Pemberton House built by Edwin Klein

DESCRIPTION

NamePemberton House built by Edwin KleinTypeBuildingResidenceGeolocation^[1] Last edited by: Will Chittick

Address8, Gardener Cres, ShellharbourDescriptionEdwin Klein built this house for local chemist Len Pemberton c.1951. An additional story was added later.

Leonard William Reginal Pemberton was born at Auburn NSW 11 Feb 1912 to William and Ida Elizabeth Pemberton (nee Goodwin).

In 1934, he married Kathleen Louise Marsh at Petersham. Kathleen was born 1908 Queensland to Charles Arthur and Cerise Gertrude Marsh (nee Shepherd).

Leonard was working as a pharmacist, and Kathleen as a stenographer at the time of their marriage.

Some time around the 1950's they moved to Shellharbour and Len opened a chemist shop in Addison Street.

Edwin Klein was born in Parkes, NSW in 1901. At 19 he built his first house in the Arts & Crafts style for his widowed mother. In the mid 1920s he was offered work in Shellharbour and up until the mid 1950's self taught Klein built at least 125 structures in Shellharbour alone. The area where most of his houses stood was known locally as 'Kleinville’.

Without Shellharbour, Klein would not have been able to amass the financial means in 1958 to later acquire 'Hillview', the former State Governor’s mansion, contents and grounds at Sutton Forest. He later bequeathed 'Hillview' to the State of NSW.

Klein's earliest Shellharbour house c1926 exists on the corner of Towns and Eastern Avenues and is unusual for the use of shell grit mortar. His own house is next door in Towns Street.

The 'Ocean Liner' style at 3 Wollongong Street (now demolished) was built for the Cullen family in 1947 who also built and ran the Ocean Beach Hotel.

Photograph