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- A Gravestone, No Grave, and a Riddle, part 2by Bettye Ross Continued from part 1. So Eliza Harris Tompson was the daughter of Charles Tompson and Jane Armytage (nee Morris) and with a little leeway from the 1828 Census that looked right. The St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader published my results and I received a very nice phone call and letter from …
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- A Gravestone, No Grave, and a Riddleby Bettye Ross Just over two years ago an article appeared in the St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader titled “The Grave Mystery of Will and Eliza’s Death”. I thought it was a pretty eye-catching headline and on reading through it, found that a headstone had been found in bushes in a backyard in Como …
- The Arncliffe Catholic Parishby Molly McDonnell In March of 1982, we celebrated the Golden Jubilee of St Francis Xavier’s Church, Arncliffe. The present beautiful edifice with its magnificent façade, round tower, and beautiful interior will forever stand as a monument to the great and untiring efforts of the late Monsignor Joseph Patrick Rafferty. With his great band of …
- John Bowmerby Margaret Collister John Bowmer, aged 25, arrived in Sydney on the “Irene” on 16th October 1852 with his wife, Eliza Maria aged 28 and their infant daughter Fanny, born in 1852, another child having died at sea on the way out. John was a gardener and was born at Rephem in Lincolnshire, England where …
- Black Friday SaleEnjoy a 15% discount on all of our books and DVDs until 5pm Saturday, 30 November 2024. Order the perfect Christmas gift at our online shop.
- The Fitzgerald Family and Fitzgerald’s Hill, Kogarah Southby Thelma Hayman Included amongst the several large tracts of land bestowed on various people in the early days of the settlement that became known as Koggerah (now spelled as Kogarah) was a triangular shaped area which came into the possession of John Porter. Its boundaries were set by the western side of Rocky Point …
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- Municipality of KogarahAlthough incorporated on 22nd December 1885, the history of the Municipality of Kogarah – an Aboriginal word meaning a “place of bulrushes” – commences in the time of Governor Macquarie, who made the first land grants in the district. Amongst these were 2,250 acres to Captain John Townson R.N. in 1810, 1,605 acres to his …
- Watch Presentation RecordingsWatch recordings of some of our past presentations.
- The Life Of St. George, The Patron Soldier-Saint of EnglandObservations made by Mr. Charles C. Brown, Pymble (formerly Councillor and Hon. Treasurer of the Sydney Branch now in Suspense having operating in Sydney from 1912 to 1962) at the gathering held at Wunderlich Ltd. (Modelling Dept.) Redfern on 8th December 1965, arranged by James, Douglas and Associates, Sydney, as to whether he was real …
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- Rising DampAn extract from Rising Damp: Sydney 1870-90 by Shirley Fitzgerald To the south of the city, the Illawarra line, opened in 1884, generated a second set of new suburbs. Marrickville, south of Petersham did not lie on the railway line, but benefited from its position between the two lines. Its population, which rose from 3500 …
- Pioneers of West Botanyby Margaret Dunsmore John AndrewsWilliam BerghoferJohn IliffeWilliam Anthony de Jean IliffeThe Rosevale Nurseries – Rocky Point Road, Cook’s RiverThomas & Mary Morse John Andrews, born in London in 1828, came to Sydney as a young man of 21 years of age and to live at the place later to be called Rockdale. For fifty five …
- Shady Nook, Brighton Le Sandsby Gifford and Eileen Eardley Prior to the advent of surf-bathing it was customary for the citizens of Sydney and the metropolis generally to spend their weekends at one of the many watering places, as they were termed, located around the foreshores of Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay. At Botany, adjacent to the Cooks River …
- St. George in 1894It comes as a shock to discover that there was once a time when otherwise knowledgeable citizens of Sydney had only a hazy notion where Rockdale, Kogarah and Hurstville were. Moreover, Banksia was not then in existence. The following press report, discovered by Mr. Phillip Geeves, describes our home suburbs in the St George District …
- President’s Report for 2023-2024Greetings fellow St. George Historical Society Inc members, Without doubt, this past year has proven to be the most logistically challenging yet reinvigorating year in the life of the St. George Historical Society Inc. for many, many years. The historical ‘jewel in Bayside City Council’s crown’ and the home of our society, Lydham Hall has …
