Dunara
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''Dunara'' is a
heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...
residence at
Point Piper Point Piper is a small, harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, east of the Sydney CBD, in the local government area known as the Municipality of Woollahra. Location The suburb of Point Piper sits ...
, in Sydney, Australia. It was built from 1882 to 1883. It is also known as the Dorothea Mackellar birthplace. The property is privately owned. It was added to the
New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...
on 2 April 1999.


History


Point Piper

The Point's European history began as part of a
land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
by
Governor Macquarie Major General Lachlan Macquarie, CB (; ; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821, and had a leading role ...
to Captain John Piper in 1820. Piper had control of customs and all harbour matters, a lucrative position which enabled him to vastly increase the size of his land holding and build the finest house then in
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 ...
on the Point. He named it Henrietta Villa (after the second name of Governor Macquarie's wife,
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...
) and it quickly became the most prestigious social venue in town. However, Piper's flamboyant and extravagant lifestyle exceeded even his resources and he was soon deeply in debt. In 1827 it became apparent that he had embezzled 13,000 from the customs revenues which, together with other debts, amounted to millions in modern values. The mortified Piper made a curiously grand suicide attempt, having himself rowed out into the harbour and, to the strains of his naval band, jumping overboard. He survived to retire to a more modest rural life. Henrietta Villa was bought by one of his debtors, Daniel Cooper in 1827, the
Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.
part of his estate outside the Point being bought by
William Wentworth William Charles Wentworth (August 179020 March 1872) was an Australian statesman, pastoralist, explorer, newspaper editor, lawyer, politician and author, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures in colonial New South Wales. He ...
and the rest ( Bellevue Hill, Rose Bay,
Woollahra Woollahra ( ) is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is located east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local go ...
) to the firm of Cooper and Levey to whom Piper had owed another A£20,000. Daniel Cooper (1785–1853) had been transported to Australia in 1816 and became one of the colony's most successful merchants. His nephew, born in Lancashire in 1821 and also named Daniel Cooper, came to Australia in 1843 and was soon following in his Uncle's footsteps. Daniel the younger was already wealthy by the time he inherited his uncle's estate a decade later. He now had estates throughout the colony, including a large chunk around
Double Bay Double Bay is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district. It is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality o ...
, much of which was Piper's former estate. In 1856 Cooper began a great mansion called
Woollahra House ''Woollahra House'' refers to two mansions built on the same site in Point Piper, New South Wales, Point Piper, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The first house was built in 1856 by Sir Daniel Cooper, 1st Baronet, Sir Daniel Cooper and the se ...
on Point Piper, on the site of Captain Piper's Henrietta Villa. In the same year Cooper became first
Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly The Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly, New South Wales's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is Greg Piper, who was elected on 9 May 2023. Role The Speaker p ...
. He resigned from the Speakership in 1860 and returned to England a year later, became the Agent-General for NSW, was made the First Baronet of Woollahra in 1863, and died in 1902. Woollahra House was not completed until 1883 by his son, William. Some subdivisions of the Point also began around that time. It was suggested as a replacement for
Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...
around 1901 (then occupied by the Governor-General of Australia) but the offer was not taken up by the government and the estate was progressively sold off and the house demolished in 1929.


Point Piper Estate

In the 1820s business partners Daniel Cooper and
Solomon Levey Solomon Levey ( 1794 10 October 1833) was a convict transported to Australia in 1815 for theft who became a highly successful merchant and financier, at one time issuing his own banknotes in New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbrevi ...
began acquiring land that included the substantial Point Piper Estate comprising in the Woollahra district that had been amassed by Captain John Piper since 1816. Following some financial difficulties Piper's land was conveyed to Cooper and Levey in 1826. Their title to the land was confirmed in 1830 and it became the sole property of Daniel Cooper in 1847. On Cooper's death in 1853, his nephew, also Daniel Cooper (later Sir Daniel Cooper), was appointed trustee of the Point Piper Estate which his uncle had bequeathed to his nephew's eldest son (also Daniel Cooper).Woollahra Municipal Council/Local History/Fast Facts/p


