Scottish-born Alexander Sherriff arrived in Sydney in 1884 and and resided at 'Edinville’ at 41 Trafalgar Street, Annandale NSW 2038 (1891)Students at the School of Architecture and Building, UNSW,surveyed Edwinville. See State Library of New south Wales record: Collection 03: Register of Historical Buildings; historical surveys illustrated with measured drawing…by students of the School of Architecture and Building UNSW, Call number PXD 146, v. 1-2. until his death in Paddington. Information on his career and career is limited. Besides the statue of Sir George Grey for the Lands Department Building, Sydney, in 1901, Sherriff also sculpted Tattersals Club, Pitt Street, and is thought to have been commission to contribute sculpture to the Walker convalescent Home, Concord in 1893.
His finest sculpture is on the semicircular front of 'Edwinville’ in Trafalgar Street, Annandale, consisting of nine panels composed of bas-relief sculptures of birds and a kangaroo. The round front has a central window and two either side which have projecting heads marking their centers that would appear to be based on Renaissance artists or Greek mythology. The front is especially impressive not only for its remarkable figurative detail, but also for the use of the curved glass double-hung windows. Allen George Mansfield who lived not far distant at Glebe may had been the architect.See Morton Herman,The Architecture of Victorian Sydney,Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1956, Fig 237, p. 181. the caption reads: “Edwinville, 39 Trafalgar Street, Annandale, has be attributed to George Allan Mansfield.” Herman noted “larger suburban houses ranged from Scotch Baronial as with Loganbrae, on Bellevue Hill (235, 236), through the Mansfield-like classicism of Edwinville, at annandale (237), to the nondescript-Victorian of Gasgoyne, at Burwood (223).” p. 155.
- Writers:
- Laila Ellmoos
- Date written:
- 2010
- Last updated:
- 2021
