Friends of Linnwood

31/08/2026

Spring is in the air and our next Open Day is on Sunday 13th September.
Free entry to the grounds and parking and Linnwood will be open from 10.00am - 3.00pm. $5 entry to the house with children under 5yrs admitted free.
On the front lawn will be cars from the Mustang Owners Club Australia, and the Camaro-Firebird Car Club. There might even be some 'oldies' there as well!
Sausage sizzle also on the front lawn........
Inside the house will be displays (Special display by the Carnival Glass Collectors Assoc.) and stalls, together with stalls on the front lawn and side verandah.
Devonshire Teas available inside the house.

Come along and see Western Sydney's best kept secret at Guildford - Linnwood!

21/08/2026

Dear Members and Supporters,

It has been a crazy few days recently with the preparation for the court case, meeting with the Barrister to discuss it, coming home with more documents to go through and then, at the last minute, being told that witnesses need not appear! Our apologies to those who still attended the court on Thursday morning only to find that it was empty and that the case had been settled! We did try to contact as many of you as possible on Wednesday night, but some might not have received the information in time.

I received a phone call on Thursday morning from a journalist who was at the court, found it empty and when she asked about it, was told that the case was 'settled'. Joanne then rang me and it was the first I had heard about it!

I then contacted the Crown Solicitors Office and was told that 'Yes' it was settled and that basically the Land Council was successful in claiming the rear of the estate, but the claim for the front of the estate was to 'be discontinued'.

You might notice that there is a yellow line at the rear of the property and that line shows the rear of the Linnwood Estate. (See diagram below)
The land from that yellow line to the Tamplin Road frontage is a separate lot and is the subject of a separate claim which the Land Council will need to win, to be able to gain access to the hatched 'Back Subject Area' from Tamplin Road in the future. We have not heard when that claim will go to court.

The legal jargon for the outcome is as follows:

' 1. The appeal be upheld in relation to the whole of the 'Back Subject Area' identified by the red hatched area on the left-hand side of the diagram below.

2. The Respondent do all things necessary to transfer that part of Lot 1 Deposited Plan 169485 (now known as Lot 50 in Deposited Plan 1322629) described in Order 1 within 6 months of the date of the Court's orders, or at such other time as agreed in writing between the parties.

3. The appeal in relation to the whole of the 'Front Subject Area' identified by the red hatched area on the right-hand side of the diagram at Order 1 be discontinued.'

This is not the decision we were hoping for, but it is better than it could have been, so we need to accept it and 'carry on' as best we can, and make the relevant adjustments to ensure that all of our events can still go ahead.

Hoping that our members and supporters, will continue to attend our events, perhaps volunteer in the house or the gardens or just continue to turn up to our events and ensure that Linnwood is there for the local and wider community to enjoy in the years ahead.

Thank you all, once again for your support.

Dorothy Warwick
President
Friends of Linnwood Inc.

30/07/2026

After our public meeting on Sunday, we now have an online petition for you to sign.

Please feel free to share.....................

Save Linnwood Estate - under threat of being subdivided

22/07/2026

Hope to see you at our Public Meeting on Sunday 26 July 2026 at Guildford Leagues Club, Tamplin Road, Guildford.
The meeting will be held upstairs in The Ballroom at 2pm.

16/07/2026

Some photos from our recent Open Day.......Cars from the American Independent Car Clubs plus the Isuzu Car Club.

Display of Quilts from the Wentworth Quilters Inc. who meet at Linnwood every month.

14/07/2026

THE LINNWOOD ESTATE - Under Threat!

PUBLIC MEETING TO BE HELD:

WHEN: 2pm SUNDAY, 26 JULY 2026

WHERE: GUILDFORD LEAGUES CLUB (1st floor)
Tamplin Road, Guildford


If you would like to register your interest in attending (not compulsory) please email:
[email protected]

01/07/2026

LINNWOOD - UNDER THREAT AGAIN!

Once again, the Linnwood Estate is under threat.

• Some years ago, a local Aboriginal Land Council ‘claimed’ McCredie Cottage at the front of the estate with the intention of renovating and using the building for Indigenous War Veterans (Vietnam War etc.) This then changed to ALL veterans of that era. Then it changed again, claiming more land for ‘parking’ and in January 2026, a subdivision plan was registered, excising 1 ha of land from the estate.
• In recent times we were made aware that the remainder of the estate had been claimed by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.
• Claims by Land Councils can be made on Crown Land deemed as not being used.
• The Friends of Linnwood Inc. are now involved in a court case against this claim.
• Our response is to show that the buildings and the land ARE being used – by the Friends of Linnwood Inc. for Open Days, Tour Groups and curating and displaying donations throughout the house and also as a repository for local history research and artefacts. Sunnyfield: Intellectual Disability Services are on site 5 days per week using Faulds House, the Dormitory Building and the surrounding grounds, providing day respite care for approximately 50 adult clients.
• A second proposal has been submitted by the Land Council which would allow the Friends of Linnwood Inc. and Sunnyfield to use the 3 buildings and the driveway ONLY, with a small parking area for staff on the north side of the Dormitory.
• The rest of the property would be used for future development over the beautiful front lawn and also the rear of the property fronting Tamplin Road. The loss of not only the land, but the trees and bird life over the estate will be irreplaceable.
• We find this proposal unacceptable as it would deny both the Friends and Sunnyfield of any open space or outlook. The Friends would not be able to continue holding Open Days or Group Tours due to the lack of open space for car clubs, community stalls and parking for visitors, and Sunnyfield will no longer have any open space during the week for their clients’ activities.