Point Piper Grant

Now a prestige living area, it was part of a grant to Captain John Piper in 1820 who was "Naval Officer" of the Colony at the time. After Piper found himself in financial difficulties the grant was bought in 1827 by Daniel Cooper who bequeathed it to the son of his nephew both also called Daniel. The son sold the grant to his brother, William, for A£100,000 who in 1883 built Woollahra House. The first subdivision on the Point took place around 1880 with the release of foreshore land around Woollahra House in 1899.


The Mackellars

John Mackellar married Euphemia Jackson and emigrated with their family to Australia from
Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
, Scotland in 1839. Their three sons were Keith, a sea trader, Frederick, who in 1839 became the first salaried officer at the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary, later
Sydney Hospital Sydney Hospital, historically known as the Rum Hospital, is a major hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at ...
, and Charles, who became a surgeon. Frederick had a son, Charles Kinnaird Mackellar (1844–1926) who married Marion Isobel Buckland (1854–1933) in 1877. There were four children of this marriage: Keith; Eric; Isobel Marion Dorothea (1885–1968) and Malcolm. Keith was killed in action in South Africa on 11 July 1890, during the Boer War. He was second lieutenant in the Australian Volunteer Horse Squadron.
Charles Mackellar Sir Charles Kinnaird Mackellar (5 December 184414 July 1926) was an Australian politician and surgeon. He served in the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1885 to 1925, with the exception of a period of 50 days in 1903 when he filled a ...
(1844–1926) was born in Sydney and educated at
Sydney Grammar School Sydney Grammar School (SGS, colloquially known as Grammar) is an independent, non-denominational day school for boys, located in Sydney, Australia. Incorporated in 1854 by an Act of Parliament and opened in 1857, the school claims to offer "c ...
and the
University of Glasgow Medical School The University of Glasgow School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing is the medical school of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and is one of the largest in Europe, offering a 5-year MBChB degree course. The School of Medicine uses lecture-bas ...
, graduating in 1871. He returned to Australia and practised in Sydney, becoming a noted physician and sociologist. Charles registered with the Medical Board of NSW in 1872. In 1873-77 he was honorary surgeon at the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary,Sydney Hospital from 1881 where his father had been the first salaried officer. He advised the
NSW Government The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the executive state government of New South Wales, Australia. The government comprises 11 portfolios, led by a ministerial department and supported by several agencies. Th ...
on hygiene and preventative medicine and helped establish the
North Head Quarantine Station The North Head Quarantine Station is a heritage-listed former quarantine station and associated buildings that is now a tourist attraction at North Head Scenic Drive, on the north side of Sydney Harbour at North Head, near Manly, in the No ...
and the Coast, or Prince Henry Hospital. In 1883, he became president of the new Board of Health and president of the NSW branch of the
British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union and professional body for physician, doctors in the United Kingdom. It does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The BMA ...
, which was set up in 1880. Mackellar was a physician at the hospital in 1882 and a director from 1884 to 1903. He was also a director of
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a large teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School at the ...
from 1886 to 1917. He worked "stupendously" at general practice in his early years. In 1877 he married Marion Buckland, acquired considerable pastoral interests and in 1896 succeeded his father-in-law as a director of the Bank of NSW, of which he was president in 1901-23 apart from absences abroad in 1904-5 and 1912–13. He was chairman, board member and trustee of a number of other companies, in insurance, sugar refining, etc. His parliamentary career included serving in the
NSW Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. Along with the New South Wales Legislative As ...
from 1885. He became a
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
in 1903 but his commitments precluded attendance at
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
sittings so he resumed his Legislative Council seat. He was president of the Children's Relief Department from 1903 and published a pamphlet on "Parental Rights and Parental Responsibility" (1903) and a treatise on "The Child, The Law and the State" (1907); he established homes for invalid children at
Mittagong Mittagong () is a town located in the Southern Highlands (New South Wales), Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. The town acts as the gateway to the Southern Highlands when coming from Sydney. Mittagong is si ...
, for disabled children at
Parramatta Parramatta (; ) is a suburb (Australia), suburb and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. Parramatta is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is co ...
and for delinquents who had been before the Children's Court, at Ormond House. In 1913, Mackellar reported on the treatment of delinquent and neglected children in Europe and the United States. Mackellar was knighted in 1912, and appointed KCMG in 1916; he died in Sydney on 14 July 1926. Marion Isobel Mackellar (née Buckland) (1854–1933) was the second daughter of Thomas Buckland of Kent, a wealthy merchant, pastoralist and banker. Buckland became a director and president of the
Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia. It was established in 1817 in Sydney. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and New Zealand, expanding into Oceania ...
, a position in which he was succeeded by his son-in-law, Charles, from 1901 to 1923. Marion married Charles Mackellar in August 1877 at St. Paul's Church, Sydney. They had three sons and a daughter, Dorothea.Anderson, 2008, 14-15


