A suburb with a place in Sydney’s project-home story.
Pettit & Sevitt, through Max Dupain’s lens.
The State Library’s Max Dupain & Associates archive includes Westleigh courtyard, split-level and other houses photographed for Pettit & Sevitt around 1970–73. The suburb was part of a period when architect-designed project homes brought different ways of living to Sydney families. [1]
The architects behind the company.
Powerhouse holds a Pettit & Sevitt design archive covering 1962–77 and the work of Ken Woolley and Ancher Mortlock Murray & Woolley. If you suspect your home belongs to this design history, original plans are more useful than appearance alone for identifying its model and designer. [2]
Duffy Avenue began with a question of access.
In 1830 Patrick Duffy received land north of John Thorn’s grant. When access was obstructed, the Colonial Secretary’s Office directed that the track remain open; it became Duffy Avenue. Much of Westleigh remained orchard and bushland until residential development gathered pace in the 1960s. [3]
Keep the details that make the house yours.
Exposed beams, high windows, brickwork and changes of level may be part of what you love about a postwar home. Before opening everything up, ask what those features contribute to light, privacy and the feel of the rooms. A renovation can start with a list of qualities to keep as well as a list of frustrations to solve. Bring your plans and ideas to Scott and discuss how the next stage could fit.