Billyard Avenue

Berith Park is a beautiful single storey mansion of over 8000 square feet, still sitting surrounded by nearly 2 acres of its grounds and is deemed to have heritage value as a result of its historical, architectural and social merit.  Berith Park was designed by the architect F. Ernest Stowe for Alfred Edwin Daking Smith, a merchant from Queensland who purchased the land in 1897.  It was built by Master Builder E. Hutson and believed to have been finished in 1909.  In 1914 it featured in an article in Building Magazine as “an example of the flouting of tradition with beauty of design and stability of construction preserved.  A home Australian in all of its essentials…an ideal Australian home showing some novel features for winning best comfort and home conditions…It is probably one of the most comfortably living homes for Australian conditions we have seen”.  From 1914 it was owned by Sir Arthur Ricard, the very colourful founder of Barnardos in Australia and the Millions Club.  He was a real estate developer of the Inner West with a wonderful social life.  He and his wife Nellie, with their children, servants and “butler on the fiddle” (quote from Sir Arthur's granddaughter now in her 90's) did much to the house.  They put in the tennis court, the swimming pool (which was one of the first domestic pools in Sydney), built the ballroom  and a bedroom extension for his daughters to use on their return from Frensham.  There was an ornamental lake and a cricket oval as well as beautiful gardens.  Sadly he went bankrupt in the Depression and the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman Crick, was the next owner.  He again was a colourful character.  As the founder of Fox Studios, many movies were made at Berith Park and old photos show fabulous swashbuckling heroes and Thirties starlets.  The back of the ballroom was made to open out to reveal a cinema screen suspended from the trees!

The Cricks started off the process of selling off land and the lake was sold, drained and built on.  This selling off continued through subsequent owners, the latest subdivision being in 2004 when an acre of parkland, including the old stables, was sold off and sadly many of the magnificent trees were destroyed.

Berith Park - 1925

In 1955 the Roman Catholic Church bought Berith Park and it was used as a home for the Dominican Fathers and then the Dominican sSsters. They built a functional 2 storey building in the grounds where 13 Novitiates lived their lives in silence, apart from one hour a day.

In 1979 it was again sold into private hands.  Unfortunately extensive changes were made at this time.  The conservatory and laundry went, bedrooms were converted into garage space, windows were blocked off, the outside was painted, fireplaces and light fittings were removed, ceilings lowered and walls moved or removed

Despite this Berith Park retains its beautiful grounds and beautiful outlook and much of the spirit and character of the original home.

Berith Park - 1932  Sales Brochure