Dunara

''Dunara'' was built by distinguished physician, MLA and philanthropist, Sir Charles McKellar. The house was the birthplaceRussell, 1980, 67 and the childhood home of his daughter, Dorothea, the famous poet. It is a good example of the spacious and well-crafted residence of the period.AHC from nominator, modified Read, S., 11/2006 Dorothea Mackellar was born on 1 July 1885 at the family home, ''Dunara'', built by the Mackellars on at Rose Bay/Point Piper. The two-storied residence was surrounded by servants' quarters, a stable, a coach house, numerous outbuildings and magnificent gardens. ''Dunara'' is an indigenous word for "'' gunyah'' on the slope of a hill", and was one of many residences in Sydney owned by the Mackellar family. Dorothea Mackellar spent most of her childhood here.


Dorothea Mackellar

Dorothea was educated privately, travelled extensively and was educated at the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
. She became fluent in French, Spanish, German and Italian and attended some lectures at the University of Sydney. Her youth was protected and highly civilised. She moved easily amongst the society of Sydney's intellectual and administrative elite, life on her family's country properties and among their friends in London. While staying at Torryburn, a family property in the
Allyn River Allyn River, a perennial stream of the Hunter River catchment, is located in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Course Allyn River rises on Allyn Range, on the slopes of the Gondwana Rainforests Barrington Tops, west of Careys Pe ...
valley in the
Hunter Valley The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, Newcastle Region, or simply Hunter, spans the region in northern New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its ...
, she experienced the breaking of a drought and subsequently wrote the patriotic verse '' My Country''. This poem was published under the title "Core of My Heart" in ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'' on 5 September 1908, when she was visiting London, and reprinted in ''The Sydney Mail'' on 21 October 1908 and in most of Australia's leading newspapers and journals, on occasions with minor wording changes. It quickly became Australia's best-known lyric poem.Anderson, 2008, 15 The poem captured the spirit of nationalism developing in the early 20th century. In 1911 her first book of verse, "The closed door and other verses" was published in Melbourne. The appearance of ''My Country'' in this book is thought to be the first under its more familiar title. Dorothea travelled widely in Europe, Asia and South America and published three more collections of verse: "The Witch Maid" (1914); "Dreamharbour" (1923); and "Fancy Dress" (1927). Her novel, 'Outlaw's Luck' (1922) reflected impressions of Argentina and her poems included translations from Spanish, German and Japanese. She also wrote two other novels in collaboration with Ruth Bedford, but ill health had virtually ended her literary career when "Fancy Dress" appeared. Dorothea was appointed OBE in the 1968 New Year Honours list and died at the Scottish Hospital, Sydney on 14 January 1968. Prior to this she had spent a good deal of time living in relative seclusion at her house, Tarrangaua, in Lovett Bay,
Pittwater Pittwater is a semi-mature tide dominated Ria, drowned valley estuary, located about north of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies of water that separate greater Metropolitan Sydney from th ...
. "The Poems of Dorothea Mackellar", including "My Country" and a brief memoir by Adrienne Matzenik (née Howley) was published in 1971.Anderson, 2008, 19 On her 82nd birthday in 1967, Dorothea told two friends,
Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Gordon Heuck ...
