Bethungra, Canterbury
Bethungra is a large stone house in Sydney, Australia. It is heritage-listed, and was at one time used as a convent, but now a private residence. The house is located at 9 Fore Street, Canterbury in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown local government area of New South Wales. It was designed by Varney Parkes and built during 1896. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. History Bethungra was constructed for the Quigg family by Varney Parkes, the son of Sir Henry Parkes. Varney Parkes was a Liverpool Council Alderman, State Parliamentarian (1885 - 1913), MLA for Canterbury 1895-1900 and 1907-1913, Postmaster-General (1889 -1899) and successful architect. He trained under the Colonial Architect, James Barnet between 1878 and 1880. He established a successful architectural practice with C. H. E. Blackmann and was responsible for the design of a wide range of buildings over much of urban and rural New South Wales, including hotels, warehouses, banks, commercial premises and domestic residences. One of his best known designs was the "Marble Bar" for George Adams's hotel in Pitt Street, begun in 1891 (now re-erected within the redeveloped Hilton Hotel on George Street). Parkes was known for