Abbotsford Rd is located on the Underwood Estate, which was partly subdivided in 1878 as the ‘Village of Homebush Estate’ [Deposited Plan 400].  Sub-division occurred prior to the incorporation of Strathfield Council in 1885 and no records exist to confirm the origin of names of streets in this estate.  Other streets on this estate include Coventry Rd, Rochester St, Broughton Rd, Bridge Rd and Burlington Rd

It is likely that Abbotsford Rd is named after Sir Walter Scott’s home “Abbotsford House”, built on the right bank of the River Tweed in Scotland.  Sir Walter Scott [1771-1832], a novelist and poet, also wrote historical novels such as Rob Roy [1817] and Ivanhoe [1819].  Scott transformed Abbotsford House into a Gothic-style baronial mansion, which is still the home of Scott’s direct descendents.

Abbotsford Rd is a heritage conservation area in Strathfield Municipality.

Past residents include:

• William Morris Hughes, Prime Minister of Australia [1915-1923], at ‘Thanett’ 32 Abbotsford Road and ‘Lila’ 82 Abbotsford Rd [1901-03]. Hughes is one of the most prominent and controversial politicians in Australian political history.  During his term as Prime Minister, he left the Australian Labor Party in 1917 over the issue of conscription forming a new political party. 
• Don Talbot, Australian Swimming Coach, lived at ‘Lila’ which was then known as ‘Ettalong’ in the late 1960’s and 70’s.
• Benjamin Gelling [1913-15], Mayor of Strathfield at ‘Lynroy’ Abbotsford Rd.
• Alban Gee, Manager of the Sydney Meat Company, lived in Abbotsford Rd.
• Harold Hastings Deering, a prominent industrialist who founded the company ‘Hastings Deering’ lived at 79 Abbotsford Rd until his death in 1965.
• John J Shipley, spice merchant, built and owned ‘Florenceville’ c.1884.
• Samuel Thompson, built and lived at ‘Rothsay’ 72-76 Abbotsford Rd.  Thompson was a former stockbroker.  His brother Thomas lived at ‘Malvern’ The Boulevarde Strathfield.

(c) Cathy Jones 2010.