Williamson and Dorothea Macmillan, that the famous poem was completed in the apartments above her father's consulting rooms in Buckland Chambers, overlooking Hyde Park (183 Liverpool Street), Sydney.Anderson, 2008, 20-21 An 1887 photograph shows the bushland surrounding ''Dunara'' (downhill to its east, south and to the north) the house is on a cleared rise above Rose Bay).SMH, 1978 In 1919 the house was sold to merino sheep breeder, Sir Norman Kater (1919) and in 1931 sold to Mr Michaelis. Some alterations were carried out by architect G. Keesing in 1933 and when bought by Mr Plowman in 1957 further modifications of a sympathetic nature were made by Professor Leslie Wilkinson. It was later acquired by the
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
and has been used as a WAAF Officer's Mess. The property was subdivided in 1954, alienating most of the grounds. Although bushland no longer leads to the foreshores (to the east side of Pt. Piper), ''Dunara'' still has an uninterrupted view of Rose Bay.Heritage Branch report, 1987 The whole cul-de-sac of Dunara Gardens (now 11 houses) was all part of Dunara's original estate, which stretched east to Wunulla Road, much of it grassed with a circular driveway west of the front door. In 1978 ''Dunara'' was up for sale. Russell (1980) noted it was sold by auction in 1979. The poem, ''In a Southern Garden'', by
Dorothea Mackellar Isobel Marion Dorothea Mackellar (1 July 1885 – 14 January 1968) was an Australian poet and fiction writer. Her poem " My Country" is widely known in Australia, especially its second stanza, which begins: "I love a sunburnt country / ...
is believed to relate to her early home, ''Dunara'': "And a chorus rises valiantly from where the crickets hide, Close-shaded by the balsams drooping down - It is evening in a garden by the kindly waterside, A garden near the lights of Sydney town!" Dorothea Mackellar spent many of her early years at ''Dunara'', a Georgian mansion built by her father on a large property fronting Rose Bay. In 1978, long after the once-expansive grounds were subdivided , ''Dunara'' is to be sold. In ''Point Piper Past & Present'' Nesla Griffiths writes: "Miss Dorothea Mackellar tells me that ''Dunara'' is a native word meaning "the house on the hill" and that her father built his home between 1882 and 1884. It is still standing, and is one of the few with a drive to the door, with a lovely view eastward, and in those days gracious gardens and beautiful trees." Dunara was bought by Dr. N. W. Kater (later Sir Norman) in 1919 and sold to Mr Michaelis in 1931. It was one of the houses taken over by the RAAF and has been used as a WAAF Officers' mess. The house has two storeys, covering about 45 squares, a colonial verandah on the ground floor and a balcony on the first floor, both with wrought iron lacework. Bushland no longer leads to the foreshores but Dunara still has an uninterrupted view of Rose Bay. The sandstock walls of the house are thick and the front door is cedar with etched white glass panels. The Minton tiled vestibule inside the front porch leads to the sitting room, drawing room, dining room and cedar staircase to the second floor. There are five bedrooms, some of which contain period features like bay windows and the original chain window sashes. All have marble fireplaces (there are seven in the house) cedar and mahogany joinery, and high ceilings. The main bedroom is huge, and it has two floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the balcony, a wall of built-in cupboards and a study annexe. The present owners, who have been progressively restoring the mansion since they moved in 21 years ago (1957), plan to move to a smaller home. Richardson & Wrench, of Double Bay, will auction the property on 24 November 1978.Maddox, Garry Property Reporter, ''
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 ...
''. 21 October 1978.
The house was sold by auction on 7 June 1979. Mr Andre Korda, the present (1987) owner (at the time of PCO) was interested in the heritage aspect of the Dunara Gardens property and nominated it for the protective order.


