Yaralla Estate (Dame Eadith Walker Convalescent Hospital) – Concord, NSW

Restoration Recommendations

Property: Yaralla is a highly unusual large rural estate in the Sydney metropolitan area. It comprises an Italianate mansion designed by Edmund Blacket in 1857 with later additions by Sir John Sulman, the cottage of Australia’s first postmaster Isaac Nichols, a squash court, workers’ residences, a stables and coach house complex, a dairy and the remains of an early 19th century farmhouse.

Occupying the entire peninsula between Majors Bay and Yaralla Bay, its 37 ha of grounds contain significant and largely intact or traceable Victorian / Edwardian gardens, paddocks, remnant eucalypt woodland, mangrove stands and natural harbour frontage on the shores of the Parramatta River. Original garden elements included inner and outer drives, carriage sweep, foreshore drive, orchard and market gardens, carpet beds, rose and picking gardens, sunken garden, Italianate balustrade lawn terrace, lawns, tennis and croquet courts, swimming pool, grotto and pet cemetery.

In its heyday Yaralla was a major focus of Sydney’s Edwardian society, and the scene of lavish charity functions and children’s parties. Established by Concord’s philanthropic Walker family, the estate was bequeathed by them to the state government in 1937 for its present use as a convalescent hospital.

It is classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW), listed on the Register of the National Estate and protected by a Permanent Conservation Order under the NSW Heritage Act.

For statement of significance click here.

Project: Research of the site’s landscape history, and documentation drawings for restoration of the grotto, sunken garden and driveway turning circle. For further details Yaralla.

Clients: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Concord Council, with a grant from the Bicentennial Authority

Date: 1987

(Project undertaken with Knox & Tanner, Sydney NSW, while concurrently completing a thesis on the estate’s historical evolution; heritage significance, depletion, and restoration works to support its future conservation).