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 in 1881 to 13,500 in 1891 participated in the suburban boom both as consumers of new housing and makers of bricks. By 1890 some mechanised kilns were in operation, but had you gone there on one of the trams which had serviced this suburb from 1881, you would still have seen many brickmakers making bricks by hand in the time-honoured fashion.
Beyond this, in Rockdale, Hurstville and Kogarah, lived 10,000 people in 1891. Back in 1870, the Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory did not recognise the region as being suburban to Sydney, and as late as 1881 Kogarah was still recorded in its Country Directory. Before the coming of the railway, land communications were not always assured, as the crossing of the Cook’s River sometimes became difficult and the river flats around Canterbury and Marrickville could quickly turn to quagmire. An old dam at Tempe helped to prevent tidal flushing of the river and increased flooding problems upstream, while the clearing and settling of the land, especially in Marrickville, encouraged runoff. Most residential development was around the railway stations, and by far the most common form of construction was the small detached cottage, although there were some elegant houses and a few mansions in the elevated part of Hurstville, which was coming to be known as Bexley.
Many of the cottages were built of timber, although brick became more usual as settlement spread, and following the establishment of the Hurstville Steam Brick Company in 1884. The old wooden St George’s Church at Hurstville was replaced by brick in 1889, after a white ant problem had caused the disappearance of the clergyman through the floor of the pulpit, so the folklore goes, immediately after delivering a sermon on the text “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”. Many investors and would-be land developers in this area were often uncertain as to whether their fortunes would rise or fall.
The railway had brought suburbs to Kogarah and Hurstville, but much of the intensification of land use in the area was for rural-urban purposes- orchards, poultry farms and the like. Development was not nearly as extensive as on the western line, and land prices did not go so high. Partly this was a result of timing, because although the opening of the Illawarra line in 1884 coincided with the height of the suburban boom, it had run its course within a few more years.
Tram in the Tramway Arcade, Rockdale
Partly though, the slower growth of this area was the result of an ambivalent relationship between this region and industrial Botany, to the north. Nowhere was this more evident than in West Botany. Some residents possessed a vision of the area as a major seaside resort, like Thomas Saywell, who constructed a private tramway at a cost of 15,000 pounds from Rockdale Station to Lady Robinson’s Beach, where seabaths, picnic grounds, an onion-domed pavilion and a grand 60-room hotel named “New Brighton” were all subsequently built although surrounding roads were unmade and houses few in number.
New Brighton Hotel
Other speculators persuaded the government to build a tramway to Sans Souci in 1887, and in that year the municipality changed its name to Rockdale, no doubt because it was felt that a would-be resort, or even an ordinary suburb could only be hindered by a name like West Botany, so firmly associated with industrial development.
On the other hand, some residents did want to develop Rockdale as an extension of Botany, and by 1890 there was a limited amount of noxious activity, especially around Arncliffe, on the Cook’s River estuary in the vicinity of Wolli Creek. Nearby on the spit of land jutting out from the head of Lady Robinson’s Beach into the river was the government sewage farm, which began taking the outfall of the southern sewerage line in 1889. The location of these activities in the north of Rockdale around the extensive mud flats and mangrove swamps at the mouth of the Cook’s River was crucial in discouraging Sydney’s residents from using the land beyond, either for residential or recreational purposes. Predictably, local council elections were often fought over the question of noxious trades, with the security of the local manufacturers waxing and waning with the changing factions in power.”
“The story of municipal government is a major study in itself, and varies from place to place, but from the newspapers and parliamentary reports of the period 1870-90, it is very difficult to concede that local government was for the good of the citizens of Sydney, and difficult to avoid concluding that the initial enthusiasm for forming municipalities was motivated by a desire to ensure that the incorporated areas were left to their own devices and developed in ways that most benefited the landholders, subdividers and manufacturers. The incorporation of Kogarah is a good case in point.
Kogarah was incorporated in 1886, after two years of protracted negotiations over the issue of whether it should be incorporated at all, and where the boundaries should be. There was no upsurge of civic pride in a well-defined area, but much toing and froing over which area would produce the greatest benefit to the interested parties. Incorporation was at the ‘will and initiation’ of the citizens, and the mechanics of becoming a municipality involved raising enough local interest, usually via public meetings, to put together a petition to the colonial government, which then considered the merits of the case, and normally granted incorporation if there was a strong local demand for it. Local interest was very freely defined, however. The population of semi-rural Kogarah in 1884 consisted of a few fishermen, a lot of market gardeners, several poultry farmers and nursery men and a number of tradesmen – stonemasons and a few labourers possibly associated with the small brickworks of Young and Cross on Hurstville Rd. There was also an Aboriginal settlement in Vista Street, off Rocky Point Road. Of the forty people who gathered at the Gardeners’ Arms, Montgomery Street, on Monday, 7th April 1884 to discuss a number of local issues, almost certainly none were women or Aborigines, and probably very few were gardeners, labourers or fishermen. People who spoke at this and subsequent meetings, however, included James Todd and John Whitehead of the city, and H.G. Swymy, of Randwick, all owners of freehold land in Kogarah.