Background


Charles Mackellar

Sir Charles Kinnaird Mackellar (1844–1926) was a physician, politician and businessman. Only son of Frederick Mackellar (d.1863) physician, from Dundee, Scotland and wife Isabella, née Robertson, widow of William McGarvie. Educated at Sydney Grammar, Charles moved with his family to the
Port Macquarie Port Macquarie, sometimes shortened to Port Mac and commonly locally nicknamed Port, is a coastal city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane, on the Tasman Sea coast at the mouth of the ...
district . He spent several years on the land before proceeding to Scotland to attend the University of Glasgow (MB, Ch.M., 1871). Returning to Sydney he registered with the Medical Board of NSW on 25 March 1872. In 1873-7 he was honorary surgeon at the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary where his father had been first salaried medical officer: (Sir)
Henry Normand MacLaurin Brigadier-General Henry Normand MacLaurin (31 October 1878 – 27 April 1915) was an Australian barrister and an Australian Army colonel who served in the First World War. He was shot dead by a Turkish sniper at Gallipoli, and was posthumousl ...
also joined the staff in 1873 and cemented one of the most important friendships of Dr Mackellar's life. He was a physician at the hospital in 1882 and a director from 1884 to 1917. He worked "stupendously" at general practice in his early years. In September 1881 Dr Mackellar joined the board, led by Dr Alfred Roberts, which was appointed to control the first serious smallpox epidemic in NSW and was gazetted as the Board of Health on 6/1/1882. In July Mackellar became Government Medical Adviser, health officer for
Port Jackson Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta ...
, chairman of the Immigration Board, and an official visitor to the hospitals for the insane at
Gladesville Gladesville is a suburb in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 10 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde a ...
and Parramatta. He was also ex officio emigration officer for Port Jackson, and a member of the Board of Pharmacy and the Medical Board. In July 1883 he campaigned for a federal quarantine system and was appointed president of the Board of Health in August. Contemporaries believed that Mackellar was solely responsible for the organisation of the department but he deferred to Roberts: "it is rather that I doggedly and persistently followed his lines than that I formulated any original scheme of my own" - the Mackellar motto was Perseverando. Persuaded by the attorney-general W. B. Dalley, a private patient, Mackellar resigned his official appointments in August 1885 and was nominated to the Legislative Council to promote public health legislation he had helped to draft, but which lapsed with the resignation of the Stuart government in October. He was an ordinary member of the Board of Health until 1925. In 1886–7 as vice-president of the Executive Council and briefly secretary for Mines Mackellar represented the Jennings government in the Representative Council. He introduced the Dairies Supervision Act of 1886 which helped to reduce infant mortality. Except for October–November 1903, when he was appointed to the Australian Senate, he remained in the council until 1925. In 1903-4 he chaired the Royal Commission on the decline in the birth rate, dominating its proceedings in a manner uncharacteristic of his usually careful approach to scientific enquiry. In 