Built around 1799, Annandale House was the home of First Fleet officer Major George Johnston and his partner Esther Abrahams. The pair farmed over 600 acres across what is now Annandale and Stanmore, on the country of the Eora Nation.

Its original entrance was located on the south side of Parramatta Rd, just west of Johnston St (near #192). Early descriptions paint a distinctive approach: four iron gates bearing the Johnston coat of arms, a drive paved with hard red stone and an avenue of 14 Norfolk Island pines (among the first to be planted on the mainland).

The house itself was located in the vicinity of what is now Macaulay Road/Albany Rd in Stanmore (overlay map can be viewed here). It was largely built by convict labour, including its 250,000 bricks (made on site). It stood until 1905.

Today the house is gone but you can still find traces: the former gatehouse was relocated and still stands at 96 Corunna Rd in Stanmore, the original sandstone gates have been re‑erected at the entrance to Annandale Public School and Weekley Park marks part of the old paddocks.

Source: Inner West Council, Dictionary of Sydney, Trove 1925, Trove 1934 , HMS, Annandale on the Web, Historical Sydney Suburbs, State Library NSW

Credit to reader Mayy for the inspiring this weeks history.

Prompted by the recent closure of Downtown Music on Parramatta Road, local resident Mal has written a reflection on Annandale’s once-thriving music scene. His piece recalls the era when the suburb was lined with guitar shops and anchored by Trafalgar Studios, where iconic Australian artists recorded albums. (Read his article here).

A reader Ann also pointed out a fun aside for music buffs. While flicking through a retro music channel, she spotted Steely Dan’s My Old School, which includes the lyric “That’ll be the day I go back to Annandale”. While it is not referring to our Dale, it’s still music to our ears, listen to it here.

MP Kobi Shetty pressed the NSW Government to deliver the long-promised Annandale ferry stop, raising the issue in Parliament last week. The proposal has featured in earlier issues of this newsletter and wider community discussions, though residents say progress has been slow, more than two years into the current term. If this is something you support, there is an online petition you can sign here. (Source: Kobi Shetty)

Annandale Public School students have transformed donated plastic toys into colourful resin artworks, which were later sold at the school’s art auction to help raise funds. Organiser Charlotte is seeking 20 pairs of old sunglasses by the 10th of Dec for the next reuse-themed project. If you have some spare send me a reply and I can pass your details on to Charlotte. (Source: Annandale 2038 Facebook Group)

150 extra weekly services have been added to the L1 light rail. This brings more frequent weekend and evening trips. Some Annandale residents welcomed the news, while others on Facebook raised concerns about lift reliability, drainage at stops and the need for basic amenities. A few noted that real-time signage still has its quirks. (Source: Councillor Philippa Scott).

Dear Harriet,

Thank you for your colourful letter, it brightened up my little mailbox! I am still learning to read, so your big letters helped me a lot. My favourite food is the shiny eucalyptus leaves that fall on windy nights. I also like crunchy seedpods and smooth pebbles but I need to brush my teeth after these as they get stuck in my teeth. Please write again :)

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Sincerely,

Mark (resident of Annandale)