“Edina” originally formed part of the first land grant of the area covering 30 acres in 1809, now known as Potts Point. After 1822, the area was owned by the Crown and named by Governor Macquarie as ‘Elizabeth Town’. After Macquarie’s departure, the area was subdivided into land grants for public servants and to build grand villas. Various smaller subdivisions occurred in the mid-late 1800s for intensive residential development. 75 Victoria Street is part of an original land grant made to John Busby in 1828. He was linked to the famous Busby Bore. Busby was an English-born surveyor and civil engineer, active in Sydney.
Edica was constructed in about 1885 in the middle of a building boom. It is first referred to in Sands’ Suburban Directories in 1885 and specifically named ‘Edina’. The provenance of the name is unknown although its Old English meaning is “rich or prosperous”. The site also appears on the Rygate & West Map of Sydney in 1888. Prior to this, the earlier Trigonometrical Land Survey of Sydney dated 1855- 65 shows the site vacant. However, the neighbouring villa, ‘Hordern’s House’ , appears named on the map and had been constructed by this time. This villa was replaced with Hordern Terraces, which are still standing.
The Hordern family were wealthy retailers who held extensive land holdings in the city and country including “Mayfair”, 6 McDonald Street and “Jenner”, 2 Macleay Street, Potts Point
Edina is typical of a Late Victorian Italianate terrace. It incorporates extensive engrailing on almost every facade surface and has a particularly elaborate medallion in the parapet with “Edina” incorporated into it.
The style was representative of the then Italian modes of building and design. Classical features of Italianate architecture were adapted to Victorian-era terraces featuring decorative masonry such as arches, balustrades, bracketed eaves, towers, and urns; as well as other embellishments such as parapets, pediments, elaborate stucco and cast-iron filigree. The façade of Edina is a fine representative example of the Victorian Italianate style applied to a terrace.

The Rygate and West Map of Sydney also shows that the rear of the terrace had an original rear wing which ran along the southern boundary wall, now demolished. Its interiors have been compromised but it retains its elegance in this heritage street.

By Andrew Woodhouse
Heritage Solutions