1882-5 Mackellar had been a member of the State Children Relief Board. In 1902-14 he was president, and was identified with the Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Act (1905) which created children's courts and the probationary system. He was soon at loggerheads with his under-secretary Peter Board, largely over the extension of the Board's activities into areas not envisaged by its Act. Criticism, muted while Mackellar remained in office, became public not long after his departure. Until at least 1912, Mackellar had been convinced that environmental factors determined the development of the young. Enquiries abroad leading to his report as Royal Commissioner on the Treatment of Neglected and Delinquent Children in Great Britain, Europe and America (1913) caused him to modify his views. With Professor D.A.Welsh he published an essay, Mental Deficiency (1917) advocating better training and care of the feeble minded, and suggesting their sterilisation on eugenic grounds. Mackellar consistently lectured and published pamphlets to propagate social reform. He was admired for his reluctance to align himself with any political faction, and for his unselfish devotion to the public interest. Knighted in 1912, he was appointed KPMG in 1916. On 9 August 1877 Mackellar had married Marion (d.1933) daughter of Thomas Buckland. He acquired considerable pastoral interests and in 1896 succeeded his father-in-law as a director of the Bank of NSW, of which he was president in 1901-23 apart from absences abroad in 1904-5 and 1912–13. Mackellar was chairman of the Gloucester Estate Co. in its later years and succeeded MacLaurin as chairman of the Mutual Life & Citizens' Assurance Co. Ltd; he had been a trustee from 1911 to 1914. He was also a director of Pitt, Son & Badgery Ltd.; the Union Trustee Co. of Australia Ltd.; United Insurance Co. Ltd.; Colonial Sugar Refining Co.; Australian Widows' Fund; and Equitable Life Assurance Co.Ltd. of which he was medical director. He was surgeon in the Volunteer Rifles from 1872; chairman of the medical section of the Royal Society of NSW in 1881; founding councillor and in 1883-4 president of the NSW branch of the British Medical Association; examiner in medicine at the University of Sydney in 1889–1901; vice-president and in 1907-14 president of the Sydney Amateur Orchestral Society; inaugural vice-president of the Royal Society for the Welfare of Mothers and Babies in 1918; and a member of the Australian and Athenaeum Clubs, Sydney. By 1923 Mackellar had resigned most of his business appointments as health and memory deserted him. He died at his residence Rosemont, Woollahra on 14 July 1926 and was buried in the Anglican section of the
Waverley Cemetery The Waverley Cemetery is a Heritage register, heritage-listed cemetery on top of the cliffs at Bronte, New South Wales, Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Opened in 1877 and built by R. Watkins (cemetery lodge, ...
. His estate, valued for probate at A£39,205, was left in trust to his wife and on her death in 1933 to their surviving children Eric, Malcolm and Dorothea. His eldest son Keith Kinnaird had been killed in action in South Africa in 1900. One of Dr Mackellar's special interests was public health and he did pioneering work with juvenile delinquents and mentally defective children; he was knighted for his services to medicine. Later he became a Member of the Legislative Council of NSW, and in 1903 was elected a Senator for NSW.


