Fairwater, Double Bay

About

Fairwater is a heritage-listed residence and homestead at 560 New South Head Road, Double Bay, Sydney, Australia. It was designed by John Horbury Hunt (1882) and J. W. Manson (c. 1910–11) and built from 1882 to 1970. Acquired by members of the Fairfax family in late 1900, following the 2017 death of Lady Mary Fairfax, the house is managed by the executors of her estate. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 March 2000. In the media, the location of Fairwater is often incorrectly reported as the suburb of Point Piper.

A Crown grant was part of Captain John Piper's 77 hectares (190 acres) Point Piper Estate officially granted in 1820. This grant was subsequently acquired by Daniel Cooper and Solomon Levy in 1830. The subdivision of this part of Cooper's estate, known as the Point Piper Estate, commenced in the mid-1850s.

The first leasehold title to the allotment, which was to become Fairwater, was made in January 1863 to Edwin Thomas Beilby. Beilby ( c. 1822 -1906) was a businessman associated with many of the prominent Sydney financial institutions of the nineteenth century. The leasehold title was for a period of 99 years 9 months, of an area of 2 acres 13 perches, with an annual rental set at A£ 52 for the duration of the lease. During the mid-1870s Beilby was bankrupted, and in June 1875 Beilby's official assignee, F. T. Humphreys, sold the allotment through the auction house of L. E. Threlkeld.

The purchaser of the leasehold allotment was James White of Cranbrook. White (1828–1890) was a member of the pioneering Hunter Valley family of pastoralists. After a short period as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1864 and 1868, in 1873 White bought Cranbrook (which was built for Robert Tooth in 1859), directly opposite Fairwater. In March 1882, Francis Edward Joseph purchased the leasehold title from James White for the sum of A£500 (plus the annual rental of A£52). Joseph (1858–?) was the only son of Samuel Aaron Joseph (1824–1898), MLA and MLC. Joseph is generally referred to as a stockbroker by profession. Joseph adopted his wife's family name (Carnegy) in 1915 on inheriting the feudal barony of Lour in Angus, Scotland.

Fairwater was constructed for Joseph in 1882 to a design by arguably the most original architect to practice in Australia in the last quarter of the nineteenth century – John Horbury Hunt (1838–1904). Hunt was a Canadian born architect who arrived in Sydney in 1863. Closely affiliated with the Bishop of Armidale and Grafton, and the White family of pastoralists, Hunt's work is particularly evident in New England and the Hunter Valley.

The Josephs resided at the house, which was called Fairwater from c. 1884, for the period 1883 and 1887. During 1888 to 1889 the property was leased to Thomas Forster Knox (1849–1919), son of Sir Edward Knox, the founder of the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., and later chairman of this company. The Josephs returned to occupy the house in 1890 and continued to reside there for most of that decade up to 1897 when the house was again tenanted, initially in 1897 by Thomas Buckland (the son of the merchant, pastoralist, and banker – Thomas Buckland), and then by the Royal Navy for the years 1899 and 1901.

The Fairfax family ownership of Fairwater commenced in late 1900 with the assignment of the leasehold of 2 acres and 13 perches to James Oswald Fairfax. The purchase price of the leasehold title was A£5,350. James Oswald Fairfax (1863–1928) was the third son of the proprietor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Sir James Reading Fairfax (1834–1919), and grandson of the founder of that newspaper – John Fairfax (1804–1877). In March 1909 J. O. Fairfax bought out the leasehold title to the 2 acres 13 perches from the Cooper family. Following the acquisition of freehold title Fairfax engaged the Sydney architect John Williamson Manson of Manson and Pickering to further remodel the Hunt house, with alterations being undertaken sometime after 1910. Manson ( c. 1863 -1922) was Scottish born and trained in Glasgow in the office of Alexander Thomson (1817–1875). He arrived in Sydney in the mid-1880s. George A. Taylor's (the publisher of Building ) obituary of Manson stated that "he was one of the greatest architects of our time".

