68 Elizabeth Bay Road Elizabeth Bay is a grand apartment building built circa 1929-30 known as The Raymond.

Apartment 2 is for sale through Penny Timothy and Luke McDonnell: https://www.rwebay.com.au/7219940/

Its five storeys, roof-top vistas and proximity to nearby Rushcutters Bay and Beare Parks make is a desirable location.

It was built by Edward Vennard, architect.
Mr Vennard was a practising architect from about 1882 having designed a local bank in Bowral where he lived.
He was a keen community-minded person joining the local Bowral Fire Brigade, the School of Arts and the Young Men’s fellowship. Apparently, he was known to have had a fine voice.
He organised and called for tenders to repaint St Jude’s church, Bowral, in 1893.
In 1903 had made additions to a residence in Elizabeth Bay and in 1914 he called for tenders to erect a residence at Wahroonga, the same year he designed the Ladies Rooms dressing shed at Cronulla beach (now demolished).
In 1917 The Sydney Morning Herald reported that he was designing a block of flats in the popular Cronulla seaside “resort”, as it was then promoted as, south of Sydney.
In 1920 he designed The Blackstone “flats” in Onslow Avenue, Elizabeth Bay, adjacent to The Raymond.
In 1924 he designed an oil warehouse for Texas Oil Co.

The origin of the name of The Raymond, is unknown.
It is considered a rare example of the Commercial Palazzo style, an idiom of 1920s-1930s office building design, as applied to a residential building.
This building was the first of the “luxury flats” to be erected in Elizabeth Bay. It includes Juliette balconies and an intact, wood-panelled vestibule and lift lobby and stained glass in ground floor exterior-facing windows. The entrance includes Tuscan columns marble steps, Roman tiles with wood panelling and brass work. The interior foyer has a magnificent stained glass coffered ceiling with rich, dark wood panelling and original letterboxes. The lift entrance is designed as a temple entrance.

Apartment 2 retains its high ceilings, picture railings, cornices and stained and mottled glass.

Mr Vennard is not known for significant buildings after this pre-World War II period. However, his legacy lives on in Elizabeth Bay.

By Andrew Woodhouse

Heritage Solutions