Dorothea Mackellar

Isobel Marion Dorothea Mackellar (1885–1968) was born at ''Dunara'', Point Piper, Sydney, the third child (of four children and the only girl in the family) of native-born parents (Sir) Charles Kinnaird Mackellar and his wife Marion, daughter of Thomas Buckland. She was educated at home and travelled extensively with her parents, becoming fluent in French, Spanish, German and Italian, and also attended some lectures at the University of Sydney. Her youth was protected and highly civilised. She moved easily between the society of Sydney's intellectual and administrative elite, life on her family's country properties, and among their friends in London. Dorothea began writing while quite young and surprised her family when magazines not only published but paid for her verses and prose pieces. On 5 September 1908 a poem, "Core of my heart", which she had written about 1904, appeared in the London "Spectator". It reappeared several times in Australia before being included as "My Country" in her first book, "The closed door, and other verses".Melbourne, 1911 She published "The Witchmaid, and other verses" in 1914 and two more volumes of verse (1923 & 1926), also a novel "Outlaw's luck"London, 1913 set in Argentina. With Ruth Bedford, a childhood friend, she wrote two other novels (1912, 1914). During World War 1 and as a result of its frequent inclusion in anthologies, "My Country" became one of the best-known Australian poems, appealing to the sense of patriotism fostered by the war and post-war nationalism. Photographs of Dorothea in her twenties show her to have been then an ideal image of the Australian girl, pretty, sensitive, and fashionable. She was said to be a strong swimmer, and a keen judge of horses and dogs. Her verse shows that she was cultivated and spirited, and her novels that she was hopelessly romantic. Between 1911 and 1914 she was twice engaged. The first engagement she broke because the man was over-protective; the second lapsed through misunderstanding and lack of communication after the outbreak of war. Her writing, once the product of youthful passion and enthusiasm, became increasingly souvenirs of travel or dependent on nature for inspiration. She was unable to write of her disappointment in love except in powerful translations from little-known Spanish and German poets. Despite her "loathing all restrictions and meetings" Dorothea Mackellar was honorary treasurer of the Bush Book Club of NSW and active in the formation in 1931 of the Sydney P.E.N Club. She became responsible for her ageing parents, and apparently wrote little after her father's death in 1926. Her mother died in 1933 and Dorothea, "a not particularly robust dormouse", was frequently in poor health, spending ten years in a
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 ...
nursing home. Yet she outlived her younger brothers and was able to keep both Cintra,
Darling Point Darling Point is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, Australia. It is 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council. Darling Point is bounded by Sydney Harbour to ...
, and a house at Church Point on Pittwater. She was appointed O.B.E just before she died on 14 January 1968 in the Scottish Hospital,
Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
, after a fall at home. She was cremated after a service at
St Mark's Church, Darling Point St Mark's Church is an active Anglican church in Darling Point, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is part of a significant local heritage group that includes the church, rectory, and adjacent cottage. The group forms part of a la ...
and her ashes laid in the family vault in
Waverley Cemetery The Waverley Cemetery is a Heritage register, heritage-listed cemetery on top of the cliffs at Bronte, New South Wales, Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Opened in 1877 and built by R. Watkins (cemetery lodge, ...
. Her estate was valued for probate at over $1,580,000. H. M. Green describes her as a "lyrist of colour and light" in love with the Australian landscape. She herself 'never professed to be a poet. I have written - from the heart, from imagination, from experience "some amount of verse". Privileged and unusual, she was also typical of many Australian women of her generation in the contrast between the inspired vigour of her youth and the atrophy of her talent and vitality through lack of use. Russell added that she became friendly with
Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...
and his wife in London, where she lived for some years before World War I. He adds she lived for some time at Rosemont, Woollahra and from the 1930s at Cintra, Darling Point Road, Darling Point.


Description


Site and garden

Dunara retains a portion of front (street-facing) formal garden, to Dunara Gardens and a small more informal rear garden, facing east towards Rose Bay. This garden is a remnant of the former Dunara estate which was subdivided in the 1950s, creating Dunara Gardens and adjoining house lots and Dunara Reserve to the house's south-west, facing Dunara Gardens.Stuart Read, pers.comm., 6/9/2017 The house no longer had its original bush leading to the harbour foreshores, but it retains an uninterrupted view of Rose Bay (to its east).