After the death of Sir James Oswald Fairfax in 1928, the title to the property was transferred in 1930 to his widow, Lady (Mabel Alice Emmeline) Fairfax (1871–1965), son, Warwick Oswald Fairfax (1901–1987), and brother and power of attorney, Geoffrey Evan Fairfax (1861–1930). Following the death of Lady Fairfax in 1965, the title to the property was transferred to Warwick Oswald Fairfax in August 1966. Warwick and his family moved permanently into Fairwater in late 1968. Warwick Oswald Fairfax (1901–1987) joined staff of the Sydney Morning Herald in 1927, and was appointed director in 1927. Following the death of his father in 1928, Warwick was appointed managing director and chairman of directors in 1930. Following the incorporation of John Fairfax Limited. in 1956 he was appointed chairman, a position he retained until 1977. He was knighted in 1967.

Following the death of Sir Warwick in 1987, the house was lived in by his widow, Lady Mary Fairfax. Also in 1987 their son, Warwick Fairfax privatised the publicly listed media company, only for it to collapse (in a major stockmarket downturn) three years later. Lady Mary Fairfax ( née Marie Wein, 1922–2017) established the Australian Opera Auditions in 1964, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Opera in New York. This was the first of a string of charitable organisations connected with the arts which she joined or initiated. She had lived at Fairwater since 1968, where she conducted a salon where guests were able to admire the art works of Rodin, Epstein, Dobell and Degas. Among those she entertained were dancer Rudolf Nureyev, politician Pierre Trudeau, actor Phyllis Diller, entertainer Liberace, actor Glenda Jackson, Emilio Pucci and Imelda Marcos, first lady of the Philippines. The Sydney Swans were launched at Fairwater. In 1973 it was the scene of a ball for 1000 to celebrate the opening of Sydney Opera House. Another famous party at the house was the Concourse of Canine Elegance. Lady Fairfax was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1976, a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1988, and a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2005, for "service to the community of wide ranging social and economic benefit through support and philanthropy for ongoing medical research initiatives, improved health care opportunities, nurturing artistic talent in young performers, and preservation of diverse cultural heritage". Lady Fairfax was still active socially in the late 1990s. Lady Fairfax had stated publicly that she planned to bequeath Fairwater to the people of NSW when she died. Her death came on 18 September 2017, aged 95. For nearly 60 years, Lady Fairfax had an impact on the social, artistic, philanthropic, political and cultural life of not just Sydney, but the entire country. Since she became media scion Warwick Fairfax's third wife in 1959, Lady Fairfax had assumed the position of First Lady of a John Fairfax & Sons, which published prestigious newspapers including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Australian Financial Review, as well as a vast network of magazines, radio and television stations.

Under the publicly released terms of Lady Fairfax's will, all live-in staff members employed by Lady Mary at the time of her death can continue to live-in at Fairwater.

In September 2018, Fairwater was sold for about $100 million to Mike Cannon-Brookes and his wife Annie Cannon-Brookes, making it the most expensive house in Australia.

The purchaser of the leasehold allotment was James White of Cranbrook. White (1828–1890) was a member of the pioneering Hunter Valley family of pastoralists. After a short period as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1864 and 1868, in 1873 White bought Cranbrook (which was built for Robert Tooth in 1859), directly opposite Fairwater. In March 1882, Francis Edward Joseph purchased the leasehold title from James White for the sum of A£500 (plus the annual rental of A£52). Joseph (1858–?) was the only son of Samuel Aaron Joseph (1824–1898), MLA and MLC. Joseph is generally referred to as a stockbroker by profession. Joseph adopted his wife's family name (Carnegy) in 1915 on inheriting the feudal barony of Lour in Angus, Scotland.

Fairwater was constructed for Joseph in 1882 to a design by arguably the most original architect to practice in Australia in the last quarter of the nineteenth century – John Horbury Hunt (1838–1904). Hunt was a Canadian born architect who arrived in Sydney in 1863. Closely affiliated with the Bishop of Armidale and Grafton, and the White family of pastoralists, Hunt's work is particularly evident in New England and the Hunter Valley.

The Josephs resided at the house, which was called Fairwater from c. 1884, for the period 1883 and 1887. During 1888 to 1889 the property was leased to Thomas Forster Knox (1849–1919), son of Sir Edward Knox, the founder of the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., and later chairman of this company. The Josephs returned to occupy the house in 1890 and continued to reside there for most of that decade up to 1897 when the house was again tenanted, initially in 1897 by Thomas Buckland (the son of the merchant, pastoralist, and banker – Thomas Buckland), and then by the Royal Navy for the years 1899 and 1901.

