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392:-Cheltenham Civic Trust was established by her as a "non-progress association" which worked for the closure of roads in the area and the planting of native trees and shrubs. She worked with the Bradley sisters (Joan and Eileen) to rid the bush of weeds around her property, and practiced organic gardening techniques all her life. She always slept outside on an open verandah, never drove a car, and walked everywhere, usually with a rucksack.
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bushwalker. She was also the first woman lawyer in
Australia, which gave her a certain amount of confidence. This confidence coupled with her interest and dedication to the cause of nature conservation became an asset to the nature conservation lobby in Australia. The creation of the Bouddi National Park is identified as a result of the unrelenting efforts by Marie Byles.
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the
Australian bushland. The peaceful atmosphere of the property gives visitors an insight into the character of the woman who gave the property to the National Trust. The bushland and topographical features, and the property's close proximity to the state reserve next door, form an intact natural area indicative of the appearance of this area prior to human occupation.
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The northwest, northeast and part of the southeast boundaries are delimited by unmade road reserves, Malton Road (part) and Lyne Road (also known as Cobram Road). It is located on a small ridge, formerly and unofficially called Native Rose Ridge, on the inside of a sharp curve in a creek draining the
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purchased 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) of land on the outskirts of
Cheltenham. A few years later she designed and built a small one-bedroom house. Perched on a large rock and built of unpainted fibro, oiled timber, random rubble and with a roof glazed terracotta the structure melds well with its bushland
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Uniqueness of the property as the only example of an early manifestation of the concern for environmental issues and sustainable development in
Australia. Uniqueness of the property as the only example of the early efforts to introduce various sections of the society to living in harmony with nature
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and his business partner and fellow architect, Eric
Nicholls the objective of integrating structures with the natural landscape and vegetation. Although there is no documented record to prove that Griffin's work influenced her, it seems highly likely that she was favorably impressed by the houses he
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and surrounding landscape stand as a testimony to Marie Byles' life and vision as a feminist and a conservationist. These subjects are of increasing interest to contemporary
Australians and are helping to share our culture. Aesthetically, the small scale understated buildings fit unobtrusively into
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In 1941 while on a bushwalk, where one of the members was taken ill, Byles shouldered his pack, his carriers and her own, and in consequence her feet were permanently damaged. From that time onwards she could manage short bushwalks only, and mountain climbing became impossible. Always interested in
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The small scale understated buildings fit unobtrusively into the
Australian bushland. The peaceful atmosphere of the property gives the visitors an insight into the character of the woman who gave the property to the National Trust. The bushland and topographical features, and the property's close
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The history of the property is very much the culmination of the ideology practiced by Marie Byles. Marie Byles has been one of the foremost protagonists of national parks as a mechanism to conserve nature. She was one of the early members of Sydney
Bushwalkers' Club joining it in 1929 being a keen
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Marie Byles was not an architect and, not surprisingly, her work as a designer is less accomplished than
Griffin's. Some specific differences are that he preferred flat roofs while her house has a more conventional terracotta pitched roof; Griffin experimented with prefabricated building materials
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One night in 1966, while sleeping on her open verandah Byles was physically assaulted and sustained serious injuries including a fractured skull. She declined to charge her assailant. After a period of convalescence she returned to live alone on the estate still sleeping out in the open air. Miss
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Marie Byles' design principles are best expressed in this quotation from her: 'No
Painting whatever anywhere - Any woodwork to be treated with linseed raw oil (saves unkeep): External walls are to be fibro; Corrugated (sic) fibro (long experience has shown fiber to be lasting, with no upkeep).'
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In 1970 Miss Byles gave the property to the National Trust of Australia, remaining in residence as Honorary Curator. Concerned that the one-bedroom house might be too small for her successor, she developed a plan for an addition comprising a one room detached pavilion.
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are relatively flat but the groundslopes off in a series of small Hawkesbury Sandstone cliffs in a north by north-west direction to the fire trail and towards Pennant Hills Park. There are many flat sandstone outcrops and small cliffs.
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due to the topography of the property. Ahimsa is important as a soft visual edge to Lane Cove National Park and as a part of its visual image. An example of dry sclerophyll bushland on Sydney sandstone in the Northern Hills Region.