House

Victorian house built .Russell (1980) It is a two-storey stuccoed sandstock brick house with slate roof and fine cast iron and tiled
veranda A veranda (also spelled verandah in Australian and New Zealand English) is a roofed, open-air hallway or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front an ...
h and
balcony A balcony (from , "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. They are commonly found on multi-level houses, apartme ...
. The brick walls are 45 cm thick. The stables have been partially demolished and the servants' wing likewise has been separated from the house and converted into another dwelling. The entrance hall is particularly fine, having delicately carved shell motif etched cedar door head trims to doors opening off it and with Minton floor tiles. The house covers 45 squares. The entrance hall leads to the sitting room, drawing room, dining room and the staircase to the first floor. All rooms are spacious and have provision for fireplaces, six of which have fine
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
fireplace surrounds remaining. There are four bedrooms and one study. Two bathrooms have been added though it is understood that the original fabric remains intact underneath. The upper floor is reached by an elaborately carved staircase via a large first floor hall lit by an etched glass skylight. Windows and
French doors A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide securit ...
are timber framed and generally glazed with large sheets of hand-drawn plate glass. The ceilings have been strengthened early this century by an artistic application of patterned battened mouldings. The front of Dunara has a recent brush-fence along it. In the southwestern corner of Dunara is a dead Sydney blue gum (
Eucalyptus saligna ''Eucalyptus saligna'', commonly known as the Sydney blue gum or blue gum, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is Endemism, endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, flaky bark near the base of the trunk, smooth bark above, lance-s ...
). Another large tree, a Qld. black bean (
Castanospermum australe ''Castanospermum'' is a monotypic genus (i.e. a genus that contains only one species) in the legume family Fabaceae. The sole species is ''Castanospermum australe'', commonly known as Moreton Bay chestnut or black bean. It is native to rainfo ...
) in Dunara's garden has also died and been removed. The whole cul-de-sac of Dunara Gardens (now 11 houses) was all part of Dunara's original estate, which stretched east to Wunulla Road, much of it grassed with a circular
driveway A driveway (also called ''drive'' in UK English) is a private road for local access to one or a small group of structures owned and maintained by an individual or group. Driveways rarely have traffic lights, but some may if they handle heavy ...
.pers.comm., current owner, 2006


Condition

As of 6 September 2017, the house was generally in very good condition.


Modifications and dates

The following modification has been made to the site: *1933 alterations by G. Keesing, architect *-45 acquired by RAAF and used as WAAF Officers' Mess. *Latter half, 20th century: stables partially demolished and the servants' wing likewise has been separated from the house and converted into another dwelling. The verandah to the south was removed under the terms of the covenant although some iron work was salvaged *1954 subdivision alienating most of Dunara's grounds including circular driveway in lawn areas and bushland-clad access to Pt.Piper's eastern side foreshores. 11 houses are now around it off Dunara Gardens cul-de-sac, which did not exist prior. *1957 modifications (sympathetic) by Prof. Leslie WilkinsonHeritage Branch Report, 1987 * ensuite and dressing room for main bedroom installed in former hall access from second floor landing to rear (eastern) verandah. Bathroom installed to left hand side of front door (former room). Front and rear gardens re-landscaped with box (Buxus sp.) hedging, Gardenia sp. and grassed areas. Brick wall to southern side (right of way access to two lots downhill and east of Dunara). *The front of Dunara has a recent brush-fence along it. In the southwestern corner of Dunara is a dead Sydney blue gum (''Eucalyptus saligna''). Another large tree, a Qld. black bean (''Castanospermum australe'') in Dunara's garden has also died and been removed. *2007: two air conditioning units and conduits were installed via southern wall of house & floor, without prior approval.


Further information

Generally in very good condition (1987)


Heritage listing

As of 21 November 2006, ''Dunara'' was the oldest remaining house in Point Piper. It is historically significant particularly for its associations with Dorothea McKellar - as her birthplace and for its association with the influences on her artistic development, including her education, cultural environment and the surrounding landscape. Architecturally the house is an excellent example of a well-crafted Victorian residence of the period (built c 1883). It is a two-storey stuccoed brick house with a slate roof and fine cast iron verandah and balcony, retaining much of its original detail intact and which past and present owners have maintained in a sympathetic manner. The stables have been partially demolished and the servants' wing likewise has been separated from the house and converted into another dwelling. The entrance hall is particularly fine, having delicately carved shell motif cedar door head trims to doors opening off it and with Minton tiles. ''Dunara'' was listed on the
New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...
on 2 April 1999.


See also

*
Australian residential architectural styles Australian residential architectural styles have evolved significantly over time, from the early days of structures made from relatively cheap and imported corrugated galvanised iron, corrugated iron (which can still be seen in the roofing of ...


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * *


Attribution


External links

{{commons category-inline, Dunara New South Wales State Heritage Register Point Piper, New South Wales Homesteads in New South Wales Houses in Sydney Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register Houses completed in 1883 1883 establishments in Australia