Important Archive of 19th Century Australian Documents
Books, Ephemera & Autographs | Sunday 17 October 2021 | 2pm | Timed Online
Elizabeth Wangenheim (1835-1925) and Gus Wangenhein (1826-1882) were one of Sydney’s wealthiest Jewish families of the 19th Century, they owned large parcels of real estate in Eastern Sydney including a number of hotels. Gus is described as a publican, musical venue proprietor, amateur musician & vocalist, often he and the hotels were the center of the bohemian community of Sydney. Elizabeth was recognized as the brains behind the business ventures.
The documents date from 1846 to 1930’s and includes indentures, leases, conveyances, mortgages, valuations & receipts. Many of the documents concern land in Stanley Street, Woolloomooloo from the Riley Estate, it includes an 1851 Conveyance with original ink sketch map of the area (Lot 118), signatures of William Hardy (Government Surveyor) and William Henry Kerr. Many interesting documents concerning properties in Clovelly, Hurstville Moorefields Estate, Hunter Street Sydney, Macleay Street Potts Point, Darlinghurst, Marrickville & Petersham. Among the signatures are James Norton, Robert Campbell, John Walton, James Hume (Architect) & George Alfred Lloyd etc. Elizabeth’s parents, James & Ada Simmons names appear in several of the documents.
The Wangenhein’s bought the Green Park Hotel Darlinghurst in 1881, a year after Gus’s death in 1882, Elizabeth redeveloped the hotel and it reopened in 1893. The hotel had many licensees until Elizabeth’s death in 1925, her son Joseph inherited the hotel and by 1930 had lost the freehold to Tooth and Company. The documents in the collection date from 1875 to the sale of the hotel in 1933 for twenty thousand pounds, an important archive (Lot 119)
The collection also includes documents concerning St Marks Precinct, Randwick, they include the 1858 Land Grant, signed by Governor William Denison and 1882 Subdivision Leases with original subdivision diagram & sketch of the land (Lot 120)
Several hundred documents in all, a mixture of vellum and paper and many with seals, to be sold in 4 lots (118, 119, 120 & 121)
For further information please contact Tory Page via [email protected]