Ian Stephenson, President of the Glebe Society and former Director of the National Trust in NSW, will guide us through Glebe highlighting examples of Infill Housing: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The tour commences at the leafy corner of Colbourne Avenue and Lyndhurst Street, and will Finish at the Mid Victorian style Nag’s Head Hotel, St Johns Road where participants can buy refreshments and consider how the challenges facing Glebe relate to those in our own suburb or town.

As the name implies, much of Glebe was owned by the Anglican church, and this ultimately helped preserve the suburb, especially following world war II, when Glebe faced threats from slum clearance, freeways and home unit development. Significantly, the National Trust was at the forefront to conserve this distinctive suburb, including identifying Glebe as an urban conservation area and actively campaigning to save Lyndhurst, dating to 1833 and designed by John Verge.

Images: Lyndhurst, Glebe was designed by John Verge in 1833, Image State Library of NSW

The courtyard 17-31 Cowper Street, Glebe designed by the NSW Housing Commission Inner City Housing Team, c. 1985, demolished 2022. Image Ian Stephenson

This walk will focus on ways infill housing has been inserted into the historic suburb over time, including at Lyndhurst, the Inter war style cottages built by the Church of England in the St Phillips Estate and the remarkable achievement of the NSW Housing Commission’s Inner City Housing Team in the 1980s whose work included the restoration of cottages, the design of new houses and apartments as well as adaptive re-use in the Bishopsthorpe estate.

Attention will be drawn to current threats such as the spot rezoning of sites within heritage conservation areas which will destroy the scale of Glebe.

Event details

Join us on Saturday 8 July 2023:

• Start 1:30pm: Corner of Colbourne Avenue and Lyndhurst Street, Glebe NSW
• Finish 4:00pm: Nag’s Head Hotel, St Johns Road, Forest Lodge NSW

Note: Participants need to be able to follow our guide along suburban streets for 2 ½ hours. Please bring sturdy footwear, weather protection & drinking water.

Tour guide

Ian is the current Glebe Society President and Planning Convenor. He is a former Board member of the National Trust and has worked in the museum and heritage field for over 30 years including as Director of Historic Places in Canberra, with the National Trust in NSW and SA, and for the University of New England.

Tickets

Tickets: Members $20, adults $25, family $45, concession $20, children under five free

Book via Eventbrite to guarantee a spot.

Thanks to

The Glebe Society and the Illawara Shoalhaven Branch

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