During 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, and is bounded on the north by Cook’s River, on the south by George’s River, on the east by Botany Bay, and on the west by Wolli Creek and Rocky Point-road. A little more than twelve months ago a large additional area was annexed to the original area, and the borough was then divided into the three existing wards, viz., Rockdale Ward, Arncliffe Ward, and Scarborough Ward.
A bill is now before Parliament for the purpose of changing the name of the municipality. Two substitutes are suggested, Scarborough and Rockdale, but on account of certain objections to the former it being, in fact, the name of a post town in another part of the colony it is considered probable that the latter will be adopted.
At the present time there is no system of sewerage in the borough, but a combined movement is on foot to devise a system of drainage to accommodate the whole of West Botany, Kogarah, and Hurstville. The water supply is obtained from tanks and wells but, in consequence of the Nepean scheme being now available, a petition has been prepared for presentation to the Sydney Corporation asking that the mains be extended to the municipality.
According to a census recently taken, the population of West Botany amounts to 3267, which includes 195 Chinese. The sanitary condition of the borough is stated to be good. The aggregate length of the streets is about 50 miles, of which 20 are made and 30 unmade. Kerbing and guttering of footpaths have only just been commenced, but asphalting has not yet been introduced. Some of the streets have been aligned, but those in the new subdivisions have not, neither have they been formed or improved.
It should, however, be remembered that until the opening up of the district by the construction of the Illawarra railway line, the bulk of the inhabitants were market gardeners, poultry breeders, &c., and it is only during a comparatively short period that the land occupied by them has been utilised for building purposes, notably at Rockdale and Kogarah, which are fast becoming thickly populated.
Independently of the numerous contracts for road making now in hand, the council employ on an average about 20 day labourers ; but they have for the second time -taken advantage of the Government subsidy by employing 50 of the “unemployed” class on public works of a permanent character.The council have just entered into a contract with the Australian Gaslight Company for a period of five years for the supply of gas at the rate of £6 per lamp per annum, and 5s. 6d. per thousand cubic feet for gas supplied by meter to private consumers. The mains are now being laid down, and 27 lamps have been ordered as the first instalment.
The localities to be supplied are starting are Rocky Point Road and, Gannon’s Forest – road, Arncliffe street, Illawarra-road, Wollongong-road, Harrow road, Bay street, and West Botany- street; and next Anniversary Day will be celebrated in the borough by the first lighting of the public lamps.Up to the present time a small building at Arncliffe – a freehold property belonging to the council-has been used as the council chamber; but the increasing business of the municipality has long since outgrown the accommodation afforded. The council some time ago secured a more central site on the Rocky Point-road, near the Rockdale railway station, for a new and commodious town hall.
This is now in course of erection, the contract price for the building being £2495. The town hall will contain a large meeting room, with sitting accommodation for 600 persons; a spacious council room, together with suitable rooms for all the municipal officers; a free public library and reading-room ;an apartment for friendly, society meetings, and quarters for the caretaker. It is also intended to arrange a portion of the building to meet the requirements of a post-office.
A large portion of the low-lying lands is still occupied as market gardens, the Chinese paying much higher rents for such land than Europeans. West Botany is amply provided with reserves and water frontages. Cook Park, better known as Lady Robinson’s Beach, skirt Botany Bay, and is about seven miles in length. Its width varies from 100 ft at Webb’s Grant to 15 chains at Doll’s Point, and it is one of the most picturesque beaches in the world.
Scarborough Park, which is about 100 acres in extent, is situated a few chains back from the beach, at the southern portion of the district About 80 acres have been already laid out and planted with between 1100 and 1200 ornamental shrubs and trees. The trustees intend converting the greater part of the swampy portion of the park into a large lake,which will have a depth of at least 8ft. in the driest seasons.
The park is almost entirely surrounded by wide streets-notably, the Boulevard, 3 chains in width; Frederick-street, Lawrence-street, and Walter street, each 2 chains ; Park-street, 72 feet ; and Tonbridge-street, 1 chain. About 30 acres forming the best portion of Scarborough Park was a free gift to the public by the Hon. Thomas Holt, and is, with the rest of the reserve, now dedicated and placed under the control of trustees.
West Botany is easy of access by train from Sydney, there being two stations within its boundaries From Rockdale, a tramway, built by Mr. T. Saywell, runs to Lady Robinson’s Beach, where commodious baths, for both ladies and gentlemen, have also been erected by the same enterprising colonist. A Government tram runs from Kogarah station to Sandringham and Sans Souci. This line is three miles long, and the other one mile, and both have done much towards opening up most delightful health resorts.
The total number of houses in the municipality in April last was 650, and the number of ratepayers on the municipal roll 1128. The total capital value of rateable property is estimated at £754,810, and the total annual assessed value is £17,137. The only rate levied is the general municipal rate of 1s. in the pound,which produced during the year £2350. The total revenue from all sources last year amounted to £2394, and the total expenditure for the same period £3330 (the revenue and expenditure accounts of the annexed area are not included in these items). The Government endowment was at the rate of 5s. in the pound.
Two loans of £3000 and £10,000 respectively have been raised in Sydney, each bearing interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum. The rapidity of the progress of West Botany may be gathered from the fact that in 1882 the total estimated capital value of rateable property was only £102,315, the estimated annual value £7153, the total annual revenue from all sources £724, and the total expenditure £847, while the total number of ratepayers on the roll was only 199.
But notwithstanding the much smaller revenue previous to 1882, many good works in the shape of roads and bridges were carried out by the pioneer ratepayers, who rendered assistance occasionally by lending their horses and carts, and doing manual labour themselves voluntarily. The following gentlemen were the mayors during the years named;
William Yates 1871;
James Beehag 1872, 1873;
Elias Godfrey 1874;
James Beehag 1875,1876;
James Collins 1877;
John Bowmer 1878 to 1884;
W. G. Judd 1885, 1886, 1887;
Mr. Thomas Leeder is council clerk.
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