side doors, as well as the original cast-iron work to the first floor

veranda A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''veran ...

Heritage listing

Ewbank is a distinctive building of unusual quality for the Singleton town area. It is a simple and classic example of Victorian architecture executed by one of the finest exponents of the style. The building is considered one of Backhouse's best architectural resolutions for a corner building. It features prominently in the establishment and development of Singleton. Its location has made it a well known landmark. Ewbank was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. Ewbank features prominently in the establishment and development of Singleton. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. Ewbank is a distinctive building of unusual quality for the Singleton town area. It is a simple and classic example of Victorian architecture executed by one of the finest exponents of the style. The building is considered one of Backhouse's best architectural resolutions for a corner building. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. Its location has made it a well known landmark.

References

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Attribution