A short history of Juniper Hall

Juniper Hall March 1980s

March to save Juniper Hall – 1980s [click to enlarge]

Located at 248-250 Oxford St Paddington, heritage listed Juniper Hall is the oldest surviving house east of the Sydney CBD. It is a 2 storey Georgian colonial villa that was constructed in 1824-5, with a third attic storey and additional wings added in 1890. The Hall was built by Robert Cooper, an emancipist and gin distiller, for his family. By 1850 due to financial difficulty, Cooper leased out the house as an orphanage, which gave way to a girls’ school in 1858 then a home for deaf and dumb children, and in 1910 offices of the Children’s Court. In 1924 the house was purchased by a businessman and turned into eight flats with a row of shops built along Oxford St. It soon fell into disrepair, and DAs were lodged with Wollahra Municipal Council in the early 1980s for demolition and the proposed re-development as a shopping arcade.

As a result of a massive campaign by Friends of Juniper Hall and the Society to save the house, Woollahra Council refused the applications and the State gazetted a Permanent Conservation Order on the building in 1983. The NSW Premier, Neville Wran, agreed to a Bicentennial Grant of $750,00 to the National Trust to buy the property in 1984, augmented by $200,000 from Woollahra Council, and community and corporate (Amatil) funding of around $1,000,000, as well asa $500, 000 from a bequest by Leslie Bridal, a Paddington resident and member of the Society. Along with restoration of the house, the front boundary wall and front garden were re-instated to match the appearance from around 1900. The purchase and restoration cost close to $2.5 million.

Juniper Hall March

March to save Juniper Hall – 19080s [click to enlarge]

The row of Oxford St shops were demolished (see main picture) and the restored house was opened to the public in 1988 as The Museum of Childhood, with a National Trust shop and Café.  In 1992 due to financial considerations Juniper Hall was closed by the Trust and leased to commercial tenants.

Subsequently the National Trust sold a 99 year lease to the Moran family (The Moran Arts Foundation) in 2012 for $4.551 million on a competitive bid, with the family assuming responsibility for its restoration. A Conservation Management Plan was produced in May 2016. As Juniper Hall is a Heritage Item in both the NSW State Heritage Register and Woollahra LEP, any demolition or development must be approved by Woollahra Council. In 2019 a development application was approved for a new 2 storey art gallery at the rear, while in December 2025 the lease holders of Juniper Hall (members of the Moran Family) lodged a development application with Woollahra Council for basement parking that was refused in June 2026, mainly due to heritage and archaeological concerns.

The Society was notified by the National Trust that the freehold title was sold to Peter Moran in February 2026. An excerpt from the letter to the Society is below:

…….. The National Trust has decided to sell Juniper Hall to a company associated with the Moran family as it is
better suited to be cared for by an entity related to the descendants of the original owners. This sale will
secure its future for subsequent generations and maintain its legacy as an historic property of significance……..

For now Heritage NSW, The National Trust and The Paddington Society will continue to monitor and make submissions to Council on any future development proposals.

The Society looks forward to seeing continuing access to the house via the Moran Art Exhibitions.

References:
Speech to State Parliament, Clover Moore, 10 March 1994
Own research of National Trust files for TPS exhibition for History Week 2006
Apartments.com.au, article by Jonathon Chancellor 2012
Statement of Heritage Impact, 2016, by Clive Lucas, Stapleton and Partners WMC Local Planning Panel DA Assessment Report, 18/6/2026
State Listing, Heritage NSW