Heritage sandstone care in Randwick

Randwick's early history is written in sandstone. Blenheim House, from 1848, is described as the first stone house in the area, Ventnor is a two-storey sandstone house built in 1859, and Sandgate followed around 1870. Avoca Street holds a run of heritage sandstone buildings, including the St Jude's Church group, and Gothic-style mansions such as Venice and Nugal Hall, on Milford Street, add to the picture. Randwick Town Hall, the racecourse and The Spot are local reference points, with Belmore Road, Alison Road, Frenchmans Road and St Pauls Street completing the street pattern. The council's heritage schedule holds around 400 items. Stone here appears as house facades, garden walls, gate piers, steps and church fabric.

Hawkesbury sandstone is very porous and weathers over time, and carved and exposed elements deteriorate first. In Randwick, that shows on window dressings, copings and decorative work on older houses. Because the suburb sits back from the ocean, salt spray is less of a factor than in Coogee or Clovelly, and the main issues come from the ground and the trees. Rising damp carries moisture and salts into footings and lower courses, leaving white bloom and a sandy surface. Leafy streets and shaded walls grow lichen and mould and collect tannin stains. Many older walls have also been repointed in hard cement, which makes the stone erode around the joints.

Randwick Council manages a large number of heritage conservation areas, 21 across its area, and several cover parts of Randwick itself, including Randwick Junction, St Judes, High Cross, Struggletown, The Spot, St Marks, North Randwick and the Racecourse Precinct. With around 400 items on the heritage schedule as well, there is a good chance any older property here is either listed or inside a conservation area. Before restoration, repointing, stripping or stone replacement, ask Randwick Council if approval applies. Of all the options, gentle cleaning disturbs the stone least. Our technicians apply conservation methods throughout and keep a photographic and written record that can accompany any application or heritage file.

Getting to Randwick from Double Bay takes us about 15 minutes in ordinary traffic. Many of the sandstone houses sit behind walls and gardens, so equipment is carried in and hoses run carefully across lawns and paths. On busy roads such as Avoca Street and Belmore Road, parking and footpath safety need planning, and we confirm access when booking. For older facades and walls, we work in stages and let each treatment dry, because old sandstone responds better to patience than to force. Run-off is bunded and vacuumed up rather than reaching the gutter. On institutional or church buildings, we coordinate with whoever manages the property.