We find it unacceptable that a State Heritage Listed property, such as the Linnwood Estate can be ‘claimed’ and redeveloped in this way.

All of this has been done very quietly without the knowledge and input of the local and wider community.

We hope to hold a public meeting in the near future and will advise the date, time and location shortly.

If interested or have any queries, please contact us by email at:
[email protected]

Part of the State Heritage Listing on the NSW Heritage Office website:
Statement of Significance (copied in part)

https://www.hms.heritage.nsw.gov.au/App/Item/ViewItem?itemId=5052822

Linnwood, including its associated buildings and landscape, is of state significance as a welfare site that was in operation and use for over 80 years. Since 1917, the site was continually adapted and developed specifically for various welfare uses such as housing and educating state wards. Of particular significance is the use of Linnwood as the first and only Truant School that was in existence in NSW between 1917 and 1936 and was later used by the Department of Welfare as a Girls Home Science Domestic School for state wards.

Linnwood is also significant as an example of a prominent and wealthy city businessman's country retreat that was constructed on a large estate beyond the then outskirts of Sydney. The size and fine detail of this late Victorian residence demonstrates the wealth, aspirations and lifestyle of this class in society.

Specifically, Linnwood is in part representative of its original designer and occupier George McCredie. George McCredie was prominent for a time in the local community through his involvement in the political arena and in community activities. On a broader level George McCredie is known historically for his role in conducting the cleansing of The Rocks following the outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1900, and the building activities of his family firm A.L. & G. McCredie and Sons. The remnant of Linwood estate can still demonstrate by its scale within its urban setting the former extent of the land holdings of Susan McCredie, who was also a prominent local figure in her own right. (City Plan and Heritage Office)

Subject: Linnwood, view from north west, showing Italianate style detailing and front veranda Photographer: Murray Brown Copyright owner: Heritage Office Date: 01/01/2002

22/06/2026

It's nearly time for our July Open Day!
There will be an assortment of car clubs on the front lawn : The American Independent Car Clubs, the Cadillac LaSalle Club and the Classic & Historic Automobile Club - so lots to see! (Weather permitting) We will also have a small display of vintage pedal cars from the future Jerilderie Doll, Toy & Pedal Car Museum! Remember these???
Inside the house the Wentworth Quilters will have a display of some of their quilts and the Friends will have a photographic display of 'Now & Then' of Linnwood and Holroyd Local History Research will have a 'Now & Then' display of houses, shops and building in the local area.
And of course, we will have our tasty sausage sizzle outside and lovely Devonshire Tea available inside the house.
See our ad on Weekend Notes! https://www.weekendnotes.com/open-day-at-linnwood-western-sydneys-greatest-secret/

14/05/2026

This Sunday 17th May 2026 - we have a PUBLIC MEETING commencing at 2.00pm.

All welcome.

Free entry

Our guest speaker is Dr Damian Gleeson, Historian, and his topic is “Irish Bigamy”. Damian is the first to examine colonial marriage and bigamy amongst Irish convicts in penal NSW.

Our photographic display for the National Trust's Heritage Festival is still on Display........... the theme for this year was 'CHANGE' so our display of 'Before & After' photos of Linnwood from the McCredie era through to the present day is still on display.

Holroyd Local History Research's display of 'Before and After' showing some photos of homes, businesses and other buildings within the Cumberland LGA is also still on display.

How things have changed over the years!!!!

09/04/2026

"CHANGES"

From Family Home to Community Asset

The Friends of Linnwood are again participating in the National Trust’s Australian Heritage Festival and will be open on: Sunday 3rd May 2026 from 10.00am-2.00pm

Cost: $15.00 per person National Trust Members: $12.00 per person

Bookings essential for Devonshire Tea catering purposes

Email: [email protected] – Phone: 0409 227679

“Linnwood” is Western Sydney’s best kept secret – but we want to share this beautiful NSW State Heritage Listed house with you!!

"Linnwood" was a gentleman's country retreat built in 1891 by architect and engineer George McCredie, and sits on 5 hectares of land at Guildford.
As well as viewing many items in the house which are of or near the era – most of which have shaped our past - visitors can enjoy a delicious Devonshire tea and a wander around the gardens.

There is plenty of free onsite parking.

Also on display:

❖A rolling Powerpoint presentation on the history of Linnwood.

❖Photos showing the use of the Linnwood estate after the McCredie family had left. A children’s home for 2-6 year olds; a home for young truant boys; and a domestic science training school for 12-16 year old female State wards. How very different from how we care for under-privileged children today.

❖Before and after photos of improvements to the house.

❖Holroyd Local History Research, a sub-committee of the Friends of Linnwood, has researched many “people and places of Holroyd” (the former name of the now Cumberland LGA). See a display of “Change” in the local community – early photos/postcard images of buildings in the area, and the ‘change’ – the old and the new.

❖“The Guildford Road Project” featuring photographs from the early days of Guildford and how the area has changed.

Photos show how the 2nd fountain 'changed' from when we started at Linnwood - then it went 'missing' for a few years, and then magically returned, was restored and is now standing straight and tall in the grounds!