Blog
- Frog Hollow: Rockdale 70 Years AgoReprinted from the Rockdale Times of April 17, 1947 This account of the early history of Rockdale deals with the period over 70 years ago, when a fine orchard flourished where the Town Hall now rears its proportions; from the Grand Hotel to Bay Street was called “Frog Hollow”, and the oldest Aboriginal at Sans …
- Vale John Isaac Swann (1887 – 1963)The sudden death of the President of the St. George Historical Society, Mr. J. I. Swann, has left in our ranks a large gap which will be extremely difficult to fill. Since its inception some two years ago, Mr. Swann was the driving force and inspiration of this Society. Those of us who were privileged …
- Book Review: “The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia” by Bill Gammage434 pages, published by Allen and Unwin 2011 Review by Laurice Bondfield Most of the history Australian books from Rockdale Library that I’ve so far reviewed have been on the shelves for a few years. This book was published last year, so is quite “hot off the press” by comparison. It is well worth reading …
- The Heritage of Bexleyby Kirsten Broderick, Local History Services Coordinator, Rockdale City Library The National Trust runs a heritage festival every year, and every year Rockdale Council tries to participate in some way. This year, Council is holding a range of activities and I was asked to give a talk at Bexley Library focusing on the heritage of …
- Reminiscences of 1900s Rockdaleby C. W. Napper I have been requested to present a description of the affairs of Rockdale in the early days of my youth, which, so I have been informed, would be of interest to my fellow members of the St. George Historical Society. On a first things first basis, I must mention that I …
- A Convict MaidSarah Bellamy was born in the small Worcestershire village of Belbroughton, the sixth of eight children of Richard and Elizabeth Bellamy, and was baptised on February 3rd 1770 at Holy Trinity Church. The church stands upon a former pagan Saxon burial ground, whilst the village of Belbroughton itself can proudly trace its origins to an …
- Centenary: Banksia Free Church, est. 1890Compiled by Walter G Kirton, Interim Pastor March 1990. Reproduced with Permission (Editor’s note: In 2017, the church, at 316 Princes Highway, Banksia, was sold and refurbished to become the Orthodox Church of St Savvas of Kalymnos). The fact that this independent church has been able to continue a fruitful ministry for Christ our Lord …
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- The Wood-Carters Of Early St. Georgeby B.J. Madden – Kingsgrove In Notes on the Early Life in Peakhurst, written in the 1930’s by Mr George Peake, son of Issac Peake and grandson of John Peake, it is stated that during the Gold Rush in the 1850’s, firewood was carted from the present St. George district to a place in Darlinghurst …
- The Aboriginal Tribes of the Sydney Regionby B. J. Madden – Kingsgrove In the short space of 70 years, the world of the Aboriginal tribes of the Sydney region, which had remained unchanged since the Dreamtime, became a living nightmare. The land which had been theirs alone for so long was suddenly and irretrievably lost to the fair-skinned newcomers of the …
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- The Affairs Of Rose Vale Villa, RockdaleWritten & Illustrated by Gifford and Eileen Eardley William John Iliffe was born in London in the year 1842 and came to Sydney as a young lad in 1852, where he followed various pursuits in the nature of employment. It is evident that he had a natural bent for plant cultivation for he took up …
- The Village of Arncliffeby Mr. V. M. Saunders It is necessary to be aware of a historic plan, of subdivision for most of the area covered by present-day Turrella and Arncliffe which was executed in the year 1861 and was only recently recovered for historical inquiry after lying in obscurity for about 90 years. This comparatively large area …
- An Early Illawarra Suburban Journey – 1890 Periodby Gifford Eardley A journey from Sydney to Hurstville in the early eighteen-nineties passed through a terrain which has been considerably altered, unfortunately not for the better, in the last seventy years or so. In the description of scenes and homes along the route no attempt has been made in this essay to group the …
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- Extracts from the St. George Call – Jubilee Supplement – 1904 – 1954supplied by Mrs E Eardley. 1977 The first issue of the St. George Call was published in January, 1904. The early days were not without the many difficulties which confront those who endeavour to establish a newspaper, and it was to the credit of the founders of the St. George Call that they placed it …
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- Back to Mortdale SchoolAs told by Mr. E. Fletcher, of Frederick Street, PenshurstMr. Fletcher was one of the pupils who enrolled in the opening day of the first Mortdale School, built in 1888.(Booklet obtained by courtesy of Mrs. J. Wotherspoon, Mortdale Public School.) Please note that some of the terms used in this article reflect the attitude of …
