Willandra

Style

Old Colonial Georgian house

Year started

1841

Years modified

1844, 1935

Year restored

1980

Builder/Architect

James Devlin

About Willandra

This heritage-listed property with views of the Parramatta River is brick with Doric columns on the veranda, a slate roof, and north coast cedar in the interior.

Constructed as Ryde House in 1841 by James Devlin, the son of Irish exile Arthur Devlin and Priscilla, nee Squire. James was a local wheelwright, pound keeper, postmaster and contractor who supplied food to several asylums and prisons.

In 1875, Devlin sold the house to Jane Darvall, the widow of Major Darvall of nearby Ryedale. By 1879, it had passed to William Henry Suttor junior, and Benjamin Buchanan, in trust for Caroline Elizabeth Manning, nee Sutton, through the will of her late father, William Henry Suttor (elder).

The name of the house changed from Mansion House to Willandra reflecting a squatting run held by the family in the Riverina. Miss EIlen Blundell Pye rented Willandra from 1894 to 1899 and operated the Rydalmount Boarding and Day School for Girls. Other tenants followed.

The property was subdivided in 1926 and the house passed to descendants of the Small family in 1932. After Ryde Bridge opened in 1935, a service station was developed on the Victoria Road frontage which was owned by the Shell Company from 1952 to 1970.

ln 1974, a private buyer wanted to dismantle the house and take it to the Hunter Valley but this was prevented when Ryde Municipal Council purchased the property in 1976 with Federal Government assistance. Restoration work was completed in 1980 and subsequent maintenance over the intervening years.

The Ryde District Historical Society is the current tenant.

Location

770-782 Victoria Road, Ryde 2112 View Map

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