The Fairfax family ownership of Fairwater commenced in late 1900 with the assignment of the leasehold of 2 acres and 13 perches to James Oswald Fairfax. The purchase price of the leasehold title was A£5,350. James Oswald Fairfax (1863–1928) was the third son of the proprietor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Sir James Reading Fairfax (1834–1919), and grandson of the founder of that newspaper – John Fairfax (1804–1877). In March 1909 J. O. Fairfax bought out the leasehold title to the 2 acres 13 perches from the Cooper family. Following the acquisition of freehold title Fairfax engaged the Sydney architect John Williamson Manson of Manson and Pickering to further remodel the Hunt house, with alterations being undertaken sometime after 1910. Manson ( c. 1863 -1922) was Scottish born and trained in Glasgow in the office of Alexander Thomson (1817–1875). He arrived in Sydney in the mid-1880s. George A. Taylor's (the publisher of Building ) obituary of Manson stated that "he was one of the greatest architects of our time".

After the death of Sir James Oswald Fairfax in 1928, the title to the property was transferred in 1930 to his widow, Lady (Mabel Alice Emmeline) Fairfax (1871–1965), son, Warwick Oswald Fairfax (1901–1987), and brother and power of attorney, Geoffrey Evan Fairfax (1861–1930). Following the death of Lady Fairfax in 1965, the title to the property was transferred to Warwick Oswald Fairfax in August 1966. Warwick and his family moved permanently into Fairwater in late 1968. Warwick Oswald Fairfax (1901–1987) joined staff of the Sydney Morning Herald in 1927, and was appointed director in 1927. Following the death of his father in 1928, Warwick was appointed managing director and chairman of directors in 1930. Following the incorporation of John Fairfax Limited. in 1956 he was appointed chairman, a position he retained until 1977. He was knighted in 1967.

Following the death of Sir Warwick in 1987, the house was lived in by his widow, Lady Mary Fairfax. Also in 1987 their son, Warwick Fairfax privatised the publicly listed media company, only for it to collapse (in a major stockmarket downturn) three years later. Lady Mary Fairfax ( née Marie Wein, 1922–2017) established the Australian Opera Auditions in 1964, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Opera in New York. This was the first of a string of charitable organisations connected with the arts which she joined or initiated. She had lived at Fairwater since 1968, where she conducted a salon where guests were able to admire the art works of Rodin, Epstein, Dobell and Degas. Among those she entertained were dancer Rudolf Nureyev, politician Pierre Trudeau, actor Phyllis Diller, entertainer Liberace, actor Glenda Jackson, Emilio Pucci and Imelda Marcos, first lady of the Philippines. The Sydney Swans were launched at Fairwater. In 1973 it was the scene of a ball for 1000 to celebrate the opening of Sydney Opera House. Another famous party at the house was the Concourse of Canine Elegance. Lady Fairfax was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1976, a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1988, and a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2005, for "service to the community of wide ranging social and economic benefit through support and philanthropy for ongoing medical research initiatives, improved health care opportunities, nurturing artistic talent in young performers, and preservation of diverse cultural heritage". Lady Fairfax was still active socially in the late 1990s. Lady Fairfax had stated publicly that she planned to bequeath Fairwater to the people of NSW when she died. Her death came on 18 September 2017, aged 95. For nearly 60 years, Lady Fairfax had an impact on the social, artistic, philanthropic, political and cultural life of not just Sydney, but the entire country. Since she became media scion Warwick Fairfax's third wife in 1959, Lady Fairfax had assumed the position of First Lady of a John Fairfax & Sons, which published prestigious newspapers including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Australian Financial Review, as well as a vast network of magazines, radio and television stations.

Under the publicly released terms of Lady Fairfax's will, all live-in staff members employed by Lady Mary at the time of her death can continue to live-in at Fairwater.

In September 2018, Fairwater was sold for about $100 million to Mike Cannon-Brookes and his wife Annie Cannon-Brookes, making it the most expensive house in Australia.

Fairwater is set on 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) facing Sydney Harbour and in 2017 had an estimated value of approximately A$100 million.