top of page

Summer Hill

Old Canterbury Road

Main Period: Victorian - Federation - Interwar

Leadlight apparent at No’s 128, 154, 176, 200, 204, 208, 210, 216, 256, 260, 268, 276, 284, 290 & 296.

Old Canterbury Road marks the southern border of Summer Hill. Today it is a major arterial road, connecting the inner suburbs of Sydney with Bankstown and suburbs further to the south-west. The road initially connected Sydney to Canterbury Farm which was originally owned by Reverend Richard Johnson. He sold the land to William Cox in 1800 (who later surveyed and built the road over the Blue Mountains) who subsequently sold it to Robert Campbell in 1803.

 

In 1840 The Australian Sugar Company acquired a large area of land at Canterbury, on the banks of the Cooks River, and between 1840 and 1842, Scottish stonemasons built the Canterbury Sugar works from sandstone quarried on the banks of the Cooks River. Canterbury Village became a small community after the factory began to process sugar in September 1842 and this led to some improvements in Old Canterbury Road.

 

By 1856 Old Canterbury Road was opened as a Trust Road and the NSW Government took over responsibility for its management. At the time it was said that "the road can be safely travelled in daylight by careful persons" and "a horrible admixture of stonequarry and bog". Those who travel it in peak hour now might use other terms.

 

Many of the dwellings on Old Canterbury Road Summer Hill still retain their original leadlight and a walk of about a kilometre provides some wonderful glimpses of the changes in leadlight from the late Victorian era to the late Interwar years.

 

No’s 272-254 are part of the C43 Clover Hill, Summer Hill Heritage Conservation area that was initially developed from 1877 as the Clover Hill Estate. The houses in this part of Old Canterbury Road are a mix of detached and semi-detached late Victorian, Federation and Inter- war housing styles of one and two storeys.

​

No’s 276-296 Old Canterbury Road are part of the C49 Prospect Hall Summer Hill Heritage Conservation Area and were part of the 1908-1910 subdivision of the Prospect Hall Estate developed by Dr Henry Hinder (1908-1910) and after 1910 by Stanton & Son.  There has been little re-subdivision since, resulting in an aesthetically consistent look with brick single storey detached housing in the Federation Queen Anne and Inter-war California Bungalow styles.

 

​

1877 Clover Hill Estate Old Canterbury R

This 1877 development of the Clover Hill Estate is now part of the Clover Hill Estate Conservation Area.

1881 Summerhill Estate - Choice Sites -

By 1881 the name Summer Hill was being used to describe the area.

1905  St Andrew's Estate - Summer Hill H

The St Andrew's Estate of 1905 created a row of Federation era dwellings.

1880 Prospect Hall - Summer Hill Estate

The Prospect Hall Estate was a later subdivision. There are some beautiful Federation homes with Federation leadlight in this area.

Old Canterbury Road

No 128 is a late Victorian/ early Federation house with leadlight in the fanlight above the front door. The house has been somewhat modified but the leadlight in the fanlight remains.
 

No 128 Old Canterbury Road Front Door Fa
bottom of page