''Ventnor'' is an historic home in the suburb of
Randwick, a suburb 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 ...
in
New South Wales,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It was built as the home of George Kiss, one of the earliest politicians in Sydney. It is listed on the local heritage register
[ and is listed on the (now defunct) ]Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritag ...
.[
]
Description and history
George Kiss arrived in Sydney as a migrant who had been born in Warwickshire, England. He established successful businesses very quickly. Later he entered politics, becoming Mayor of Randwick, the oldest municipality in Sydney after the City of Sydney itself.
Kiss built his home in Randwick in , creating a two-storey, Georgian house of Sydney sandstone. He called it ''Ventnor'', most probably after the town Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, England. Situated on what is now Avoca Street, the house faced east to take advantage of the views to the ocean. In spite of its Georgian character, the house featured Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
detailing in its cast-iron columns and various sash windows. The main entrance, situated on the east side of the house, featured a six-paneled door and a fanlight. On the west side of the house, facing Avoca Street, a single-storey wing was created.
Kiss died 13 August 1882. Two days later, the ''Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...
'' reported that Kiss had died in Ventnor on the previous Sunday. It described how he had made himself prominent in Sydney by his untiring energy and business capacity, laying the foundations of his businesses soon after arriving in the colony. He had gone on to become Mayor of Randwick and was still an alderman of Randwick at his death.Trove.nla.gov.au
/ref>
Ventnor was eventually acquired by the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, situated just south of the house. It is used as a community centre by groups such as GROW
Grow or GROW may refer to:
* Growth (disambiguation), an increase in some quantity over time or a measure of some principal
* GROW model, a technique for problem solving or goal setting
* Graphical ROMable Object Windows, a windowing system that w ...
.
Gallery
(1)Ventnor.jpg, Ventnor, north side
(1)Ventnor_north_side.jpg, Windows on the north side of the house
See also
* List of heritage houses in Sydney
References
{{Commons category, Ventnor, Randwick
New South Wales places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate
Sandstone buildings in Australia
Historic houses
New South Wales Heritage Database
Houses completed in 1888
1888 establishments in Australia
Houses in Randwick, New South Wales
Old Colonial Georgian architecture in Australia