Endrim

Endrim is a heritage-listed former residence and clergy house and now offices at 54 Sorrell Street, Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

[1] The site on which Endrim would be built is in Section 40 of the Town of Parramatta, which had been subdivided into regular allotments by this time and was formally proclaimed in 1893.

[2][1] The house was built by local builder, James Houison, a Scottish carpenter who had arrived in Sydney in 1832 and soon earned a reputation as a skilled craftsman, in partnership with Nathaniel Payten.

The partnership worked on the Parramatta Gaol and the Court House in the 1830s, then turned to churches in the 1840s and also completed a number of domestic projects including Endrim in this period.

[1] Gore, who is attributed with planting a number of trees on the property, remained at All Saints until 1862, when he returned to England.

The house was used as a rectory until (c. 1876) a new building was built (closer to the church, to the south) in 1876 and Endrim continued to be rented out as a residence until 1882 when it was conveyed to J. E. Bowden, a solicitor of Parramatta.

The land was subdivided and an auction selling the residential sized allotments was held on site on 2 December 1927.

The sweeping driveway and garden including a number of mature trees and plantings also generally remain with some later brick paths and landscape elements.

The front facade has a stone porch over the entry which is not present in the c. 1900 photograph, and additions to the northern and southern sides of the main house.

However the buildings retain a strong sense of their earlier character and face stone facades and details.

[1] Its house is situated well back from Sorell Street in a mature garden and screened by a high timber paling fence on a brick base.

[1] The driveway extends past the house to the former stables/garage and carport, located close to the northern site boundary.

[1] A sandstone block wall with an arched opening extends from the north-western section of the house connecting to the former stables building to its north.

[1] The driveway is bounded by open lawn and garden beds and a number of large trees, including two very tall hoop pines (Araucaria cunninghamii) and large camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora), Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), gums, palm and other plantings.

Brick steps and piers directly in front of the house connect to overgrown rock and brick-paved pathways which extend over part of the eastern section of the site.

[11][1] Endrim is a well constructed symmetrical 3 bay house of two storeys with a Tuscan porch to the main door and a cantilevered balcony at first floor level on the garden elevation.