Nutcote
Encyclopedia
Nutcote is the name of the house which the renowned Australian children’s author and illustrator May Gibbs
lived in for 44 years. The May Gibbs
' Nutcote is now a visitable house-museum located in Neutral Bay, Sydney
. It has a New South Wales heritage listing.
by her mother, Mrs Cecilia Gibbs in 1922 on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour. May’s instructions to BJ Waterhouse were to design and build a house which would have compactness, convenience and charm. It was purchased for 1,365 pounds with a 500 pound deposit.
The final design, completed in 1924, was one of the smallest residences ever designed by Waterhouse, who later suggested that May name the house Nutcote. Construction was completed by the builder F E Gray, in 1925, when May was 48 years old and the total investment in the site and house by then was 5,000 pounds, with the property being mortgaged until 1953. The house was specifically designed to accommodate May’s studio and reflected her lifestyle, needs and priorities.
In 1928, a double garage was built towards the front of the property. This too was designed by BJ Waterhouse and sat sympathetically with the main house on the site. The garage, built for the sum of 400 pounds, housed May’s motor car, a Dodge, the Dodgem in which she would make trips to the Blue Mountains, and other areas.
May Gibbs lived at Nutcote for 44 years, creating the Bib and Bub comic strip from 1924 until 1967. Inspiration for her work was taken from the bush in Western Australia
which she knew as a child, and from around Sydney and the Blue Mountains. From the 1950s her own garden increasingly provided the stimulus for her work. The death of her husband in 1939, her father in 1940 and many of her close friends during the post-war years gradually led May into the life of a recluse. It is probable that unsympathetic reprints of her work and increasing poverty increased her desire for isolation. Three new works were to appear in later years: Scotty in Gumnut Land (1941), Mr and Mrs Bear and Friends (1943) and Prince Dandelion (1953). May Gibbs
lived at Nutcote until close to her death on 27 November 1969.
On her death, May Gibbs
left her home to the United Nations
International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) which, under its Charter, was unable to hold property. The house and contents were sold at public auction in 1970. Later owners were interested in demolishing and developing the site. In 1987, concerned relatives and friends formed the May Gibbs Foundation and the community battle to save it began, becoming a nationwide campaign to Save Nutcote for the Nation. The May Gibbs Foundation succeeded in saving the house, which had remained largely unaltered, protected by a Permanent Conservation Order and were also successful in having it placed on the Register of the National Estate.
Convinced by the widespread support for the campaign, North Sydney
Municipal Council purchased Nutcote for $2.86m in 1990. Nutcote was restored and shows the house as it would have looked in the late 1920s and early 1930s. This period was chosen due to the evidence available. Some background sources included her husband’s diaries and letters, photographs of the house by the occupants, photographs taken by Harold Cazneaux for an article about Nutcote for the magazine, Australian Home Beautiful in 1926 and oral histories from family and friends. It opened to the public in 1994.
May Gibbs
Cecilia May Gibbs MBE was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best-known for her gumnut babies , and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie....
lived in for 44 years. The May Gibbs
May Gibbs
Cecilia May Gibbs MBE was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best-known for her gumnut babies , and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie....
' Nutcote is now a visitable house-museum located in Neutral Bay, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. It has a New South Wales heritage listing.
History
The plot of land for Nutcote was found for May GibbsMay Gibbs
Cecilia May Gibbs MBE was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best-known for her gumnut babies , and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie....
by her mother, Mrs Cecilia Gibbs in 1922 on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour. May’s instructions to BJ Waterhouse were to design and build a house which would have compactness, convenience and charm. It was purchased for 1,365 pounds with a 500 pound deposit.
The final design, completed in 1924, was one of the smallest residences ever designed by Waterhouse, who later suggested that May name the house Nutcote. Construction was completed by the builder F E Gray, in 1925, when May was 48 years old and the total investment in the site and house by then was 5,000 pounds, with the property being mortgaged until 1953. The house was specifically designed to accommodate May’s studio and reflected her lifestyle, needs and priorities.
In 1928, a double garage was built towards the front of the property. This too was designed by BJ Waterhouse and sat sympathetically with the main house on the site. The garage, built for the sum of 400 pounds, housed May’s motor car, a Dodge, the Dodgem in which she would make trips to the Blue Mountains, and other areas.
May Gibbs lived at Nutcote for 44 years, creating the Bib and Bub comic strip from 1924 until 1967. Inspiration for her work was taken from the bush in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
which she knew as a child, and from around Sydney and the Blue Mountains. From the 1950s her own garden increasingly provided the stimulus for her work. The death of her husband in 1939, her father in 1940 and many of her close friends during the post-war years gradually led May into the life of a recluse. It is probable that unsympathetic reprints of her work and increasing poverty increased her desire for isolation. Three new works were to appear in later years: Scotty in Gumnut Land (1941), Mr and Mrs Bear and Friends (1943) and Prince Dandelion (1953). May Gibbs
May Gibbs
Cecilia May Gibbs MBE was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best-known for her gumnut babies , and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie....
lived at Nutcote until close to her death on 27 November 1969.
On her death, May Gibbs
May Gibbs
Cecilia May Gibbs MBE was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best-known for her gumnut babies , and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie....
left her home to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) which, under its Charter, was unable to hold property. The house and contents were sold at public auction in 1970. Later owners were interested in demolishing and developing the site. In 1987, concerned relatives and friends formed the May Gibbs Foundation and the community battle to save it began, becoming a nationwide campaign to Save Nutcote for the Nation. The May Gibbs Foundation succeeded in saving the house, which had remained largely unaltered, protected by a Permanent Conservation Order and were also successful in having it placed on the Register of the National Estate.
Convinced by the widespread support for the campaign, North Sydney
North Sydney
North Sydney may refer to:*North Sydney Council, a Local government area in Sydney*North Sydney, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia*Division of North Sydney, an electoral division serving the suburb...
Municipal Council purchased Nutcote for $2.86m in 1990. Nutcote was restored and shows the house as it would have looked in the late 1920s and early 1930s. This period was chosen due to the evidence available. Some background sources included her husband’s diaries and letters, photographs of the house by the occupants, photographs taken by Harold Cazneaux for an article about Nutcote for the magazine, Australian Home Beautiful in 1926 and oral histories from family and friends. It opened to the public in 1994.
Further reading
- Sharkey, Chris and Pendal, Phillip (2000). May and Herbert Gibbs: The people, the Places, South Perth, W.A. The May Gibbs Trust. ISBN 0-646-38811-8
- Walsh, Maureen (2007). May Gibbs: Mother of the Gumnuts, Sydney: Sydney University Press. ISBN 9781920898496, http://purl.library.usyd.edu.au/sup/9781920898496