A 225-year-old Sydney Home Reveals Its Hidden History

The story is by Isabella Ross.

The topic is history.

It was published on Saturday, 20 June 2026, at 7:21 am.

The Tedesco family bought a big property in Sydney's Hills District without knowing its 220-year history.

Nicolas Tedesco's parents bought the old house three years ago to pass it down to their family.

They wanted a smaller farm to replace their 12-acre home near the Blue Mountains.

The old house has three living areas, old floorboards, and a central staircase, showing its age.

The house is over 220 years old.

There is an old cooktop from the 1930s in the kitchen.

Two old barns on the property have fireplaces from around 1938.

Nicolas said the house was not nice to live in at first, but his dad was happy it would not be torn down.

The family had to fix up the house so they could plant and grow their own food.

Most of the house's old parts, like the floorboards, are still there.

Nicolas's son Joel lives in the house with his grandparents and wanted to learn about its history.

Joel found an old sign in a shed that said 'Chelsea Farm'.

Nicolas and Joel care about the house's history.

The area used to have many orange trees and now has a blossom festival.

Sydney's backyards had some of the first successful fruit trees in the new colony.

George Suttor was a botanist and farmer who grew fruit.

The Hills Shire was a major citrus-producing area from the early 1800s.

In 1801, George Suttor and his family started clearing land and building a home in Baulkham Hills.

The property became known as Chelsea Farm.

Haining Lenane said Suttor's oranges were sold at the market for two shillings and sixpence per dozen by 1807.

Suttor was the first to produce fruit for sale.

There is a picture of Chelsea Farm from 1891.

The Tedescos now grow their own fruit and vegetables on the property.

Ms Lenane said preserving sites like Chelsea Farm is important for the community's history.

The house is the last part of the original property and has high historical significance.

The area's legacy is celebrated at the Orange Blossom Festival each September.

The festival has been around for decades and marks the orange trees' first blossoms.

Chelsea Farm also has a Jewish migrant legacy.

Between 1938 and 1951, the farm was owned by the Australian Jewish Welfare Society.

The society helped Jewish refugees learn farming skills and adjust to Australian life.

The Jews were cared for when they arrived in Australia.

The society later focused on helping post-war refugees.

Men were trained to work on farms and cattle stations.

Nicolas and Joel visited the Australian Jewish Historical Society Archives to learn more about the farm's history.

The head archivist said Chelsea Farm played a key role in rescuing and resettling Jews.

She said it's essential to preserve this history for Australian Jewish identity.

Nicolas feels grateful to highlight Australia's migrant stories.

For Nicolas, connecting with migrant history is emotional.

He said the stories are 'little vignettes of pure beauty'.

Nicolas's father wanted a home that would not be demolished.

The property was leased to the Australian military during World War II.

A local woman shared her memories of Chelsea Farm's military history with Joel.

She said her mother used old bomb casings as pots for plants after the war.

The property was leased to the military during World War II.

The Tedesco family has worked hard to restore the house.

The community connects over the historic house.

Chelsea Farm became a private home in 1952.

Nicolas wants to create a legacy for his father and restore the house without spending too much money.

They are less than 20% done with the restoration and want to do it right.

Joel enjoys meeting people interested in local history.

Recently, Joel and Nicolas opened their home to the community, and 80 people showed up.

Joel was surprised that so many people cared about the house's history.

Do you know more about the story?

If you have information, contact Isabella Ross.

Nicolas hopes to hear from the community.

Nicolas wants to hear people's stories and fill in the gaps of the house's history.

He thinks it would be special to learn more about the house.

More news from NSW is available.

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