The Architecture of Arundel Street

The dwellings in Arundel St are buffered from the worst of the Parramatta Rd traffic noise and fumes by being positioned high on its northern side and screened by mature trees. It could be described as Glebe’s ‘shop window’ which announces to the world the Victorian suburb which lies behind to the north.

The Glebe Society’s Heritage Subcommittee has identified a significant number of buildings in Arundel St which it considers to be a vital part of Glebe’s townscape. Arundel St provides us with a potted history of housing styles from early in the Victorian era to the present day. But stylistically the majority of buildings exhibit the decorative restraint of the mid-19th century rather than the exuberant adornment which characterised the latter part of the century. Our list includes:

• Nos. 3-9 – a handsome group of two-storey Italianate terraces with cast iron valances, grille columns and panels to balconies, slate roof; No.3 is adjoined but displays Italianate features of asymmetry and a faceted bay
• Nos. 11-13 – a neo-gothic terrace with pointed-arch windows, end-on gables and bullnose verandah roof
• Nos.18-20 – pair of three-storey Italianate terraces, parapet with dentil decoration, cast iron panels to balconies
• No. 29 – ‘Arundel House’ 20thC three-storey brick/stucco symmetrical building with central vertical element and projecting balconies on both sides, creating a strong horizontal line, Doric columns to ground floor
• Nos. 31 and 33 – c1860s Victorian Regency adjoined pair of two-storey houses. No.31 is the smaller and asymmetrical. No.33 (‘Maroo’) is symmetrical with decorative dentils, cast iron panels to balcony and grille columns, original stables at rear
• No. 35 – Handsome large freestanding two-storey symmetrical house with cast iron valance to verandah, cast iron panels to balcony. Former manse for St Barnabas Church, Broadway. (‘St Barnabas’ and ‘Parsonage’ can still be seen on the gate pillars.)
• No. 37 – Freestanding two-storey terrace house with cast iron valances, grille columns and panels to balcony (later non-contributory fence)
• Nos. 39-41 – pair of single-storey terraces with cast iron brackets and grille columns
• Nos. 43-45 – Pair of two-storey terraces with wooden shutters and cast iron valance to upper storey, grille columns and panels to balcony
• Nos. 47-57 – Early single-storey brick terrace with wooden valance, concave roof to verandahs
• No. 59 – ‘Pinjari’ Single-storey cottage with steep pitched slate roof, attic, decorative wooden bargeboards at end gable and decorative verandah
• No. 61 – Single-storey cottage ‘Laurel Tree House’ with slate roof, attics, decorative wooden bargeboards at end gable, cast iron valance and grille columns
• No. 65 – Two-storey freestanding terrace house with cast iron valances, brackets and balcony panels
• Nos. 93-95 – Pair of two-storey terraces with cast iron panels to balconies

With the weather warming up, I urge you to take a stroll along Arundel St to admire its handsome villas, its heritage listed trees and its unusual stepped gutter. Then I urge you to do all you can to stop WestCONnex from despoiling it.