- Nominations for Election of Office Holders – July 2022 Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting of the St George Historical Society will be held on Saturday 16th July 2022 at 2pm at Level 3, Rockdale Library. All office holder positions are empty at the time of the AGM.Nominations for positions are to be issued to Secretary no later than 7 days before the AGM.Nominations will also …
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- Captain James Cook R. N.Written by Gifford & Eileen Eardley Please note that some of the terms used in this article reflect the attitude of the author or the period in which the item was written and may be considered inappropriate today. It is questionable if, after a lapse of some two hundred years, there still remains any undiscovered …
- Designing and Dangerous Men: The Story of the Transported Cato Street ConspiratorsThe Cato Street Conspiracy of 23 February 1820 was an attempt by a group of radicals to assassinate the British Cabinet while they dined at the house of Lord Harrowby in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London.This act aimed to precipitate a revolution, depose the King, change Britain into a people’s republic, and liberate Ireland. The conspiracy …
- Henry Kinsela – Gentlemanbased on some recollections of Mrs. A. B. Christison In the mid 1880’s Henry Kinsela took up 27 acres of timbered land at the junction of Forest and Stoney Creek Roads. Here he built a gracious two-storied mansion “Kinsel Grove”, which faced east with a delightful view of Botany Bay. The entrance gates were in …
- Rocky Point Roadby Philip Geeves F.R.A.H.S. District Historian The majority of our pioneers made their homes along the Rocky Point Road. At the time of which we are speaking this road was primitive and often dangerous. The Rocky Point Road ran from Cook’s River Dam to Rocky Point, or Sans Souci as we call it today. It …
- Sir Joseph Hector McNeill Carruthers K.C.M.G. M.A. LLD.M.L.A. Canterbury 1887-1894; M.L.A. St. George 1394-1908 M.L.C. 1908-1932. Premier of N.S.W. 1904-1907 by Alderman R. W. Rathbone Joseph Hector Carruthers was born on 21st December 1857 at Kiama N.S.W. one of nine children of John Carruthers, a prosperous Scottish migrant farmer and his wife, Charlotte Prince. He was educated at William Street and Fort …
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- Lydham Hall Local Committee Annual Report for the Year Ended 29th February, 1980Once again it is my pleasure to report to Council and the St. George Historical Society another year of intense activity and sustained public interest at Lydham Hall. During the year 2,030 people visited the home, a decrease on the previous year but one caused almost entirely by a succession of petrol strikes which resulted …
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- The Latter Day Personnel of the Sans-Souci Tramwayby Gifford Eardley Through the courtesy of Mr. George Barnidge, of Sans Souci, one of the steam-tram drivers associated with the now long defunct Kogarah to Sans Souci Steam Tramway, which closed on Sunday, July 4th, 1937, we are able to publish a list of the personnel engaged with the running operations of this fascinating …
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- The Birth of a Bandby Alexander Belford Christison, M. B. E. In the year 1898, Mr. J. C. Walker of Rockdale, who had been a conductor of military and public bands in Sydney and suburbs for some years, decided to form a brass band in Rockdale. He had a few instrumentalists who were willing to join, but not sufficient …
- Calling All CarsIn 1894 the residents of Rockdale and district were entirely devoid of police protection at certain times. During big festivities in Sydney the few district police were withdrawn to reinforce the metropolitan squad. Rockdale Council was so concerned by this danger that it raised the matter with the Minister for Justice. On Boxing Day 1894 …
- Kevin Little, third-generation stained glass artist and restorer (1930 – 2022)Stained glass artist and restorer Kevin John Little was born in Sydney in 1930. Both his father, William Little, and grandfather, David McColl Little, worked in stained glass. David McColl Little established D.M. Little & Co. in Barden Street, Arncliffe in 1905, advertising as leadlight workers and glass merchants. Kevin Little designed, produced, and restored …
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- Book Review: Sydney by Delia Falconer, UNSW Press 2010 (293 pages)Reviewed by Laurice Bondfield Strictly speaking this is not a history book. It is more a meditation on what makes Sydney unique; one of a series in which “leading Australian authors write about their hometowns”. Nevertheless for history buffs there are many delights to be found in its pages. Chapters titled “Ghosting”, “Dreaming”, “Living” and …
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- Early Jewish Pioneers in the St George Areaby H.L. Kahana My topic concerns the early Jewish settlement in this area, the era of the Illawarra Jewish Association of the 1930s and the establishment of the Illawarra Hebrew Congregation in April, 1943. In the 1930s, the Great Depression raged. King George V and Queen Mary were succeeded on the throne by Edward VII, …
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- Sir James Joynton-Smith and the Building in Lydham Hall’s Bellingham Paintingby Bette Ross The lovely scene in S.R. Bellingham’s painting of Coogee Bay, painted circa 1882, and hanging on the left hand side of the Dining Room fireplace has a story behind it. To begin with Sid R. Bellingham is referred to in a number of Art Encyclopaedias as an artist of unknown background or …
