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Juniper Hall, Paddington, one of the oldest
houses in eastern Sydney, re-emerged from its hiding place behind a
row of shops in Oxford Street, in time for the Australian Bicentenary
and was officially opened by the National Trust in April 1988.
The grand two-storey Georgian house with wide
cast-iron balconies at the front and rear, had been hidden from view
for 63 years.
In the 1820's, 5 kilometres outside of the town
of Sydney, along the long and lonely track to the South Head of Port
Jackson, was a windswept sandy knoll overlooking the finest harbour
in the world. On this barren site will be built one of the finest
houses in Sydney. A house that will see it's share of happiness and
sorrow, the birth of literally dozens of children, an emerging
nation.
After the death of his second wife, Robert
Cooper (sometimes known facetiously, or in all seriousness, as Black
Bob, Big Cooper, Robert the Large, Robert the Lusty or the Laird of
Juniper), courted Miss Sarah May of Green Hills (Windsor), 26 years
his junior, and won her father's consent to marriage by promising to
build her the finest house in Sydney.
Five years after Robert Cooper landed in Sydney
in 1813 as a convict, he received his pardon. He and two other early
Sydney merchants, First Fleeter James Underwood and Francis Forbes,
were given a land grant of 100 hectares extending from Oxford Street
to "Rushcutting Bay". After quarrelling between the partners, the
land was split up and Cooper retained 2.5 hectares fronting Oxford
Street. It was on this land that Sarah's house was to stand. Being at
the top of the ridge, it enjoyed magnificent views north into Port
Jackson and south to Botany Bay.
Cooper built the house and named it
Juniper Hall, after the berry which is
used to flavour gin. Robert at that stage was in partnership
manufacturing gin at The Sydney Distillery (close to what is now the
present Trumper Park), and later the Brisbane Distillery on
Parramatta Road in the Haymarket District.
It is probable that Cooper designed the house,
and supervised its construction. Most of the construction was
completed by 1824, however the family did not move in until 1828.
Probably due to prolonged fitting out. From their occupation of
Juniper Hall, the movements of the Cooper Family are a little
unclear. On the 17th. June 1831 (only 3 years after moving in), Cooper placed
an advertisement in The
Australian newspaper offering Juniper Hall
to let for a term of 3 to 5 years. It appears that Cooper and at
least part of his large family had moved back to George Street. By
1832 a tenant had moved in, no other than John Kinchela and his
family, the new Colonial Attorney General. Because of Kinchela's
dislike for the name of the house(probably due to its association
with gin), he renamed the house Ormond House. This name would used from time to time for the house by
later occupants.
It's not known who, if anyone lived at Ormond House from 1835 to 1837, but there is evidence that the Coopers were back in 1838-39, just before Robert, Sarah and nine children departed for a lengthy tour of Europe. By the time Robert returned from Europe in the early 1840's, the effects of the general depression in the colony were being felt. Robert became more prudent in his business activities, however by 1849 he was declared bankrupt. Wisely in 1847 Sarah became the legal owner of Ormond House.
Robert Cooper spent his latter years living
with Sarah in Ormond Lodge, a smaller
dwelling that had been built in the grounds of Ormond House. On the
25th. of May 1857, aged 81, Robert Cooper died, leaving Sarah in
charge of the property. Sarah who was 54 when her husband died, sold
a large part of the property to her son Francis. In 1877, the Coopers
finally sold the old family home that Robert Cooper had built more
than a half-century earlier for his young bride.
** Extracted from: "Juniper Hall Paddington", National Trust, NSW, March 1988, ISBN 0 947137 24 6
