Fernleigh Castle

Fernleigh Castle is a historic house in the Sydney suburb of Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Completed in the Victorian architectural style, the house is listed on the (now defunct) Australian Register of the National Estate and the Woollahra local government heritage database.

Fernleigh Castle
Interactive map of the Fernleigh Castle area
Alternative names	Fernleigh
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Castle; mansion
Architectural style	Victorian
Location	5 Fernleigh Gardens, Rose Bay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	33°52′05″S 151°16′21″E
Client	Frank Bennett (1892)
Technical details
Material	Sydney sandstone; cedar joinery
Other information
Number of rooms	c. 30
Register of the National Estate
Official name	Fernleigh Castle, 5 Fernleigh Gdn, Rose Bay, NSW, Australia
Designated	21 March 1978
Reference no.	2495
Class	Historic
New South Wales Heritage Database (Local Government Register)
Official name	Fernleigh Castle - main building
Type	Built
Designated	10 March 1995
Reference no.	Local register
Group/collection	Residential buildings (private)
Category	Mansion
References

History and description

Fernleigh Castle was built in 1892 on the site of a sandstone cottage built in 1874, by Charles Warman Roberts and his wife Annie, nee Marsden. Charles and Annie owned the Roberts Hotel, which was located on the site where Gowings now sits in the city. Charles and Annies first born also Charles, was mayor of Sydney and Postmaster General. Their other son, Melnotte Roberts, was awarded an Order of the Dragon for his esteemed position in Australian Defence. His jacket is now displayed at the war memorial in Canberra, and Annie and Charles have portraits at the National Art Gallery in Canberra. Melnotte founded Manly Surf Club, and his son, Reg, was the first man to swim from point to point at Manly. Marjorie Roberts is the woman in an Archibald Prize-winning painting, and the "Idle Hour" portrait also depicts the Roberts family, a family that was part of the original pioneers of Australia. The new part of the home incorporates the original walls of that building. Castle-like in appearance, it is constructed of sandstone and features a square Norman-style tower, smaller towers with their own turrets, and castellated walls. Although it also includes wrought iron balconies similar to homes in Paddington. The house has thirty rooms and a number of stained-glass windows.

Heritage listing

One of the very few large Victorian mansions still intact in Sydney. A product of the 1890's boom, the structure is a highly decorated example of the stonemason's craft using pink to brown fine dressed sandstone, still in very good condition. The interiors of the main rooms are very decorative contained elaborate plaster ornamentation to walls, piers and archways. Much original cedar joinery remaining and fine crafts example in the main stair. Other notable items include large tiled fireplaces framed by finely carved mahogany mantels with marble pillars supports, intricate stained glass windows, large bedroom (35ft by 18ft) three feet deep porcelain bath in cedar and marble frame, figured of white zinc.

See also

• Site of Ficus superba var. henneana tree