THERE are houses, and then there are houses. But there is only one called The Ridge.
Long a family home, the stately Merewether structure, built in 1861, is possibly better known though from a former life as popular Hillcrest Hospital.
Very soon, this restored historic gem will be offered for sale for the first time in 42 years.
Perched high on the Merewether ridge to capture the sea breezes, it is easily identifiable by its location and distinctive steeply pitched gable roof.
As historic houses go, it's a unique prestige Merewether property, which is apt as the suburb is named after the home's original owner who brought prosperity to Newcastle.
Built by wealthy early district businessman Edward Christopher Merewether (1820-1893), once known as 'Mr Newcastle', the manor house overlooks both the city and Pacific Ocean.
Now, sadly hemmed in by other houses (built on land that was once part of The Ridge's extensive grounds), the gracious 19th century residence is a great survivor. It even narrowly escaped demolition in the early 1980s before being permanently heritage-listed by the state government in 1999. Today it stands hidden off the appropriately named Hillcrest Road as a monument to E.C Merewether's wealth, foresight and good taste.
Beside the house itself, one of the few tangible reminders of past pioneering days is the nearby gully containing the familiar Gibbs Brothers Oval, which started life as a giant colliery dam where children went rowing.
Before Mr E.C. Merewether erected his two-storey, hillside family house (a mansion for its day, really), the whole area around it had another name. All the suburb's present land was called Burwood, after the Burwood Estate title.
E.C. Merewether had married the eldest daughter of Dr James Mitchell, so he later inherited the dowry of the 950-acre Burwood Estate, land rich with huge coal deposits that he then leased to mining companies then watched the royalties roll in.
Over time, coal declined and the Burwood/now Merewether land was subdivided for residential use. This was why some streets are named after Merewether family members. Initial development though was slow, not taking off until after 1929 as large-scale coal mining gradually ended.
The early, emerging suburb of Merewether was vastly different to what it is today. For a start, the estate land was divided into several separate mining townships, such as the Glebe, while east of Watkins Street, Merewether, was called The Pottery. While the name of The Junction (where old coal train lines converged) remains today, the tiny township of The Racecourse (Frederick Street area near Dixon Park) is now but a fading memory.
Besides the numerous coal mines, there were several potteries plus seven brickworks (in 1877) operating in the area, a coastal copper smelting works (until 1862) and much of the land was criss-crossed with coal railways.
Meanwhile, The Ridge stood alone on bare ground against a backdrop of thickly wooded slopes. Its occupants remained aloof from it all.
As befitting the early days of Mr Merewether reign, today's Mitchell Street was the private driveway to The Ridge and known as the 'red road' because the dirt surface was top-dressed with red gravel. Early on, entry to the road was even barred by a special gate near the junction of Mitchell and Patrick streets with a sign reading 'Ridge Gate'. With later land subdivision, this gate was then move further back (to Curry Street) and now no long exists.
Who was the English born E.C Merewether? The astute Oxford-educated businessman was certainly well-connected. Although originally intending to take holy orders, he instead came to Australia seeking major opportunities. He was aide-de-camp to three colonial governors before being appointed General Superintendent of the mighty A.A.Company, re-invigorating early Newcastle by laying rail lines to the Newcastle wharves and running sheep stations.
Personable, self-assured, prudent and meticulous, he became immensely wealthy and a generous benefactor, including to a scientific expedition to Antarctica. A river in New Guinea is named after him and he financed the building of St Augustine's Anglican Church at Merewether. His brother-in-law, David Scott Mitchell, also founded the Mitchell Library in Sydney. E.C. Merewether fathered 10 children and later went to live, then die, in Sydney.
The big Merewether family lived in The Ridge for many decades and, in 1951, Mrs G.S.Merewether, who once lived in her father-in-law's home, said she knew it very well.
"Four generations of the (Merewether) family have been born there. My husband, my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have been born there," she said.
She also had great admiration for the work of the Salvation Army who opened the old home as a private maternity home in 1925, christening it 'Hillcrest'. In the 1950s it was reported to accommodate 39 patients ("16 married and 23 unmarried mothers"). Adoptions were also arranged from here. It was reported to be Newcastle's only maternity hospital devoted solely to this service. The home's spacious bedrooms, which had high ceilings that made them cool in summer, became maternity wards.
Hillcrest Hospital fell into disuse by the late 1970s. It gradually became derelict, and in the early 1980s there was a move to demolish it. Even the home's front doors were stolen, and the windows boarded with corrugated iron sheets to deter vandals.
The site was sold. Then the land surrounding the house was further sold off for new homes. A permanent conservation order was then finally made on the house.
Newcastle identity Kim Hughes made it her mission from 1981 to faithfully renovate The Ridge. She succeeded magnificently. Today, The Ridge has been exquisitely restored with cedar fittings throughout, large rooms including four bedrooms and two studies, a grand staircase, prized Minton tiles in the foyer, a flagstone walk, an eye-catching pair of heavy doors with stained-glass panels, and sweeping views from the top bedrooms.
In fact, it's a bit like Dr Who's fabled Tardis, with an interior and grounds much bigger than you might expect. Beneath one of the wide polished wooden floors (in the old kitchen) there's even a hidden wine cellar complete with an old earthquake seismograph.
Steven Dick, of Movable, the marketing agent for The Ridge, said the house was very spacious with old-world grandeur.
"Despite changes over the years, the property is still 2300 sq metres, or about half an acre. It's impressive and I believe only three families have lived in it over the years. It's been a wonderful family home and I'd like to think it will go to someone now who will truly appreciate it," he said.
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