Biscuit king William Arnott's original home at 63 Union Street, Cooks Hill, "Leslieville'' is a stately sandstone presence in historic Cooks Hill. Photo: Thierry Boudan Photography It’s the original family home of the most-Aussie of biscuit brands – Arnotts. Built for the king of the bikkie, William Arnott, “Leslieville” is a stately sandstone presence in the historic Cooks Hill, and it’s now on the market. Perfect for buyers looking in the Newcastle area with an interest in history and a fondness for afternoon tea.
Arnott wasn’t always a local, though – he originally hailed from Pathhead in Scotland. Born in 1827, he followed his family to Australia in 1848 and worked as a baker in Mayfield, as well as trying his hand at mining gold.
Arnott relocated to Newcastle in 1865 and opened a bakery on Hunter Street, with his new stomping ground proving more fruitful. Arnott’s became well known for its bread, cake and particularly its biscuits – which, from 1882, were shipped to Sydney.
The house is described “as one of the finest examples of the Victorian Filigree style of architecture in Newcastle”. Photo: Thierry Boudan Photography
His family home, named for eldest son, was built on Union Street (then Melville Street), next door to the William Arnott’s Steam Biscuit Factory that opened in 1877. The family moved to Mayfield in 1888, but kept their house as an office.
Arnott himself retired in 1899, and the factory closed in 1942 – it was demolished in 1949, while the home continues to stand proudly to this day. Original workers from the Cooks Hills factory reminisced about attending what they called “Biscuit College”, with one man, Benjamin J. Oliver, describing the Arnott’s family as “the nicest people you could meet”.
The Office of Environment and Heritage record for the home describes the Union Street house, as one of the “few sites remaining in NSW and possibly Australia associated with both the personal and business life of the Arnotts”, and “as one of the finest examples of the Victorian Filigree style of architecture in Newcastle”.
Rooms are grand and spacious. Photo: Thierry Boudan Photography
Agent Rob O’Brien from Century 21 Novacastrian says the Arnott’s family held the property until 1968, when it sold to WEA, the adult education group.
He adds that interest in the property has been very good so far, despite not opening it up for public open homes.
“Given the home and its attributes and the heritage – we’re treating the home with the respect it deserves.”
William Arnott’s Steam Biscuit Factory in Newcastle, opened in 1877. Photo: Janne Apelgren
Many of the interested parties have been interested in finding a statement property. “They’ve been looking for three or four or five years, they’re looking for something really special.”
“It’s obviously heritage listed – Cooks Hill is a very old, established suburb.” He describes the main bedroom as “ginormous” and notes that “the house was the palace of Cooks Hill in its day.”
The current owners are local business people who have done up the the property – redoing the wiring and plumbing and restoring the walls and original floorboards. The original fireplaces are a particular attractive feature – there are eight of them – as are the gardens and ornate lacework.
These days 63 Union Street, Cooks Hill has a modern feel. Photo: Thierry Boudan Photography
O’Brien is reluctant to speculate on how much it will go for – “How do you price something like that?” Records show, however, that it was put on the market for between $2,450,000 and $2,650,000 in mid 2016.