page_title: Charles Hoskins
section_title: Family, homes, and personal life
hierarchical_section_title: Charles Hoskins / Family, homes, and personal life
caption_attribution_description: English: The house built by Charles Henry Hoskins in 1914 at 338 Great Western Highway, Bullaburra, N.S.W., Australia.
context_page_description: Charles Henry Hoskins was an Australian industrialist, who was significant in the development of the iron and steel industry in Australia.
context_section_description: Although his father had died when he was young, Charles Hoskins was never an orphan, as his obituary would incorrectly state; his mother, Wilmot Eliza Hoskins, lived until 1896. He also had an uncle, William Hoskins, in Australia, as well as two brothers, George John Hoskins (1847-1926)—his business partner—and Thomas, and at least one sister.
  Charles married Emily Wallis (1861-1928) on 22 December 1881. They raised eight children; sons Henry Guildford (1887-1916), Cecil Harold (Sir Cecil 1889-1971), Arthur Sidney, known as Sid, (1892-1959), and daughters, Florence Maud, later Mrs. F.A. Crago (1882-1973), Wilmot Elsie, later Mrs F.A. Weisener (1884-1964), Hilda Beatrice (1893-1912), Nellie Constance (1894-1914), and Kathleen Gertrude, later Mrs E.C. Mackey (1900-1950). Another daughter, Emily (b.1886), died soon after birth. 
  The family moved often; their choices of housing in Sydney reflected the family's rapidly increasing prosperity. During the 1880s, they lived first at 'Exeter Terrace' on Crystal Street, Petersham, then on Macauley Street, Leichhardt., then  at 'Auburn Vale', Granville, and later at 'Waverley' on Croyden Street, Petersham. In the 1890s, they lived first at 'Koorinda' on Albert Street, Strathfield  and later at 'Illyria', on The Boulevard, Strathfield.
  Hoskins built 'Illyria' in the early 1890s. With his typical thrift and practicality, the stone facade of this grand building was obtained from the City Bank building in Pitt Street—built in 1873—which had been gutted by a fire in October 1890. The stonework was dismantled and transported in sections to its new site and re-erected in the same orientation as the original bank building, becoming the facade of a more conventional Italianate mansion.
  It was at 'Illyria' that Charles was able to indulge his passion for motor cars, buying the second Ford car imported to Australia, in 1904, and a succession of other cars, including a 1908 Clement-Talbot. The garage suite, at the rear of the house, was probably built during Hoskins' time to house his vehicles, making it one of the earliest private garages in Sydney.
  In 1907, his eldest daughter, Florence, and her new husband were living at 'Mevaina', on Appian Way, Burwood, in an exclusive 'garden city' influenced residential precinct—known as the 'Hoskins Estate'—founded in 1903 by Charles Hoskins' brother, George, who lived at nearby 'St Cloud'.
  After the takeover of the Lithgow works, in early 1908, Charles and his family moved from Strathfield to Marrangaroo, west of Bowenfels and Lithgow, living in William Sandford's former home, 'Eskroy Park', which was situated on 2000 acres of land. They also spent time at Lawson in the Blue Mountains, having an association with the area that went back well before their move to Lithgow. Later, they were to make their home in the area and contribute to the beautification of its parks and gardens.
  Charles and Emily lost three of their children, within the space of four years. In 1912, his daughter Hilda drove her car onto the level crossing at 'Eskroy Park' where it was struck by a locomotive. Although she was taken to the house, she died without regaining consciousness. In 1914, his daughter Nellie, who was stricken with tuberculosis, died at Lawson, before the family's new home nearby—built with her recovery in mind—could be completed. Their eldest son, Henry Guildford Hoskins was fatally injured in an acetylene gas explosion, in 1916, while repairing a gas generator, at 'Eskroy Park'. Although moved to a hospital in Sydney, he died. He was 28 when he died and already a significant figure in the company.
  The family's home 'Cadia Park', on five acres of land, at Bullaburra, lay close to the boundary of that mountain settlement with Lawson and was completed in 1914. It had eight bedrooms, billiard-room, drawing and dining rooms, three bathrooms, entrance hall, maids' dining room and larder, and kitchen. Separate out-buildings include stables, a garage accommodating six cars, and laundry. The house was sighted so as to have magnificent views over the adjacent valley. Outd
caption: 'Cadia Park' at Bullaburra, the home of Charles Hoskins from 1914 to 1922. (Unknown photographer, taken c.1927.)[122]
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