''Ventnor'' is an historic home in the suburb of

Randwick Randwick is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government ar ...

, a suburb of

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

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. 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 Heri ...

Description and history

George Kiss arrived in Sydney as a migrant who had been born in

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

, 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 The City of Sydney is the Local government in Australia, local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament ...

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 Ventnor () is a seaside resort town and civil parishes in England, civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, from Newport, Isle of Wight, Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface D ...

on the

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, 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 literatur ...

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 tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

'' 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.

Gallery

(1)Ventnor.jpg, Ventnor, north side (1)Ventnor_north_side.jpg, Windows on the north side of the house

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

Description and history

Gallery

See also

References