Shortland Avenue Strathfield is a long street, which developed in stages as land was released. Different sections this street have had previous names. Elsie St and Allan St were combined and renamed Shortland Avenue in 1939, after Percy Shortland – a former Alderman, Mayor and Judge.
All of Shortland Avenue is built on the land acquired by Joseph Hyde Potts, Secretary of Bank of NSW, in 1841. As ownership of this land was kept in the Potts family until the 1920s, many of the streets are named for members of the family such as Edgar St, Fraser Street and Howard St.
The earliest section of Shortland Avenue (formerly Elsie Street) commenced at the intersection of Mackenzie St [formerly Coventry Rd] and Dickson St. There are two Victorian homes, ‘Ellesmere’ and ‘Albermarle’ still in existance from this period. In 1922, part of this street was subdivided as the ‘Hydebrae Estate’, creating residential lots on Merley Road, Hydebrae St and Elsie Street. The land releases described below move from east to west.
The next stage of this street was the subdivision of land in the ‘Gowan Brae Estate’, which was subdivided offered for sale c.1925. Most buildings in this section were built from the late 1930’s.
The next land release is the ‘Crown of Strathfield’ Estate, which was subdivided into 156 lots by surveyor L A Curtis of Castlereagh St Sydney and offered for sale in 1923 by auctioneer H W Horning & Co Ltd. Kessell Reserve was created with this estate subdivision. Despite this estate being offered for sale in 1923, building on the Estate was slow due to the economic depression of the early 1930’s. Most buildings are built from the late 1930’s.
The next section of Shortland Avenue was formerly called Allan St. It was part of the Flemington Heights Estate. Most development occurred on this estate from the late 1920’s.
Allan St west ie from Pemberton Rd to Mitchell Rd, known as Flemington Heights 2nd Subdivision, was formerly owned by the War Service Homes Commissioner. Approvals for buildings in this section commence in the 1920’s.