John Verge (1782-1861)

Solling writes that "Verge, a London builder-architect, had emigrated in 1828, and by 1837 he had had more than eighty commissions in Sydney, at least four of these in Glebe."

Toxteth Park (1831) and Lyndhurst (1836) would have been two of those four; Glenwood (c1837) in Hereford Street (now demolished) would have been another. Verge became the leading architect and builder of the 1830s in NSW.

Lyndhurst, the other extant Verge building in Glebe, presents difficulties to the viewer. Originally the building was sited on 36 acres of land which overlooked Blackwattle Bay. Following a series of subdivisions of the grounds, Lyndhurst has been engulfed by inner-city housing and it is difficult to find a viewpoint which allows an adequate appreciation of the handsome structure.

Verge’s other work includes:

• Camden Park, Menangle (1835)
• Tempe House, Arncliffe (1836)
• Vestries and eastern porches of St James Church, Sydney (1834)

The Early Glebe Architects walk features John Verge’s Toxteth Park.

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