Alroy House

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Photograph (c) Blacktown City Council, 1995

Built c.1887 and located on 371 Rooty Hill Road North, Plumpton.

A large single storey brick Victorian-style home. It's most interesting feature is it's roof. An extremely elaborate house, complete with a servants' wing at the rear.

"A large single storey brick residence with two main sections. The main roof section is gable ended with Italinate details on the barge boards and three subsidary gables, two of which jut out from the from the corner of the roof at 45 degrees to the axis of the ridge. The smaller section of the house forms a secondary gable ended extension to the house proper. A deep bull-nose verandah surrounds the main section with an unusual entrance portico expressed both in the verandah roof (semi-circular arching) and in the roof proper (triangular gable end)." [NSW Heritage Office]

Built by Thomas Bowring between 1886 and 1888. Bowring was an associate of Walter Lamb. Was the residence of Edward Lamb, Walter's brother. Named after Alroy Downs, a property of Edward's in the Northern Territory.

Was aquired by Thomas Cable in 1894 and then passing through several changes of ownership until being bought by Julius White, a farmer, in 1916, who used the 6 acre site for fruit growing. In 1921 it was bought by the Wilson family who retained it until 1981 when the State Public Trustee aquired it. It was purchased by Blacktown Council in 1985. During the 1980's the home was damage by fire and suffered from vandalism, with the marble fireplaces being stolen. Blacktown Council restored Alroy's exterior in the late 1990's and completed the interior restoration in 2006. The current leasee operates it as a family tavern under the name "Alroy Tavern", opening for trading May, 2006. Blacktown Council was awarded at the 2006 Australian Property Institute NSW Excellence in Property Awards for its restoration work on Alroy.
Alroy Tavern,
 (c) Blacktown Council 2006

Sources:
"Our City, Our Heritage", 1997 Blacktown City Council Calendar.
Blacktown Council Website, http://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/our-city/history/history_home.cfm
NSW Heritage Office Website, http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au
Alroy Tavern advertisement, Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard, 27th June, 2007
Villa's New Role, Blacktown Advocate, 10th May, 2006
Cheers to Council, Blacktown Advocate, 18th October, 2006
Alroy Tavern, http://www.blacktownaustralia.com/directory_details.asp?ID=3634
Award for Pub, Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard, 25th October, 2006