Highbury, Centennial Park

About

Highbury, also known as the Patrick White House, or Patrick White's House, is a heritage-listed residence located at 20 Martin Road in the inner eastern Sydney suburb of Centennial Park, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by William Nixon and built from 1912 to 1913. Highbury was the home of Australian novelist Patrick White for approximately twenty-six years, until his death in 1990. The property is privately owned. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 19 November 2004.

Patrick White moved into Highbury in 1964 and lived there with his partner, Manoly Lascaris, after leaving his home in the suburb of Castle Hill. The house and the environs of Centennial Park became significant elements in White's novels. White and Lascaris were socially active and hosted many dinner parties in the house. White's biographer, David Marr, described White as a genial host. Following White's death in 1990, the house was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register due to its association with White, who was the first Australian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Lascaris continued to live in the house almost until he died in 2003.