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The buildings and their landscape stand as a testimony to Marie Byles' life and vision as a feminist and a conservationist. These subjects are of increasing interest to contemporary Australians and are helping to shape our culture.
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to undergo instruction. In the 1950s Byles built a hut in her garden called the Hut of Happy Omen, which she made available to meditation groups. By this time she had adopted the most ascetic form of South East Asian Buddhism.
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where as Marie used fibro (even in the 1930s this was a very conventional material); but they shared the goal of building small scale, understated and low cost houses which fitted unobtrusively into the Australian bush.
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graduating in 1924 to become the first woman in NSW to practice as a solicitor. She was a remarkable woman who was passionately involved in preserving wilderness areas. She was a keen mountaineer and travelled to
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built of unpainted fibro with a roof of corrugated fibro. At some time it has been extended to incorporate a kitchenette and a shower stall. Sentosa is an open plan bedsitter also constructed of fibro with a
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is a small one-bedroom house built of unpainted fibro, oiled timber and random rubble with a pitched roof of glazed terracotta. There is a brick fireplace in the living room and a large north-facing open
472:, The Hut of Happy Omen, the toilets, which were all built before the land was sold to the Trust, Sentosa, a detached bedsitter which was approved in principle in November 1975. A
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in Western China. The expedition failed due to adverse weather conditions. In Australia her determined, active nature led her to become an early lobbyist for what we now know as
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Despite her wish that no plants foreign to it, even from other parts of Australia, should be planted several native plants not indigenous to Ahimsa have been planted.
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The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
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with a much larger area of bushland, Pennant Hills Park, to the north. The vegetation is described as dry sclerophyll (hard leafed) bushland on
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The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales.
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The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.
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The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
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proximity with the state reserve next door form an intact natural area indicative of the appearance of this area prior to human occupation.
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The property as the only example of a manifestation of the concern for environmental issues and sustainable development in Australia.
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The property is representative of the beliefs of Marie Byles as a collection of rudimentary buildings in a bushland setting.
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in search of unclimbed peaks. In 1938 she led an all women team in an attempt to scale a 6,100-metre (20,000 ft) peak,
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400:, her disability gave her more time to research and write. In the late 1940s she took up medication and later traveled to
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Byles was one of the early members of The Sydney Bushwalker's Club and was responsible for drawing the attention of the
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The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.
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The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
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setting. Except for a vegetable garden near the house, the remainder of the site was left in its native state.
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to the wilderness area around Maitland Bay on the central coast north of Sydney. She was appointed Trustee of
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An absorption trench was constructed in 1975 to contain surface run off from properties adjacent to
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published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under
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Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under
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8:
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844:"Marie Byles (1900–1979) of Ahimsa: Pioneer feminist, conservationist and mountaineer"
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and is typical of the flora associated with the Northern Hills District of Sydney.
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One cave has been altered and an attractive two-metre high Hawkesbury Sandstone
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designed for her friends and sought to incorporate some of their qualities into
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736:"Ahimsa - Cheltenham -Background Paper, Board Meeting no. 55, Agenda item 5j"
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as the Trust was afraid that excessive run off would encourage weed growth.
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by creating a physical focus (Hut of Happy Omens) and encouraging its use.
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and organised working bees amongst the bushwalkers to maintain the area.
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Byles gave up her legal practice in 1970, four years after the attack.
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was constructed many years ago near the path from the northern gate.
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Paths were made by volunteers and Marie Byles' bushwalking friends.
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is derived from Gandhi's teachings and means peace or non-violence.
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looking over the gully. The Hut of Happy Omen is basically an open
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residence and meditation meeting place located at 67 Cobran Road,
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on 1 March 2002 having satisfied the following criteria.
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Ahimsa has an area of 1.348 hectares (3.33 acres) and is
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Beecroft Cheltenham area. This creek subsequently joins
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As at 27 June 2000, the physical condition was good.
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734:Levins; Macarthur; Ecob; Marni; Gilbert (1995).
