Gurner Street story

Each week sees Bruce Crosson, of the Woollahra History and Heritage Society, contribute a short article on the history of a local street. The July 18 issue focuses on Gurner Street Paddington.  I don't think the Courier puts these on the web, at least I couldn't find it so I've copied it below.  It is a pretty good summary, although I thought the name 'Duxford Estate' was a marketing ploy to sell the subdivision (picture of the advertising was included in a previous post), the 'estate' taking its name from his house.

"John Gurner arrived in the colony in 1817, later becoming the registrar of the Supreme Court. In 1833 he was granted 7 and 1/2 acres (2.9 ha) in the "Valley of Rushcutters Bay", fronting Glenmore Rd. The property took the name Duxford Estate. He later received another eight acres (3.2 ha) south of today's Gurner St, on which he built Duxford House in 1843. Duxford House was the home of the Gurner family for a long period and became surrounded by rapid estate sub-divisions. Gurner died in 1882 but his daughters continued to live in the house until 1886 when the last died. Thomas Broughton, who owned the adjoining estate, bought the second part of Gurner's estate, including Duxford House, in 1886."