The History of The Manor
THE HISTORY AND WORK OF THE MANOR
In an article written by Mr. J.J. van der Leeuw, entitled The History and Work of “The Manor” and published in a 1925 issue of Theosophy in Australia, he gave an outline of how the Manor Community came about. The following is an extract from the article:
When I look up my diary for 1922 I find an entry dated Saturday, July 1st, saying: “Van Gelder was here, he can sell his house and came to ask what I intended doing about the school, saying that if I did not remain in Neutral Bay he would not remain there either. It is a hard case.” Little did I think when I wrote those lines some two and a half years ago, that they contained the germ of the idea which later developed into our Manor community. Yet it was so.At that time many of our Theosophical workers in Sydney were living in different parts of Mosman and surrounding suburbs. At that time I ran a small school for the young people gathered round the Bishop [Bishop C.W. Leadbeater] and used for the purpose a house called “Lyne Flats,” in Neutral Bay. As ever, in education my trouble was lack of funds, and at the time of Mr. van Gelder’s visit and the above-mentioned entry in my diary, I was considering giving up the house and renting a cheaper one elsewhere. However, I had to remain near the families whose children attended the school and to provide for my boarders. It certainly was a “hard case,” especially as at that time houses were scarce.
Bishop Leadbeater