Burville House’s beginnings
• Prior to being the Scottsdale Doctor’s Surgery, Burville House was a private residence. Photo supplied by Knight Frank.
By Daisy Baker
June 17, 2020
Many people know the grand double storey building on George Street as Dr McGinity’s former surgery, but few know the history behind the walls.
Albert Walter Biggs (known to many as Walter or Pater) purchased the block of land in the early 1900s in preparation for his retirement.
The large home was constructed in 1919 and named ‘Burville’ after Walter’s mother’s maiden name.
The bricks were made from local clay by a man employed for months to do just that, which was cheaper than buying ready-made bricks.
Walter’s grandson John Biggs has written extensively about his memories of visiting Burville as a child.
“In its heyday Burville was imposing. It was the hub around which the large extended family revolved, a beacon that attracted family visits and reunions,” Mr Biggs wrote.
He recalls a magnificent central blackwood staircase that connected the house’s upper and lower storeys, and a large stuffed albatross that was placed on the landing.
The roof, chimneys and cornices were decorated with elaborate terracotta gargoyles.
“The front garden at Burville consisted of flower gardens, lawns and a rectangular cypress hedge with an enormous semi-circular arch,” he wrote.
“As grandchildren, we would climb the arch and sit on the top, looking down on the toy garden way, way below.
“The branches forming the broad top of the hedge were so densely intertwined that we could run the whole length tumbling over into sticky, sweet-smelling branches.”
Behind the house were vegetable gardens, a range of berries and fruit trees, a chicken house and several tame sheep.
Throughout his time in Scottsdale Walter became a well-known figure.
The Biggs family moved to Scottsdale in 1902, where Walter became a general storekeeper.
He later went into partnership with Laurence Leech, and Biggs and Leech became a household name in the region, with retail outlets in Springfield, Nabowla, Forester, Branxholm and Weldborough.
Walter was also a member of the Scottsdale Floral Art and Industrial Society, keeping catalogues of their annual exhibitions.
He was a Justice of the Peace, the warden (mayor) of Scottsdale for one term, and a member of the rifle club, golf club and Dorset Masonic Lodge and the bank manager for the Launceston Bank for Savings at Scottsdale.
Together with his wife Ada, they had six sons and four daughters, the last three of which were born in Scottsdale.
Most recently, Burville house was Dr McGinity’s surgery for 42 years.
Dr McGinity moved into the practice in 1977, replacing Dr North, before purchasing it outright in 1986.
Dr McGinity said he believes the building became a surgery around 1967 and it was Dr North who was responsible for this and soon after built an extension.
Other doctors who passed through the establishment include Dr David Griffiths, Mr D Heath, Dr A Hasdell, Dr N Fernando, Dr C Cawthorne, Dr S Sen Gupta, Dr J Rolph, Dr H Sauer, Dr Andrews and Dr A Scott.
The building went on the market earlier this year and has now been bought by locals John and Priscilla Aldridge who plan to use the former surgery as a family home.