page_title: Darling House, Millers Point
section_title: Purchase and restoration by Dr Shane Moran, 2016
hierarchical_section_title: Darling House, Millers Point / History / Purchase and restoration by Dr Shane Moran, 2016
caption_attribution_description: English: Copper mold of the golden fleece fire mark, Fire Insurance Company Sydney
context_page_description: Darling House is a heritage-listed seniors living property and former residence located at 8-12 Trinity Avenue, in the inner city Sydney suburb of Millers Point in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The property is owned by Dr Shane Moran through his luxury seniors living and aged care group Provectus Care Pty Ltd. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
  The Georgian-style Old Colonial sandstone building incorporates parts of an original c. 1833 to c. 1835 dwelling house, the existing sandstone house was constructed in 1842 under the ownership of Joseph Farris. The name of the house, which originated from the local community in the 1800s, is derived from the original land grant by Governor Darling. Darling House holds particular historical, social and architectural significance due to its influence on the history and early social development of Millers Point and early colonial Australia and as a representative example of Georgian style architecture in neo-colonial Australia.
context_section_description: In February 2016 the vacant and increasingly dilapidated Darling House property was purchased for $7.7 million from the New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation at public auction by Dr Shane Moran. Dr Moran had also been involved in the ownership and restoration of another one of Sydney's heritage properties, Swifts, Darling Point. Following the purchase of the Darling House property, Dr Moran stated his intention to restore the original Georgian house and subsequent additions to an aged care residence or seniors' living facility, albeit a more upmarket one then previously, "ensuring that the original Georgian features are restored". The Chairman of the Millers Point Resident Action Group Mr John McInerney said, at the time of the sale, that although he wasn't opposed to the new aged care facility he was angered that the New South Wales government "has taken a community facility, cashed it in for $7 million odd dollars and has now made it inaccessible to the bulk of residents around here"  The property has undergone a major heritage restoration and upgrade during the period from 2016 to 2019 in order to both maintain the integrity of the original historic building as well as to enhance its adaptive re-use as a boutique luxury seniors' living and retirement home. The extensive works over a period of more than three years involved the complete replacement of the slate roof, installation throughout of cedar joinery and staircases, original marble fireplaces, old leadlight windows and doors and the extensive upgrading of the building to BCA Class 3 standards and integration of all modern technology and systems.
  During the period of the restoration of Darling House, a rare and original c. 1844 fire insurance mark from the Sydney Fire Insurance Company was located and was displayed within the property. The Sydney Fire Insurance Company was established in 1844 at 468 George Street Sydney. Fire marks were issued for display at properties insured by the company against fire, there being no public fire brigades in the colony of New South Wales at that time. The Sydney Fire Insurance Company fire mark was in pressed copper displaying the company's name and an image of a golden fleece, being at that time in the colony a sign of safety and security following the growth of the wool industry. The symbol of the golden fleece has been adopted as the emblem for Darling House depicting this history and the association with security.
caption: Fire mark from the Fire Insurance Company Sydney Copper incorporating the golden fleece emblem, c. 1844.
exif: {}