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- President’s Report 2021Well, who would have thought 2021 was destined to continue in the same vein as 2020 due to COVID-19 related sickness, death and Lockdown restrictions impacting family, friends, the business and health sectors plus leisure pursuits to name but a few? May Australia and hopefully the rest of the world turn a corner into a …
- Michael Gannon(A talk delivered at St. Michael’s Church, Hurstville on the occasion of its Centenary in 1987 by Alderman R. W. Rathbone) There is some doubt about when Michael Gannon was actually born. His marriage certificate and his convict records all indicate that he was born in 1798 but his death certificate would suggest it was …
- Book Review: Governor Macquarie, His Life, Times and Revolutionary Vision for Australia by Derek Parker, Woodslane Press 2010 (252 pages)Reviewed by Laurice Bondfield This book has been published to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lachlan Macquarie’s arrival as Governor of NSW. It is a straightforward biography quoting extensively from his journals, letters and dispatches so you get a lively sense of his personality and attitudes as well as a clear narrative of the events …
- The Bexley Ladies’ Collegeby Frances Stacey “Rockdale College” was originally founded by the Rev. C.T. Forscutt, when he was 40 years old. He was born in Newtown and became a preacher at the Enmore Tabernacle for some years. Later at the age of 40 years, he decided he would found a Boys’ School and was greatly encouraged by …
- Old St. David’s Church Of England Arncliffeby Peter Orlovich The following article, from the researching pen of Mr. Peter Orlovich, M. A. , a member of our Society, deals with certain phases of the early history of Old St. David’s Church of England at Arncliffe, and also throws light on the pioneering Hannam family who were amongst the early settlers of …
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- Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!On behalf of the St George Historical Society Committee, we wish everyone good health and happiness during the festive season.
- A Link with the Pastby Fred Gannon In his beautiful home at Tempe Mr. Fred Gannon, who is the oldest solicitor on the rolls of New South Wales, now spends the quiet evening of his days. He has reached a hardy old age of 85 interesting years; his wife is still living, and his sons and relations worthily carry …
- Book Review – The Aborigines of the Sydney District before 1788 by Peter Turbet, Kangaroo Press 1989 (160 pages)reviewed by Laurice Bondfield The author collects together in this small book as much information as possible about the tribes who lived in the Sydney region before 1788. He covers such topics as social organisation, languages, food gathering, marriage and family life, medical treatments, religion, initiation and artistic expression. Although the Aboriginal people who lived …
- New Logo and Magazine ArchiveNew SGHS Logo During our November meeting, members unanimously approved a new logo designed by Tina Workman. The striking image at the centre of the logo is of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. It represents our connection to the St George District. Magazine Archive Our society has published a regular newsletter/bulletin/magazine since …
- The Rockdale Historical Society – Tasks For The New SocietyPrecis of a talk delivered on 12th July, 1961, by Mr. W. Poster (Councillor of the Royal Historical Society of N.S.W. and Headmaster of the James Cook High School, Kogarah) The chief task of any newly formed Historical Society is to add to the information already in existence. The Rockdale Historical Society has an almost …
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- No Ordinary FlagIn 1915, after the Anzacs landed at Gallipoli and as men around the country were joining the Australian Imperial Force, a small group at Bexley Public School took up their needles to support the war effort. By making a donation to the local fund to buy ‘comforts’ for the troops, donors could have their names …
- A Suggested Sunday Afternoon Driveby Ron Rathbone Note: This self-guided history drive was published in 1962. After almost 60 years of change, it’s a fascinating journey into the past. Commencing at the new Cooks River Bridge. On your right you have the lovely 134-year-old country retreat of Alexander Brodie Spark. Continue along Princes Highway to Burrows Street then turn …
- The Early Settlement of Wolli Creekby Gifford Eardley The Wolli Creek, one of the principal tributaries of Cook’s River, junctions with the latter immediately adjacent to the railway bridge at Tempe. In former years its upper waters flowed complacently through a gently sloped forested area which merged into sandstone hill country in the vicinity of the present day Bexley North …
- Rockdale Fire BrigadeThe precise date of the formation of a Fire Brigade in the Municipality of Rockdale cannot be established from the Board’s records but it is known that the St. George Volunteer Fire Company was located at Rockdale in April, 1891, for during that month of that year that Company applied to the Fire Brigades Board …