The Judges House is a heritage-listed former gentleman's villa residence and homeless shelter and now corporates offices and restaurant located at 529 - 531 Kent Street, in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Its design is attributed to William Harper. The property has been sub-divided. The lot on which the main structure of the Judges House stands is numbered 531, while number 529 contains the Japanese-influenced modern addition to the back of the property together with sections of the former garden. The modern addition was previously the Suntory Restaurant and now houses Tetsuya's restaurant. The property is privately owned. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
History
The Judges House was built and most probably designed by William Harper and constructed in 1827. It is historically significant because it represents the oldest building in the City area that was originally constructed as a private residence. Adding to its significance is that, after considering Harper's situation, skills and other evidence, we are now able with some degree of certainty to attribute the design of the house to Harper. Further, it demonstrates a very early use of corrugated iron in the colony. The house is significant architecturally, because it represents one of the earliest remaining examples of the Colonial Georgian house in Sydney.
While there is no evidence remaining on the site of its use as a refuge and soup kitchen, the range of uses from gentleman's residence to night refuge and soup kitchen for the homeless, also contributes to its historic value. Such uses reflect the changing character of the area, as it evolved from an idyllic waterfront environment to a congested and less salubrious precinct. From a social perspective the house has cultural and social links with the experiences of unemployed and homeless people during a period of 100 years including the depression eras of the 1890s and the 1930s; and because of its links with the evolution of privately-funded welfare provision in Sydney. Its history embraced the diverse social environments which developed from the late 19th century through to the 1960s and provides a significant reminder that unemployment and homelessness have long been a feature of Australian society. The house has additional significance because of its associations with the legal history of NSW, through its tenancy by Judge Dowling. This association has been consolidated by its enduring title, the Judge's House.
William Harper: His history and career in the Colony of New South Wales
The building known as the Judge's House still stands at 531 Kent Street, Sydney. Its title is unusual in that it derives, not from its original owner and builder. but from its first tenant. This circumstance clearly reflects the differing status and fortunes of the two men concerned in its early history, both before and after their arrival in New South Wales.
First to arrive was William Harper, who landed at Port Jackson in 1821 with his wife and two children. Aged 29, Harper was a trained surveyor with considerable experience in land and road surveys in Scotland. He arrived with a letter of recommendation as a free settler from Earl Bathurst and professional recommendations from his patrons, Sir John Oswald and Robert Ferguson Esq of Raith.
Harper was also ambitious and enterprising. While en route and still on board the Westmoreland at Port Dalrymple, he had applied for appointment as a surveyor in Van Diemen's Land. On arrival in Sydney he continued his quest for survey work and by July, on the recommendation of Surveyor General John Oxley, had been appointed as an assistant in his department, with a salary of per annum.