- The Sydney And Suburban Municipalities: West Botany, 1888During the late 1880s the Sydney Morning Herald published a series of articles on the Municipalities of Sydney. This article was dedicated to West Botany.The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday, 5 January, 1888, p4 The borough of West Botany was incorporated on the 13th of January, 1871. It has an area of about six square miles, …
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- St Magdalen’s Retreat Tempe – Just a Penitentiary?by Mary Barthelemy* St Magdalen’s Tempe was an offshoot of the Good Samaritan Sisters’ House of the Good Shepherd in Sydney’s Pitt Street. Destitute women, including former prostitutes, were cared for in this refuge from the Order’s beginnings in the mid-19th century. Laundries were features of these establishments as they had a dual function – …
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- The Aboriginal Story Of Burke And Willsedited By Ian D. Clark And Fred CarhirCSIRO Publishing, 2013. 303 pages & index. Review by Laurice Bondfield The subtitle of this book of articles is: “Forgotten Narratives” but as Dr. Peter Thorne, Vice President of the Royal Society of Victoria points out in his introduction, “Few episodes in Australia’s history have received as much …
- Tottenham House, Tom Ugly’s Pointby Gifford and Eileen Eardley About 1893 a lovely residence, named “Tottenham House”, evidently in nostalgic memory of the same place-name which occurs in North London, was constructed on the highest point of the ridge which leads to Dover, or Tom Ugly’s Point, at a distance of about one quarter of a mile short of …
- The Collins Family, Caterers, Bexleyby Gwen Frost Mrs. Catherine Collins, nee Swarbrick, came with her parents, Richard and James Swarbrick, and her four sisters and two brothers, from Woodplumpton in the Manchester, Blackpool area, about 1910. They had lived in a comfortable two-storey farmhouse on the farm, which had been in the Swarbrick family for generations. The family migrated …
- A Nation at LastIt is always good to see one of our members going out of their way to show people the importance of our historical background and also demonstrate the importance of federation to our country. Ms Anne Field has certainly done this. On August 10th, 2001 she coordinated and starred in a production called “A Nation …
- 1962 Letter from Amy Slade12 Sept. 1962 Dear Sirs, I was very interested in the talk on early Rockdale last Saturday night as I myself was born just a few minutes walk from Brighton Le Sands almost 78 years ago. My grandfather, James Beehag, and his brother, William, came to Australia just 2 religious minded young men when it …
- Sea Breeze Hotelby Fred Scott One of the many buildings that have not survived the march of “progress”, and which are remembered by persons of a certain age, is the Sea Breeze Hotel at Tom Ugly’s Point, situated on the Princes Highway just before the bridge over the Georges River. The establishment of this hotel is but …
- The Black, or Muddy Creek Watershedby Gifford and Eileen Eardley The name of Black, or Muddy, was far too often bestowed on pellucid streams by unimaginative first settlers in a particular area, and it is somewhat unfortunate that both of these names were conferred on the waterway, now only a brick-sided stormwater channel, which wends its silent way from the …
- Mr. Harry Figg, licencee of Saywell’s New Brighton HotelOne of the best-known licencees of Saywell’s New Brighton Hotel, Lady Robinson’s Beach, was Mr. Harry Figg. Harry Figg gravitated to Brighton-le-Sands after being Minehost of the Harvest Home Hotel, Hobart, but prior to his arrival in Australia he had seen very stirring times in South Africa. During the Zulu wars Mr. Figg had a …
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- ANZAC Day, 25 April 2024To mark the time at which the first Australians waded ashore ANZAC Cove in 1915, thousands will gather to watch an ANZAC Day Dawn Service. ANZAC Day was established to honour those who served and gave their lives in the Great War. However, in the years since WWI, Australian troops have answered the call to …
- Anonymous Letter to George HawkThis anonymous letter was written to Mr. George Hawk (known popularly as “The Bird”) when he was seeking aldermanic honours in 1900. Mr. Hawk was a well-known temperance worker – hence the heavy-handed humour. Sewerside Brewery,October 18, 1900.– Bird Esq., Dear Sir, As we understand it is your intention to give the ratepayers of Penshurst …
- The Early Picture Theatres Of Arncliffeby Gifford and Eileen Eardley It is not very difficult to envisage the impact the introduction of moving pictures made on the community at large in the early period of the twentieth century. The magic lantern was in use, on special occasions, for public entertainment for several years prior to the advent of the “Movies”, …
- Municipality of Hurstville: An Early HistoryThe history of colonisation in Australia starts when Captain Cook gave the order to drop the anchor of the “Endeavour” on April 29, 1770, in Botany Bay. We had hoped to start the history of Hurstville from the same point, for, on May 4, Cook set out to explore what is now Georges River, but …
