artist making shingle tiles and from him secured curved uneven, overburnt and many coloured rejects from myriads of flawless tiles. The roof of Purulia is like a venerable Persian rug of quiet and glowing colour.' Features include well proportioned rooms and windows, the typical Wilson use of stone and whitewashed walls, louvred shutters, the colonnaded facade of the garage, the summer house, the brass door step and the general utility of the house and garden. Condition As at 12 June 2007, many of the trees planted by Wilson remain as do the original sandstone flagged path and the octagonal summerhouse. Modifications and dates A large portion of the garden was removed many years ago when the rear portion of the original block was subdivided. A garage to one side of the front garden was added at a later date and features a colonnaded façade that is most sympathetic to the design of the house and garden. Heritage listing As at 12 June 2007, Purulia is a house and garden designed by one of our most outstanding architects. It is reputed to be William Hardy Wilson's best work. The influence of this house was widespread and it became a prototype for many North Shore homes. It is also rare as a garden (one of only 5) designed by Hardy Wilson, albeit altered. The name Purulia should mean much to architects in Australia, for it was the home of William Hardy Wilson, who has done so much to make Australia conscious of the heritage of fine architecture she possesses. The houses he built and the books he wrote are lessons in good design. His book "Colonial Architecture in NSW & Tasmania" is known all over the world for its fine drawings and the beautiful buildings illustrated therein. He was a pioneer, for his work was revolutionary in a period which favoured a medley of unnecessarily elaborate styles. A good example of the opposition he encountered was a deputation to the local Council when Purulia was being built to have it condemned as an unsightly building. At a time when Queen Anne (revival) was riding high and in an area with pretensions to being the elite suburb of Sydney, its barrenness brought a deputation from outraged neighbours who claimed the values of their properties would be undermined. Wilson could not be stopped. When it was finished he had created a home of honesty,