Fintry

In January 1957 the property was purchased by Sir Bernard Thomas Heinze (1894-1982), eminent Australian musician and conductor. Heinze had been conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Society from 1927 to 1953 and part-time director-general of music to the Australian Broadcasting Co and music advisor to its successor the Australian Broadcasting Commission. In 1957 he succeeded Sir Eugene Goosens as director of the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music, a position he held until 1967.

Heinze lived at Fintry until his death in 1982, with his wife Valerie and their second son Adrian Heinze (1937-1995). Sir Bernard, together with his son Adrian, added a fully equipped and functioning eight seat theatre to Fintry, with furnishings including wallpaper, curtains, carpet and seats said to have been acquired from Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. Lady Valerie Heinze lived on at Fintry until her own death in 1992, as did her son Adrian. After his death in 1995, Fintry was sold with the theatre still intact. The theatre was photographed for the Houses Trust of NSW in 1996 before the house was remodeled.

Photographer: Ross Heathcote

Date Photographed: March 1996

Original image format: 35mm mounted slides

Copyright: Caroline Simpson Collection, Photograph © Ross Heathcote