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- Lydham Hall’s “Water Hens” Paintingby Bettye Ross For want of a name I call the small ground birds in Neville W. Cayley’s painting above the carrara marble fireplace in Lydham Hall’s bedroom, Water Hens. I don’t know if they actually are Water Hens for although I have Mr. Cayley’s Book What Bird is That? I have never taken the …
- To The River – To The Forest – To King’s Groveby Vincent Saunders With the deviation of the route of the original Rocky Point Road at Arncliffe when the present highway came into being in the early eighteen-sixties, and the Forest Road was extended eastward a short distance from the crest of Cobbler’s Pinch (now marked by the intersection of Somerville Street) to link with …
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- Old Kogarah Townshipby Gifford & Eileen Eardley The early settlement of the Kogarah district largely followed the route of the old established Rocky Point Road, which, as a rough bush track, had been constructed to the order of Governor Sir George Gipps, about the 1840s. The region was devoted to market gardening and the cultivation of orchards. …
- A Tale of Two Ladiesby Ron Rathbone When I was eleven and in Year 6 at Carlton Public School, my father, a successful businessman, decided it was time “I learned the use of money”. I am not sure whether he attributed his success in business to the fact that when he was growing up he had been a paper …
- John Murphy of “Leeholme”, Bexley and the Horse BusesJohn Joseph Murphy was born at Concord, New South Wales, in 1869. He was born with a great love of horses, which was to remain with him all his life. As a young man he entered the Meat Trade, in the beginning carting meat, and gradually learning every phase of the business over several years. …
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- Cameos Of DevelopmentExtracts from the Citizen Newspapers 1894 Telephone Service – 24th February, 1894 A movement is on foot to try and get a telephone exchange at Rockdale and already eight or nine of the residents have handed in their names as willing to become subscribers. Fifteen subscribers are required for a day service, from 9 a.m. …
- Alexander Brodie Spark 1792 – 1856Merchant – Banker – Shipowner – Pastoralist – Gentleman by R.W. Rathbone Alexander Brodie Spark as born on 9th August, 1792 in Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland, the third child of George Spark, a watchmaker and goldsmith and his wife Mary Gordon. He was educated at the local academy where he showed signs of literary talent and …
- Annual Report of the Lydham Hall Local Committee for the Year Ended 28th February, 1981by Alderman R.W. Rathbone, Hon. Secretary, Lydham Hall Local Committee It is now ten years since Council, as part of its Centenary Celebrations, purchased historic Lydham Hall as a local history museum and handed it over to a Local Committee consisting of representatives of the Council and the St. George historical Society to restore and …
- The Power Behind The Scenesby Mr. J. P. Lundie, County Clerk Of St. George County Council For years we have been taking the benefits of electricity for granted. In a sense of course this can be taken as the greatest possible compliment that could be given to the Electricity Supply Industry. People know that when they want electricity it …
- The Story of Moorefield Racecourse at Kogarah, N.S.W.by Gifford and Eileen Eardley From a physiographical point of view the sand dune and intervening marsh land immediately west of Seven Mile, or Lady Robinson’s Beach, on the western shore line of Botany Bay, possesses surface features of great interest. It is accepted that this comparatively level expanse was formed over the ages by …
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- Michael Gannon: His Family and Their Skeletonsby Anne Carolan The Gannon family understandably hid their convict origins for two generations, so that descendants must ‘depend almost entirely on ‘government records and printed sources to gather information. However, episodes to give life to the facts do emerge and, in the case of my great, great-grandfather, Michael Gannon, these range from comic to …
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- 75 Years of Electric Trainsby Noreen Burns On Saturday, March 3rd, 2001 there was a celebration to mark the event of 75 years since Electric trains started operating in Australia. With Bettye Ross, our esteemed President, I arrived at Platform 1 at Central Station to be greeted (with lost of others) with a delicious morning tea, a rousing repertoire …
- Vale: Sylvia Daphne Bennettby Mrs. J. Fairhall Sadly Sylvia passed away on September 23rd 2013. She was a member of “St. George Historical Society” but because of her address at Niagara Park, she was unable to attend our meetings at Rockdale and “Lydham Hall”, but looked forward to receiving our Journals. Arriving from England in 1950, aged 16, …
