Windback Wednesday - Eastwood

The first subdivision of Eastwood took place in 1839, creating an oblong of 40 allotments which faced Devonshire Terrace, now known as Greenhill Road. As its name suggests, the area of Eastwood contained a large stand of gum trees which were fed by five creeks that joined together alongside the east parklands. Although close to the city, the area remained sparsely populated until the 1870s when a number of low-cost houses were built for attendants and groundsmen at the newly built asylum (later known as Glenside Hospital), and other nearby businesses and industries.

One prominent landmark of Eastwood was a large residence at the corner of what is now Greenhill and Fullarton Roads. The villa was built in the 1850s by merchant John Scott Young and was a single storey stone house. Around 1870 merchant J. W Hocart, from Guernsey, Channel Islands, purchased the property and added a second storey. Mr Hocart named the house “Hauteville”. Hauteville remained in the Hocart family for three generations. The building was later demolished, making way for the former ETSA building (now Air Apartments).

Photo: Mr and Mrs Hocart in carriage, with children Emily, Ellen and Walter Hocart on the lawn at Hauteville, circa late 1880s. Burnside Local History Collection.