Former toy factory transformed into dream family home

A famed toy factory that once turned children into rugged cowboy heroes has been reimagined as a stunning modern warehouse – with a hint of Old West nostalgia

Looking at it today, it is hard to fathom the sleek warehouse conversion at 3 Foster Street Leichhardt was where iconic toy manufacturer Albert Lindsay once made his famed cowboy costumes. During the 1960s the business employed 80 people at the Foster Street factory.

But the transformation of Lindsay’s Toy Factory – a successful enterprise spanning three generations – features nods to its past, including the original cast iron cowboy hat presses and toys transformed into artworks which add decorative charm.

“It’s just been completely rejuvenated and it’s beautiful,” agent Santos Sulfaro of CobdenHayson said.

Inspired by the games played by his children, Albert Lindsay began making cowboy costumes in the 1930s, according to the National Museum of Australia.

By the 1950s Lindsay’s costumes were in hot demand as the American ‘Wild West’ dominated Australian popular culture. When television arrived in 1956, Lindsay’s range branched out to include dazzling western characters and new superheroes.

The Lindsay family, who were invited to see the factory’s transformation after offloading the site to a developer during an estate sale, were reportedly impressed.

“They couldn’t believe their eyes that it was the same warehouse their family worked in for the last 70 years,” Santos quipped.

The four-bedroom home’s inner framework remains true to its 1930s build, with 347sqm of internal space across two levels.

“It’s soaring ceilings, beautiful industrial finishes – but not too industrial either. It’s very family-friendly, which is something warehouses don’t accommodate,” Santos explained.

“A lot of warehouses don’t have triple parking, an 18-metre long grass lawn, and family-friendly amenities. But we’ve got four bedrooms plus four bathrooms, a media room, and home office, so it’s certainly unique. It actually caters to all markets which is unique for a warehouse conversion.”

Features include exposed steel trusses, reclaimed brickwork, a state-of-the-art kitchen and large master suite.

Inquiries so far have come from overseas buyers, empty nesters, families and businesses seeking to use it as a home and business base, Santos said.

“If you went to the council today, there is no way you could replicate this property,” he added.

“In terms of internal space, it’s one of the largest offerings that has come to market, so it could set a new suburb record.

“It’s an incredible property, to the point where I’ve actually brought my own family down to have a look at it.”

The property goes to auction on September 6.

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