- 75th Anniversary of Bexley’s 1926 Uniting (Methodist) Churchby Dr. James N. Pendlebury The Bexley Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church stands on a generous block of land in tree-lined Gladstone Street, surrounded in the main by Home Units and villas where once comfortable homes existed. Its large expanse of lawn reminds one of how things used to be. At night its illuminated front stained …
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- Looking For Historyby James Kane An eminent English historian said that the most essential pieces of equipment for historians are a notebook and pencil and a stout pair of walking boots. Certainly this district has history in plenty for those prepared to go and look for it. There has long been a useful human compulsion to celebrate …
- Vale: Dora Victoria Lenane, April 7th 1919 – September 7th 2013by F and B Lenane Our Mum, Dora Victoria Lenane, was born in June on 7th April 1919, making her 94 years young. Dora’s many friends knew her by name, but her very large family always knew her simply as Mum or Nana. Neither name reflects the amazing energy and joy of life that Mum …
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- Stone’s Slaughter Yardsby B.J. Madden Within what is now the Bexley Golf Course was a slaughter-house operated by C J Stone. The slaughter-house was adjacent to the creek which flows through the eastern end of the golf course, and blood from the slaughtered cattle ran into the creek. Blood was also buried in trenches in a paddock …
- David Hannam 1805 – 1872: An Arncliffe Pioneerby R W Rathbone David Hannam was born in the village of Holton in Somerset on 23rd June 1805, the eldest child and only son of Reuben Hannam and his wife, Elizabeth Hews. Reuben Hannam was convicted of ‘larceny in a dwelling house” at the Taunton Assizes on 31st March, 1810 and sentence to death, …
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- The Chinese Market Gardeners of St. George Districtby Gifford and Eileen Eardley Disclaimer: Please be aware that this article contains potentially inappropriate language or ideas. The SGHS does not in anyway endorse or condone discrimination of any kind.While some of this content may have been considered appropriate at the time of publication, we now recognise that it may contribute to harms.We have …
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- Lydham HallThis article was first published in the December 1970 edition of our magazine. I am sure members will be pleased to learn that, during last month, Rockdale Council completed the purchase of Lydham Hall. This old home in Lydham Avenue, Bexley, is to be used as an historical museum where items of interest may be …
- Some Excerpts from “A History Of Carlton”A Railway Is Built Early in the 1860’s agitation commenced along the southern coastal district for improved means to transport the rich produce of the area to markets in Sydney. The small ships plying the coastal trade were both irregular and unreliable and the long, bad road was a nightmare. To ensure the development of …
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- Pioneers of the Early DayThe old homestead of the English family – pioneers of 1852 – was built in 1854 by Mr. Dennis English on the land now occupied by the South Carlton Public School. The original old slab hut stood at the rear of the house, the front portion of which was built with some of the first …
- The Three PetersWhen the Kogarah-Sans Souci tramway was inaugurated in 1887 Mr. G. Hughes who conducted boat-sheds and store at Rocky Point, now known as Sans Souci, interested himself in the erection of swimming baths at Rocky Point. The matter was taken up by Kogarah Council, the then Mayor, favouring the site, but Alderman Myles McRae advocated …
- President’s Report 2022/2023This report is being written on the cusp of what I trust will be the renaissance of the St. George Historical Society Inc. Members are doubtlessly aware of the seemingly unending delays, numerous meetings with Bayside Council and remaining members of the former Lydham Hall Management Committee. What a tiring and often exasperating 24+ months! …
- Vale: Valda Rosaline Beehag, March 14th 1924 – July 12th 2013by Mr. Bob Beehag (nephew) Val Beehag was born on the March 14th 1924. Her biological mother, Nellie Christine Collins, gave birth to Val when she was only 16 years old. She put Val up for adoption, and she as adopted by Amy and Francis Barnes, however Francis died 4 years later. At that stage …
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- Pioneer Publicans of KogarahThe old hostelries of Kogarah, like most of the inns of the early days were distinguished for their free and easy sportive spirit and hospitality. the hotel was always one of the earliest business institutions where, before more appropriate and convenient meeting-places were to be found, people went to discuss matters of moment. It is …
