Greg and Louise were sitting out on the terrace of ‘Pitt Point’ and took some shots of the Wed 26.9.18 race start, with Wild Oats very apparent.
The 7m day yacht Greg built some years ago (with the assistance of some offshore RPA members – the David Payne design to Greg’s specifications) is on mooring to the left.
A number of people have now seen ‘Pitt Point’ from the water – hard to miss with the huge ‘For Sale’ sign over the boatshed.
Some have asked – how would you describe the house? Greg refers to the article in the fairly recent ‘Houses’ magazine for architects and designers (Issue 120) – ‘The house is a collection of buildings and shapes in a seemingly ad hoc arrangement, “as if they developed over time” according to architect Walter Barda, who was an Associate Director of Ken Woolley’s practice at the time and produced designs and drawings for the project.
“The idea was a small village of clustered vernacular elements: main house, the guest wing building, the lookout tower – it’s an island house after all. To that we gave skewed geometries and overscaled pitched roofs chopped in half [living room and master bedroom]. From an aerial perspective, the plan kind of wiggles through the site, some of its elements intersecting or colliding. It’s all very informal but structured.”
Being ostensibly an adult retreat, its key spaces in the main house are the living area, with the luxuriously sized main bedroom above. These are gathered up under two pitched roofs that intersect above the stairs. They both face north to the water, with views right up the Pittwater to Barrenjoey lighthouse, winking in the dark.
Behind the bedroom, the plan splits under a shallow skillion roof with a skylit ensuite, tiled in terracotta, followed by two interconnected studies, facing west and south into the rear bush garden, with its series of ponds and tumbling water – a feature of most Woolley houses, along with meticulous craftsmanship’.
Greg and Louise ‘downsized’ to ‘Pitt Point’ from their Bayview waterfront home when they were thinking about future retirement – they wanted to stay on the water. And that was 24 years ago .
And now for a further downsizing back to the mainland.
More information, with many photographs and some historical background are available at www.modernhouse.co/listings/pittwater-waterfront/ 'Pitt Point' by architect Ken Woolley AM.
More historical information on Scotland Island and Andrew Thompson is available as follows:-
• A very thorough and interesting account of Thompson, back in England, then his life in Australia is at http://www.pittwateronlinenews.com/andrew-thompson---pittwater-patriarchs-history.php
• A shorter account can be found at www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/scotland-island.html .
• Also www.cawb.com.au/andrew-thompson.html .
• Another interesting one is https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/scotland_island
All part of the fascinating story on the development of Sydney and the Pittwater area.
‘Pitt Point’ on Scotland Island - Part 1
As many will know, Pitt Island, named by Captain Arthur Phillip, was renamed Scotland Island by Andrew Thompson, to whom it was granted by Governor Macquarie on 1st January 1810 for his good works including rescuing many people from a major flood in the Hawkesbury River.
Andrew Thompson, who built and operated a number of trading ships, was building ‘Geordy’ on his Island when he died. At that point, he had progressed from being sent to NSW for 14 years for the theft of goods back in England, to being the wealthiest man in NSW.
One of his enterprises was the manufacture of salt, transported, with other produce, down to Sydney town. He was also the biggest producer of wheat, a vital product for the survival of the colony.
Greg and Louise’s home, ‘Pitt Point’, sits close to both - where the salt was produced and ‘Geordy’ was built. It has always been owned by RPAYC members, both as a weekender and a permanent residence, over more than 25 years.
‘Pitt Point’ is on the market, and it is thought that RPA members could be interested in considering this rare piece of architecture designed by Ken Woolley AM. The house has been beautifully built and lovingly maintained.
Enjoying an ideal due North aspect, the Winter sun floods into the house from sunrise to sunset, a rare thing in Pittwater. It is located on the northern tip of Scotland Island and comes with excellent facilities for yacht/boat owners – even having a wave-breaker protection barrier. And, very often the Start boat is a 2 minute sail/motor away! If not racing, most of the RPA races can be viewed clearly, with a glass of something, relaxing on the terrace.
More information, with many photographs and some historical background are available at www.modernhouse.co/listings/pittwater-waterfront/ 'Pitt Point' by architect Ken Woolley AM.
More historical information on Scotland Island and Andrew Thompson is available as follows:-
• A very thorough and interesting account of Thompson, back in England, then his life in Australia is at http://www.pittwateronlinenews.com/andrew-thompson---pittwater-patriarchs-history.php
• A shorter account can be found at www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/scotland-island.html .
• Also www.cawb.com.au/andrew-thompson.html .
• Another interesting one is https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/scotland_island
All part of the fascinating story on the development of Sydney and the Pittwater area.
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