Sandstone and travertine care in Centennial Park

Centennial Park is named for the parklands that cover most of it, but its residential part is a strip of large houses along the western edge, on Lang Road, Martin Road, Robertson Road and Cook Road. The land was subdivided in 1904 under rules that required brick or stone construction with tile or slate roofs and banned timber buildings and terraces, so the homes built between 1905 and 1925 are substantial Federation, Arts and Crafts and Old English designs. Highbury, at 20 Martin Road, was the home of Patrick White, and Devoncliffe is a Federation Free Classical house of sandstone. Stone appears as gate piers and front fences, entry steps, garden terraces and, behind several houses, pool surrounds.

The parklands next door are the main influence on stone here. Huge tree canopies along the park edge and within gardens drop leaves, bark and fruit all year, and when that litter sits on wet paving it leaves brown and black tannin marks. Bird droppings under roosting trees etch and stain light-coloured stone. Deep shade on south-facing walls and paths keeps them damp, so lichen, moss and black mould settle in. Irrigation on large gardens often wets the same walls daily. Pool surrounds add chlorine and, with salt-chlorinated pools, salt crystallisation at the coping edge. Sea salt itself is not a major factor this far inland (inferred from setting).

Centennial Park is split between two councils: the residential western edge falls within the City of Sydney, while most of the suburb, including the parklands, is in Randwick. The City of Sydney lists the Lang Road heritage conservation area under the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012, covering Lang Road from Moore Park Road to Cook Road, and several houses are individually listed. The parklands, the park gates and Busby's Bore are on the State Heritage Register. Clause 5.10 means works to a listed house, or within the conservation area, generally need consent, unless the council issues written confirmation that a task is minor and harmless. Ask the City of Sydney before restoration, coating removal or a new sealer on a listed or conservation-area house.

Centennial Park is about 12 minutes from Double Bay through Woollahra. The streets are wide and quiet, and most houses have driveways, so access is usually simple. Large gardens mean long hose and vacuum runs, and we protect lawns, garden beds and timber with drop sheets before any cleaner goes down. On pool terraces a cover goes over the water first, and wash water is trapped before it can reach the pool or the lawn. Our technicians often clear leaf litter and moss before the real cleaning begins, and on bigger properties we suggest dividing the work into front and rear stages so the house stays usable throughout. Water is recovered and removed, never sent to the street drains.