Have you ever wondered about the early residents of Hilltop Rd in Avalon? Get to know some of these trailblazers from nearly a hundred years ago.
Read: Help Plant 100 Trees in Avalon Beach to Mark 100 Years
Johnson Family
Well-known landscape artist Robert Johnson and his wife Olive bought land at Hilltop Rd in the late 1920s. They lived in a stone cottage they fondly called the ‘Ashlar.’
Ashlar, located at 32 Hilltop Rd, Avalon Beach is listed on NSW heritage list as an example of an early artists’ home in a bush setting.
As an artist, Robert was drawn to the landscape around the Northern Beaches. The couple’s daughter Heather recalled his father would pack up on weekends and paint. Some of Robert’s favourite subjects were the Pittwater, gum trees and the headlands of Avalon Beach.
At the time, many houses in Hilltop Rd were considered as a weekend home or a holiday home because the area was isolated. Two of the main factors were the lack of good roads and public transport.
In the 1930s, the Warringah Council received many complaints from residents but eventually, they had to take matters into their own hands.
Residents helped maintain the roads to keep the roads passable. They needed to be resourceful particularly when it comes to road maintenance as the services during that time were very limited.
Because refrigeration was unusual in the street until the early 1950s, bread and ice were being delivered down at the bottom of the hill. Those who had ice chests would need large blocks of ice to be delivered every second or third day.
The Rigby’s
In 1935, the Johnsons introduced Avalon to their friends, artists and avid bushwalkers Alan and Enid Rigby. The couple purchased the block of land next door to the Johnsons.
Alan, who was also into photography, captured the photographic record of some early residents of Avalon Beach.
The Rigby family lived in their stone cottage home along Hilltop Rd from 1935 to 1972.
Read: ‘Murradjulbi Lane’: Aboriginal Name Proposed for Unnamed Avalon Laneway
Charlie Erikson
The Rigby’s and Johnson’s stone cottages were both built by local stonemason Charlie Erikson. He constructed the stone cottage for the Johnsons in 1935 and another one for the Rigby’s nearly a year later.
Robert Johnson’s children Heather and Brian Johnson helped Charlie by splitting the shingles and received 1 penny per dozen for their work.
The Sibley’s
Another family who became close friends with the Johnson’s and Rigby’s were the Sibley family. The Sibley family lived in a log cabin at 53 Hudson Pde Clareville, which is in close proximity to Hilltop.
The Sibley’s are American residents living in Sydney, who considered their cabin as a weekender.
What’s unique about the Sibleys’ home was they made the logs part of the cabin instead of removing them.
Today, the house has retained its rustic feature, though the new owners have incorporated modern touches to the historic home. Based on property records, it was last sold in May 2020 for $3.6 million.