Boronia House, Mosman, Sydney

Boronia House is an historic house in Mosman, Sydney. It was built in 1885 and is an excellent example of a Victorian Filigree building. It was a domestic residence between 1885 and 1951. In 1952 it was acquired by the Mosman Council and was used as the Council Library. It has been fully restored and adapted for commercial use and is heritage-listed.James and Ellen KeareyJames and John Kearey who were brothers built Boronia in 1885.It was part of an estate which contained two identical houses called Boronia and Telopea and a common garden. James occupied Boronia and John lived in Telopea.James Kearey was born in 1842 in Sydney. His parents were John and Mary Ann Kearey who had immigrated from Ireland. In about 1840 his father had established a coachbuilding business in Sydney and the firm had become very successful. His mother Mary Ann died in 1849 when he was only 7 years old. His father remarried Catherine Fraser in 1851 and James and his elder brother John were brought up by their stepmother.In 1872 his father died and John seems to have taken over the management of the coachbuilding firm. However, in 1877 the brothers together constructed a very impressive building in Pitt Street which featured in an 1878 edition of the “Australian Town and Country Journal". The new business was called Kearey Brothers and for the next two decades the firm flourished. The brothers were credited with inventing a new type of carriage which was described in the newspaper “The Sydney Mail".In 1871 James married Honora Murphy and the couple had three children. Unfortunately Honora died in 1879 and soon after James married Ellen Doherty. James and Ellen had eight children, five of whom were born at Mosman.