Walker Estates Sub-Committee

Chairman: Bob Jones

This committee meets at 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month in the Concord Senior Citizens' Centre

This committee is for those members whose main interest lies in the preservation and restoration of the three areas connected with the Walker family – Yaralla, the Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital and the Yaralla Cottages. We are represented on the Yaralla Advisory Committee which comprises representatives from Central Sydney Area Health Service and the Concord Heritage Society and the Mayor of Concord, Councillor Peter Woods.

The Yaralla Estate is significant in the evolving pattern of occupation of the colony, starting with a grant to an ex-convict then developing as a working farm, continuing as a Victorian estate, early twentieth century Edwardian estate, and mid twentieth century to current times as an institution facility. It is historically significant as one of the last large nineteenth century estates remaining in metropolitan Sydney. It is of rare State significance because it incorporates an entire 1790s land grant within its boundaries.

Our current project is the restoration of the historic squash court (the first in Australia), built by Dame Eadith Walker in 1920 for the visit of the Prince of Wales because of his interest in the game of squash.

The land was originally granted, in 1797, to Isaac Nichols, a convict-turned-businessman, who became the colony’s first postmaster. It was on this land that he established extensive orchards and vegetable gardens which supplied fruit and other produce to the colony.

Following Isaac Nichols’ death the estate passed to his family, who build a small wooden cottage, "Woodbine", there in the early 1830s. This cottage, although much altered, still stands in the grounds of Yaralla.

The estate has important association with the Walker family – Thomas Walker, an important nineteenth century merchant and philanthropist, and his daughter Eadith, noted for her philanthropic activities in the early twentieth century. The Walkers of "Yaralla" were Concord’s outstanding family. Their direct links with the municipality began when Thomas Walker obtained a mortgage on the Nichols’ estate in about 1840 and continued for almost a century until the death of his daughter, then Dame Eadith, in 1937. The house played an important part in social and cultural life in the early twentieth century.

Yaralla House represents the work of two of Australia’s major nineteenth century architects, Edmund Blacket and John Sulman.

In the 1860s Thomas Walker commissioned Edmund Blacket to design a "cottage" on the low rise adjacent to the Parramatta River. Eadith made extensive alterations in 1893-99, using the services of architect and relative-by-marriage, John Sulman. Sulman also designed several of the outbuildings, particularly the stables complex and the dairy building.

Following Dame Eadith Walker’s death the land comprising the Dame Eadith Walker Convalescent Hospital (Yaralla Estate) became vested in the Crown under the Walker Trusts Act 1938. This Act gives the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (now Central Sydney Area Health Service) responsibility for the control, management and administration of the Hospital. It is now used as their dialysis unit.

It is the largest community bequest of its era to survive in an intact form in New South Wales.

The Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital (now Rivendell) and the Yaralla Cottages were also part of the bequest and Walker Trust Fund, administered by the Perpetual Trustee Company, still provides for maintenance on these properties.

The significance of the estate has been recognised by the making of a Permanent Conservation Order under the N.S.W. Heritage Act. The estate is listed on the Register of the National Estates, classified by The National Trust of Australia (NSW) and is also listed as an item of Environmental Heritage by the Concord Municipal Council.

Committee’s Aims

One of the main aims of this committee is to raise money to help with the preservation and restoration of minor buildings and areas on the estate. The main way in which this money is raised is by having tours of the mansion and grounds and we are most grateful to the Central Sydney Area Health Service for allowing us the opportunity to gain access to the inside of the mansion now and then. All money raised in this way is used purely for the conservation of the estate.

Through the money raised we have been able to restore a small timber building near the entrance to the main section of the estate. It was originally thought that this building was a slaughterhouse as, during its farming days, the estate was fully self-sufficient, but when the conservation architects began their work they realised that it was more likely to have been used as a grooming area for livestock being transported to the Royal Easter Shows. Yaralla cattle were regular ribbon winners at the Show.

Check our newsletter to see if any dates have been organised. All tours of the mansion have to be conducted on a Sunday as the hospital is in use for the other six days of the week.

If you would like to place your name on the waiting list for our next Open Day at Yaralla or Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital please email us with your name, address and telephone number or "subscribe" at the bottom of this page so you can keep up to date through our newsletter.

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THESE TOURS.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE INFORMATION SHEET ISSUED REGARDING THE TOURS, SOME INFORMATION MAY VARY FROM TOUR TO TOUR.

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