Welcome it’s Adrian Bo and this week as part of my local history series, I’m on the corner of Cowper Street and Alison Road to talk about a local legend who once built a mansion right here and lived a very colourful life. Humphrey Oxenham, was born in 1854 in what is now a small village called Wattle Flat in the Bathurst area. His parents had moved there as a result of Gold being discovered in Wattle Flat three years earlier, to mine and make their fortune. During the Gold rush, the population of Wattle Flat swelled to over 20,000 people and gold was still being mined there when the first world war started. The population now is less than 300 people. At 24 years of age, Oxenham heard there was a huge pumpkin at a local hotel, for some reason Humphrey saw this as an opportunity and casually asked the publican what odds he would give him if he could carry the pumpkin on his head from Bathurst to Kelso without it falling off as well as a horse called Goulburn winning the big race of the day. Back in those days entertainment was scarce so such a ridiculous challenge was considered primetime entertainment. The publican offered Oxenham 100 pounds to a shilling, which was the equivalent to 2000-1 odds.

Oxenham used a towel on his head as a cushion for the huge pumpkin and pulled off the feat, after which Goulburn completed the double later that day The winnings were invested in a lifelong career as a bookmaker, racehorse owner and gambler, initially at country race meetings. In 1875 he moved to Sydney after a big win with his horse, Hogmanay and became a good friend of up-and-coming Randwick trainer, Mark Thompson. In 1886 Thompson trained one of Oxenham’s horses “Cerise and Blue” to win the Sydney Cup, a $15,000 prize, which was a fortune back then. That win enabled Thompson to build his new stables on Coogee Street in Randwick which he called “Cerise and Blue.” And Oxenham used his winnings to build a mansion here on the corner of Cowper Street and Alison Road called Normanhurst. The house was built on two acres of land in 1887 using the renowned architect, John Kirkpatrick. The house overlooked Randwick Racecourse between the Denison turn and the Seven Furlong post. The pair went on to win many major races including the Caulfield Cup in 1895 with the mare, Waterfall, which cost only 100 guineas. Thompson was however disqualified by the Jockey Club in 1903 for the inconsistent running of one of his horses. Oxenham had to transfer all his horses as a result to Bert Wills who managed to win the Melbourne Cup with one of them, Arcasia. In the 1890s Oxenham built a business empire around betting shops and a mail-order sweepstakes operation. The racing authorities didn’t like this and tried to bring in legislation to restrict betting to racecourses.

In 1922 and 1924 Normanhurst was sold for subdivision into 10 lots which bordered Prince Street, Cowper Street, Alison Road, William Street and King Street. Fast forward to the modern-day and according to the records, Cowper Street has 497 units and 35 houses, with 60% being owner-occupied. 2021 saw 20 sales on Cowper Street with the highest registered price for a unit being $1.46 million for 1 at 52-54 Cowper Street. The only house to sell last year was number 56 in November. I really hope you’ve enjoyed the story of Humphrey Oxenham and Normanhurst here on the corner of Cowper and Alison. It’s stories like these concerning the area I have spent all my life in, that I aim to keep alive. Please enjoy this beautiful weather and always remember your home is worth more with Adrian Bo.