A repository of photographs of leadlight in homes in the Inner Western Suburbs of Sydney.
Summer Hill
Nowranie Street
Main Period: Victorian - Federation
Leadlight apparent at No’s 3, 10, 19, 26, 27, 28, 33, 48, 52 & 58.
Nowranie Street is one of the old streets in Summer Hill. The first map shows Nowranie Street in 1881. The three other streets shown, Tillock, Ashantee & Abigail Street have all had their names changed. Where the name Nowranie came from is not known at this stage. It was part of many subdivisions from the original Summer Hill Estate in 1881, The Tavistock Estate in 1886and residual sales through till 1905.
It is understandable that there are many Victorian and early Federation houses in Nowranie Street.
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One of the most significant places for me is on the corner of Nowranie Street and Smith Street. It was the workshop of Bob Bush, possibly the most well known and reputable leadlight artists in the inner west who retired in 2019 after almost 40 years or making beautiful leadlight panels that now grace many inner west homes.
Though Bob Bush has retired his initials live on in the panels of his workshop.
Photographed at night by Clare Herscovitch.
This 1881 sketch map, together with the final map, shows Nowranie Street, Tillock Street (Now Carrington Street), Abigail Street (now Spencer Street) and Ashantee Street (now Edward Street)
In 1885 Nowranie Street Was part of the Summer Hill Estate.
The very northern end of Nowranie Street was part of the Tavistock Estate in 1886 when Smith Street was known as Urana Street.
Further Plans of the Tavistock Estate showing Nowranie Street.
The 1887 subdivision of the Summer Hill Estate indicates that almost all lots in Nowranie Street were already sold. By 1905 most of the lots had dwellings built on them.
Nowranie Street
These images cannot do justice to the work of a Bob Bush, whose name is synonymous with leadlight in the inner western suburbs of Sydney. His workshop was on the corner of Smith Street and Nowranie Street Summer Hill. A leadlight landmark and these images are a very limited homage to his life's work.