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912:This Knowledge article was originally based on
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396:eastern religions, in particular the ideas of
345:Born in England in 1900, Byles studied law at
277:in Australia. It was designed by and built by
161:Ahimsa; Ahimsa; The Hut of Happy Omen; Sentosa
16:Heritage-listed residence in Sydney, Australia
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999:Buildings and structures completed in 1937
842:Beecroft Cheltenham History Group (2011).
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700:Department of Planning & Environment
959:New South Wales State Heritage Register
918:New South Wales State Heritage Register
695:New South Wales State Heritage Register
552:New South Wales State Heritage Register
305:New South Wales State Heritage Register
974:Community buildings in New South Wales
951:
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760:Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust 1976
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994:Buildings and structures in Sydney
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989:National Trust of Australia (NSW)
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886:"The Eco-Buddhism of Marie Byles"
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281:during 1937. It is also known as
151:New South Wales Heritage Register
979:1937 establishments in Australia
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476:was built onto The Hut in 1977.
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299:. The property is owned by the
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1:
877:State Heritage Inventory form
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927:, accessed on 2 June 2018.
916:, entry number 01494 in the
865:Conservation Management Plan
821:Attraction Homepage (2007).
795:Conservation Management Plan
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7:
964:Houses in the Hornsby Shire
873:National Trust of Australia
303:(NSW). It was added to the
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138:National Trust of Australia
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169:State heritage (landscape)
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984:Houses completed in 1937
347:The University of Sydney
329:Marie Byles shared with
595:Lane Cove National Park
539:As at 27 January 2010,
513:Modifications and dates
111:3.5 acres (1.4 ha)
468:The buildings include
323:Marie Beuzeville Byles
246:, Cheltenham in Sydney
884:James, Peggy (2015).
494:of corrugated fibro.
455:. The upper parts of
431:on 21 November 1979.
331:Walter Burley Griffin
290:The Hut of Happy Omen
945:at Wikimedia Commons
893:Tourism NSW (2007).
807:Ecob, Macarthur 1995
427:Marie Byles died at
383:Bouddi National Park
379:NSW Lands Department
201:Landscape - Cultural
92:33.7522°S 151.0841°E
88: /
943:Ahimsa, Cheltenham
550:was listed on the
193:Historic Landscape
182:Reference no.
97:-33.7522; 151.0841
941:Media related to
307:on 1 March 2002.
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738:. Archived from
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535:Heritage listing
445:Sydney sandstone
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54:67 Cobran Road,
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829:on 21 July 2008
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742:on 29 July 2018
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875:(NSW) (2000).
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850:on 15 May 2021
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372:national parks
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852:. Retrieved
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815:Bibliography
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242:Location of
177:1 March 2002
45:, March 2015
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27:, Cheltenham
24:
18:
903:Attribution
776:Levins 1995
435:Description
364:New Zealand
317:Marie Byles
279:Marie Byles
209:Marie Byles
128:Marie Byles
95: /
83:151°05′03″E
71:Coordinates
66:, Australia
969:Meditation
953:Categories
619:References
441:contiguous
267:Cheltenham
174:Designated
80:33°45′08″S
56:Cheltenham
922:CC-BY 4.0
719:CC-BY 4.0
505:Condition
464:Buildings
412:The name
124:Architect
895:"Ahimsa"
854:17 March
823:"Ahimsa"
702:. H01494
690:"Ahimsa"
483:verandah
390:Beecroft
321:In 1935
206:Builders
198:Category
51:Location
39:Verandah
925:licence
833:28 July
746:29 July
722:licence
474:carport
311:History
296:Sentosa
914:Ahimsa
706:2 June
591:Ahimsa
548:Ahimsa
541:Ahimsa
519:Ahimsa
478:Ahimsa
470:Ahimsa
457:Ahimsa
429:Ahimsa
414:Ahimsa
398:Gandhi
360:Canada
352:Norway
336:Ahimsa
284:Ahimsa
275:Sydney
258:Ahimsa
244:Ahimsa
43:Ahimsa
25:Ahimsa
406:Burma
402:India
356:China
261:is a
185:01494
140:(NSW)
134:Owner
116:Built
856:2015
835:2018
748:2018
708:2018
487:shed
404:and
388:The
362:and
293:and
190:Type
166:Type
119:1937
108:Area
41:of
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781:^
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692:.
627:^
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
