NameHouse Built By Edwin KleinTypeBuildingResidenceGeolocation[1] DescriptionKlein was born in Parks, 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 between then and the mid 1950's, Klein built at least 125 structures in Shellharbour, which was locally called 'Kleinville'.
Klein had a very particular social philosophy, which he displayed in his philanthropy and distinctive design. His earliest house built in 1926 is on the corner of Towns and Eastern Avenue, being unusual as it uses shell grit mortar.
His own house was next door in Towns Street.
Another example is the Ocean liner style in 3 Wollongong Street, rare at a local level, which was built for the Cullen family in 1947, who built the Ocean Beach Hotel.
Klein was self taught, and his Shellharbour ventures enabled him to purchase the former NSW State Governors 840 square 'Hillview' estate and its furnishings in 1958 where he stayed making extra ordinary additions to its garden. After he died, 'Hillview' was bequeathed to the State of NSW. .