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Gilligaloola, the residence of Norman Selfe
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DescriptionThe residence of Norman Selfe, built in 1893 on Pennant Hills Rd in Normanhurst, formerly Hornsby.
In April 1884 Norman Selfe purchased 11 and a half acres of land which ran west from Pennant Hills Road to beyond the railway line. A two-storey timber cottage was built on the property and was occupied by Mr Reid, a road maintenance worker, and his wife. The Selfe family made frequent weekend trips there from their family home in Ashfield.
'Gilligaloola' ('a pleasant place') was built in 1893 around the existing timber cottage. It is a complicated building of many roof angles, varying heights and chimney forms, a squat tower and a profusion of finishes. Selfe had travelled widely in North America and the Continent, and in this house he experimented with a mixture of features, some of which were not then in common use in Australia.
Norma Selfe, daughter of Norman, lived in 'Gilligaloola' until her death in 1978 at the age of 90 years.
The house was classified by the National Trust in 1982.
Physical FormatNormanhurst
In April 1884 Norman Selfe purchased 11 and a half acres of land which ran west from Pennant Hills Road to beyond the railway line. A two-storey timber cottage was built on the property and was occupied by Mr Reid, a road maintenance worker, and his wife. The Selfe family made frequent weekend trips there from their family home in Ashfield.
'Gilligaloola' ('a pleasant place') was built in 1893 around the existing timber cottage. It is a complicated building of many roof angles, varying heights and chimney forms, a squat tower and a profusion of finishes. Selfe had travelled widely in North America and the Continent, and in this house he experimented with a mixture of features, some of which were not then in common use in Australia.
Norma Selfe, daughter of Norman, lived in 'Gilligaloola' until her death in 1978 at the age of 90 years.
The house was classified by the National Trust in 1982.
Physical FormatNormanhurstLocation
Building NameNormanhurstPennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills RoadClick on the image to add
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Gilligaloola, the residence of Norman Selfe. Hornsby Shire, accessed 29/04/2026, https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/2821