- Transport DifficultiesIn these days of concrete and bituminous-surfaced roads a journey from Kogarah to Sydney is one devoid of difficulty and may be accomplished in quick time. Before the constitution of the Main Roads Board in 1925, or up to the time that the Board reconstructed Cook’s River Road, the condition of that road was atrocious …
- An Oil Company with a SoulOne of the most consistent enemies of Historical Societies and those interested in the preservation of relics of our earlier days are the Oil Companies – those people who seem to have unlimited capital and a passion for building Service Stations wherever some fine reminder of the district’s beginnings has managed to withstand the passing …
- The Gannons of Tempe: Frederick Gannon SeniorBy Anne Carolan The name Gannon is familiar even to newer residents of the St Peters/Tempe area because it features as the name of a street. Long-time residents still call the now dilapidated old home in Union Street, ‘Gannon’s Place’. Those interested in local history will know that the road to Hurstvile was once called …
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- Reminiscences with a Touch of St. Georgeby Bettye Ross The following was told to me by two very charming ladies named Jess Chadwick and her sister Georgie some years ago. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the manner it was told to me, mainly by Jess, Georgie who had early Alzheimers didn’t really have much to say. Unfortunately Jess moved before we could …
- Federation-Era ArncliffeThis photo is one of a series taken from “The Towers” at Arncliffe in the early part of this century. Standing forlorn and neglected atop the Forest Road ridge, “The Towers” has sweeping views of the whole of Arncliffe. The series of photographs was taken sequentially in a 360 degree radius and present a clear …
- Wazir Street, Arncliffeby R. W. Rathbone (based on the research of E. C. B. McLeurin, former Head of the Department of Semitic Studies, Sydney University) Early in 1989, I was asked by the Council to compile a list of the streets in the Municipality of Rockdale and how they received their names. Many are named after the …
- Smithson’s Wine Barby B.J. Madden Smithson’s Wine Bar in Stoney Creek Road was a feature of Kingsgrove’s life for about 50 years. (Smithson’s Tobacco Factory, run by Thomas Smithson, is a separate story). James Edward Smithson was a son of Thomas Smithson, and was born on 26 February 1844 at Leeds, Yorkshire. On 7 May 1867, he …
- Reminiscences of Early Hurstville Familiesby Thelma Hayman In 1911 when I went to live with my grandparents in Matthew Street, the lower end of which is now known as Hillcrest Avenue, this particular section of Hurstville was then being opened up as a residential area. It was not until the closing of the 1914-1918 World War that Hurstville Grove …
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- St. George 130 Years Agoby A.H. Wennholm When the old Rockdale Town Hall was being erected in 1888-9, at the corner of Rocky Point Road (now known as Princes Highway) and Bryant Street, there was also being built a little stone church at the top of Bryant Street. The site selected for this church was a rocky one, consequently …
- Two Early Pioneers: James Oatley & Hannah LaycockJames Oatley arrived in Sydney Town as a convict on January 27, 1815. Before his sentence, he had been a little-known watch and clockmaker living in Stafford, England. Upon arrival, he was permitted to set up in business in George Street, on a site opposite the present Town Hall. He was soon commissioned by Governor …
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- ANZAC Day – 25 April 2023To mark the time at which the first Australians waded ashore ANZAC Cove in 1915, thousands of people will gather to watch an ANZAC Day Dawn Service. ANZAC Day was established to honour those who served and gave their lives in the Great War. However, in the years since WWI, Australian troops have answered the …
- On Becoming a SaintHave you ever wondered how some of the churches in our district were named? It is well documented that St. Phillip’s Anglican Church, Church Hill in Sydney was named in honour of our first Governor and a number of this district’s early pioneers also appear to have been immortalised in the same way. St. David’s …
- The Royal Commission into Noxious and Offensive Trades of 1883by R. W. Rathbone At a time when protection of the environment is a burning political issue, it is interesting to note that we, in this country at least, have been trying to clean up our act for more than one hundred years. In the early 1880’s, Sydney was one of the most polluted cities …
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- Kingsgrove Gasometer Demolishedby B. J. Madden Mid-November 1979, saw the demolition and removal of a landmark in Kingsgrove – the Gas Holder in Kingsgrove Road opposite Omnibus Road. The Gas Holder was built during 1926-27 in order to improve the gas supply in that area, which was then undergoing rapid expansion. The Holder had a diameter of …
