Bronte House, Colonial estate in Waverley, Australia

Bronte House is a Gothic-style cottage with gardens that slope down toward Bronte Gully. The building displays residential design features typical of mid-19th century Australian homes.

Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis bought 4.9 hectares at Nelson Bay in 1836 and began building around 1838, but financial crisis halted work. In 1843 he sold the unfinished house for £420 to barrister Robert Lowe, who completed it in 1845. The Lowe family returned to England in 1849. Waverley Council now owns the property, which was added to the State Heritage Register in 1999.

The house shows how wealthy colonists lived and furnished their homes during settlement times. Walking through the rooms, you can see the European design choices that shaped early Australian houses.

The property is protected as heritage and managed by Waverley Council. Advance arrangements are needed for visits, as it does not operate with regular open hours.

The name Bronte honours Admiral Horatio Nelson, whom the King of Naples made Duke of Bronte in 1799, after a town on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. Robert Lowe chose it for his estate; the older name for the bay, Nelson Bay, still appears on official maps.