onal ▁ ▁corner ▁tur rets , ▁were ▁assumed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁alter ed ▁to ▁suit ▁the ▁new ▁own ers ’ ▁needs . ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁s ited ▁in ▁the ▁substantial ▁gard ens ▁of ▁the ▁naturally ▁irregular ▁site . ▁This ▁pictures que ▁style ▁was ▁not ▁commonly ▁found ▁in ▁Australian ▁Col onial ▁architecture ▁and ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁transition , ▁from ▁the ▁simplicity ▁and ▁symmetry ▁of ▁earlier ▁Georg ian ▁building ▁types , ▁to ▁a ▁rev ival ism ▁of ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁era . ▁The ▁house , ▁with ▁garden , ▁remains ▁substantial ly ▁int act ▁and ▁is ▁owned ▁by ▁W aver ley ▁Council , ▁which ▁le ases ▁it ▁to ▁private ▁ten ants . ▁It ▁is ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁a ▁few ▁times ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁Richmond ▁Villa , ▁Mill ers ▁Point ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 9 , ▁Lewis ▁bought ▁three ▁plots ▁of ▁land ▁behind ▁Mac qu arie ▁Street , ▁Sydney , ▁facing ▁The ▁Domain . ▁On ▁this ▁plot ▁of ▁land ▁he ▁built ▁his ▁own ▁home , ▁which ▁he ▁called ▁Richmond ▁Villa . ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁examples ▁of ▁Lewis ' s ▁resident ial ▁work , ▁since ▁his ▁buildings ▁were ▁generally ▁non - res ident ial . ▁He ▁designed ▁Richmond ▁Villa ▁in ▁a ▁Goth ic ▁Rev ival ▁style , ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁done ▁with ▁Bron te ▁House . ▁The ▁ground ▁floor ▁contained ▁a ▁high ▁ver and ah ▁with ▁z ig - z ag ▁lattice - like ▁detail ing ▁which ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁the ▁building ' s ▁asym met rical ▁plan ▁and ▁fen