- Lydham Hall Historic House and Museumby Tina Workman The St George area was very fortunate that Rockdale Council had the foresight to purchase a stone cottage called Lydham Hall many decades ago with the sole purpose of conserving this beautiful old house which, in turn, would provide the area with a local history museum and a home for the St …
- Kingsgroveby B. J. Madden Kingsgrove was the site of a factory for the manufacture of tobacco and snuff for about 20 years from 1854. Thomas Smithson was a native of Leeds, Yorkshire (born c 1814). He and his family are said to have arrived in Sydney on the ship Ascendant in 1852, and resided at …
- Lydham Hallby Valmai Long Joseph Davis built “Lydham Hall” on Lydham Hill when he purchased 68 acres of the original land grant given to James Chandler by Governor Brisbane. This was the first subdivision of Bexley. Large blocks of sandstone were hauled uphill to the building site from the quarry, now the corner of Villiers Street …
- The Affairs Of James Beehag, A Rockdale Pioneerby Gifford Eardley Amongst the earliest settlers of the Rockdale area was Mr. James Beehag, a descendant of a French Huguenot farming family formerly known as Behague, who was born at Southminster, a village set amidst the wheatfields on the flat lands of the English country of Essex. This rural village is placed at a …
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- Walk and Drive GuidesDuring Local Government Week, August 1998, Rockdale City Council launched a series of walk and drive guides to encourage a broad appreciation of the city. They highlight points of interest in the 1991 Rockdale Heritage Study by Meredith Walker and Terry Kass. The Heritage Adviser, Gary Stanley, produced the guides. The council was merged with City …
- Five-CornersExtract from The Propeller, February 1941 There’s many an old resident of the St. George district who will probably tell you, with proud memory of his schooldays, that you’re not a “dinki-di” Sydneyite until you’ve polished off a pocket full of five-corners. And, without any prompting, he’ll very likely add that, “As a ‘nation’ of …
- The Historic RiverAt the official gathering held at Kurnell on 6th May, 1899, to set apart 251 acres as a public reserve and a National Memorial to Captain James Cook, Mr. Joseph Cook (Minister for Lands) referred to the fact that Cook discovered the river so named after him. The following is an extract from his speech: …
- Rosevale Villa Demolished(article from February 1964) Historic Rosevale Villa, one of the last pioneer homes left in Rockdale is no more and although its stones were marked and every care taken in its demolition it is unlikely that it could ever be rebuilt. The soft sandstone mouldings which have withstood the ravages of time for almost 100 …
- The Blacksmiths And Farriers Of Rockdaleby Gifford Eardley Without a doubt one of the most attractive places for small boys in old time Rockdale was the blacksmith shop of Duncan Roy, whose premises were sited on the northern side of the Town Hall. Standing at the wide doorway facing Rocky Point Road children gazed in awe at the shower of …
- A Hospital In ContrastJuly 1970, saw the demolition of the original Cottage Hospital of St. George. It was a nostalgic moment as the last of the unique brick and concrete chimneys tottered and fell. The last patients in “A & F”, as the original hospital has been known for some years, were transferred to other wards mid December …
- District To Lose Two Of Its Most Historic Buildings(article from October 1963) Unless it receives another last minute reprieve, lovely “Rosevale Villa”, for more than ninety years a landmark at the entrance to Rockdale Shopping Centre will soon disappear to make way for a service station. Persistent efforts by this Society to the Rockdale Council for removal of the building on Princes Highway …
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- A Tribute To Jean Elizabeth Preddeyby Jean’s grandson – John Mark Williamson Gran lived right through the greater part of the 20th century and lived a century herself in doing it. This was a great achievement when you consider those times and how Australia was affected by world events in one form or another. Gran’s childhood was growing up while …
- The Eddystone Lighthouseby Bettye Ross At a Service recently our Minister mentioned the Eddystone Lighthouse and said the third builder of this edifice had placed at its base a plaque stating “except the Lord build the house, the builders labor in vain” from Psalm 127:1. This Lighthouse (4th on the site) had been built by John Smeaton. …
- Botany Goods LineThe question of giving railway communication to Botany was considered in 1882 when it was proposed to extend a line from Everleigh, via Waterloo to the Botany area. In 1902 a trial survey was made from Erskineville to Botany and also from Flemington to Belmore, the estimated cost then being 107,933 and 56,738 pounds respectively. …
- Kogarah Golf Clubby Miss Francis Stacey – September 1979 Fifty years ago this year of 1976, saw the establishment of the Kogarah Golf Club. I remember very clearly one day when I was in the Chair at the Dental Surgery of the late Mr Stanley Binns, awaiting my turn to be attended to, when the telephone rang. …
- Cobbitty: A Village Of The Cow PasturesWritten & Illustrated by Gifford & Eileen Eardley The pleasant village of Cobbitty is sited amidst a surround of low grassed hill country, some four miles north of the older established settlement at Camden, which was in the possession of the Macarthur family (of sheep raising fame) as from 1804. It is understood that the …
- Captain James BirnieThe following letter was received by the Secretary in April 1970: In the Bi-centenary issue of the Leader, reference is made to a whaling master Captain James Birnie who gave up the sea to settle in Sydney about 1890 and in the edition of March 18th mention is made of the whereabouts of his headstone. …
- Brighton-Le-Sands: A Suburb Evolved From The SandhillsThe development of Brighton-le-Sands as one of Sydney’s first “model” suburbs was due, almost entirely, to the enterprise of one man. That man was Thomas Saywell. Nowhere in Sydney has the name of one man been so extensively associated with the progress of a particular area and yet, oddly enough, no trace of his name …
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- The Affairs Of James Wilson: An Early Settler Of Rockdaleby Gifford and Eileen Eardley Nestling against a background of scarlet-flowered coral-trees in West Botany Street, Rockdale, is the former home of James Wilson, a four-roomed single-storied building built of cut ashlar stone, which once had a shingled roof, and still retains its small separate kitchen at the rear. It is possible that this old …
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- Thomas Townshend, First Viscount Sydney: The man after whom our city was namedby Alderman R. W. Rathbone Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, came of an old and very distinguished Norfolk family who are still resident at the family seat, Raynham Hall, near the quaint Tudor market town of Fakenham. They first settled in the area in the early 15th Century and, with the exception of several years …
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- The Affairs Of Isaac Beehag, Dairyman, Rockdaleby Gifford Eardley Isaac Beehag was the eldest son of James and Mary Beehag, being born on July 18th, 1841, the address of his parents then being listed at Liverpool Road, Canterbury. In 1852 the farm property at Canterbury was sold and Isaac, together with the rest of the family, came to reside on a …
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- Book Review: “Into the Unknown: The Tormented Life and Expeditions of Ludwig Leichhardt” by John Bailey396 pages, published by Pan Macmillan 2011 Review by Laurice Bondfield Another recently published book! The author, John Bailey has written two much praised books on Australian history: The White Divers of Broome and Mr Stuart’s Track, and this book is sure to be another. There has not been much non-specialist writing published on Leichhardt …
- Bexley: As I Knew It, from 1895 – 1917Grace (Middenway) Nicholls, Faulconbridge N.S.W. 1963 I have been asked by Mr Philip Geeves, Historian for the St. George District, Sydney, N.S.W., to write some of my early memories of Bexley; also to give a brief outline of the life and work of my father, John Saunders Middenway. I remember so much that it is …
- Cooks River: The History Of Its Early Homes And BridgesCooks River has always played a part in the history of our Municipality therefore, Mrs. I. E. Currey, of the Canterbury and District Historical Society, thinks its story should be told in this the year of the probable sighting of the river by Captain James Cook. Captain Cook, after whom the river was named, apparently …
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- 2022 Ron Rathbone Local History CompetitionInaugurated in 2006, the Ron Rathbone Local History Competition is an initiative to explore and appreciate Bayside’s rich, diverse and vibrant history.Former City of Botany Bay Council and former Rockdale City Council were amalgamated in 2016 to form Bayside Council. The Ron Rathbone Local History Competition now extends to include these two local government areas …
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- The History Of Tempe HouseMay Hook The historic “Tempe House” was built for Alexander Brodie Spark, who owned a large area of land at Cooks River in the early 1800’s, and became a director of the Bank of New South Wales in 1826. “Tempe House” is a stately home of Georgian style set in a number of large gardens, …
- 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 …