This meeting was not specifically about incorporation, but at the end of it a committee was formed to “watch local matters and to take steps to ensure the progress of the district”. Motions were passed in favour of excluding noxious trades from the area, in protest over the disgraceful state of the main roads from the Cook’s River to George’s River and for a railway in the same area. The first issue, that of the noxious trades, was in response to the rumours that the Stuart government was possibly considering the George’s River area as a noxious trade site, while the interest in roads and the railway was summed up by Joseph Carruthers, one of the prime movers for incorporation, who observed at one meeting that, “they all knew that if they wished to induce people to build there they would require to show them roads and other conveniences of civilisation. They should not wait until there were two or three hundred houses in the district before taking any steps for the formation of a municipality.”
Sir Joseph Carruthers
The motive for encouraging the rail to go all the way to the George’s River was to prod the government into keeping to schedule with the line, for there was widespread feeling that it had been too much delayed. When it was finally opened as far as Hurstville on 15 October, the Herald described the area as ‘a beautiful resort’, an ‘arcadia’, which would be of enormous benefit to the people of Sydney as a recreational area. Some men, however hoped that the railway would bring about the rapid metamorphosis of arcadia into suburbia. The first petition in favour of incorporation was followed by one against, and one meeting for an incorporated Kogarah was followed, within a fortnight, by another at Hurstville proposing a joint municipality with that area. Landholders (presumably with land in Kogarah), fearing that rates would be dissipated over the larger area, argued that small municipalities were always the most flourishing. Finally, when a petition for Kogarah, without Hurstville, was gazetted in July 1885, a dispute broke out over part of the boundary with West Botany (Rockdale) and after incorporation was finally granted, complicated and not very friendly negotiations continued with this municipality. for several years over boundaries. Clearly, suburbs were being made, not through the growth of ‘community’, but by individuals like Joseph Carruthers, who were angling for the deal most likely to benefit their own financial and landed interests. He was a young solicitor who ‘made investment in land a sideline’, and a few years later, in 1887, he went into parliament at the top of the poll for the seat of Canterbury. In his maiden speech he called for a tramway from Kogarah to Sans Souci, where he lived. In 1889, when he became Minister for Public Instruction, he immediately took steps to have a larger school built at Kogarah. Later, when he became Premier of New South Wales, he continued to be closely associated with the district – ‘he had a lot of sway, and could get anyone a job’, as one local resident recalled.
Carruthers worked for Kogarah and Kogarah worked for Carruthers. This story of incorporation could be repeated over and over for other districts and would-be districts of Sydney.”
This extract was from Rising Damp: Sydney 1870-90 by Shirley Fitzgerald, Oxford University Press, 1987. Purchase at AbeBooks.
(Images courtesy of Bayside Library Service Local History Collection)
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 years he was a member of the Wesleyan, later Methodist Church in Bay Street, holding high offices in that church. Mr C W Napper, who remembers Mr Andrews as an old man, recalls that he lived in a two storied house in what is now Princes Highway, opposite the present ambulance station and that his wife conducted a drapery shop in adjoining premises.
This pioneer made a significant contribution to public life in that for a period of twenty three years he successfully conducted the school in Bay Street under the old denominational school regime, and until public school education became available to all children. At the time of his death in 1904 it was written:-
“There are hundreds of people scattered over the state who as boys or girls were taught by the good old veteran and who cherish for his memory a reverent and affectionate regard.” (The Methodist of 29th October 1904, page 2)
William Berghofer, a native of Germany, came to N.S.W. in 1852 when he was 44 years of age, accompanied by his wife Anna and their six children, the eldest of whom was 12 years of age. He was a farmer and acquired land in Rocky Point Road in what is now known as Kogarah (on his death certificate called Scarboro). P.Geeves and J.Jervis in their book Rockdale – Its Beginning and Development – p.53, say he told how he first came to take possession of his land in his wagon, but was forced to detour through the bush at Cobblers Pinch (now Arncliffe Hill) and suffered the capsizing of the vehicle with all his possessions.
William Berghofer no doubt prospered in the alien environment – three more children were born to him in N.S.W. and we read of him as the head of the committee which was formed to organise the building of St. Paul’s Church of England Kogarah in 1869, and that prior to this there was a small Church of England Community in the Rocky Point area who met at his home for divine services. (Centenary Booklet published September, 1969.) He died on 31st May, 1890 and was buried in the Cemetery Kogarah (no doubt St. Paul’s Churchyard).
John Iliffe, nurseryman, was born at Guilsborough, Northampton, England in or about the year 1840, and when a child of about ten years of age, came to Sydney N.S.W. His father was William Iliffe and mother Rebecca, whose maiden name was Smith. He came to live in Rocky Point Road at what is now Rockdale and when 22 years of age married Sarah Morse, who lived with her parents, Thomas and Mary Morse, on the opposite side of Rocky Point Road.
John and Sarah Iliffe
John Iliffe worked with great skill and zeal to establish and maintain a nursery of extensive proportions in the area between the present day Bestic and Bryant Streets and built a very fine stone villa which he called “Rosevale”. By 1884 “Rosevale” had gained the reputation as “the most extensive nursery and plant establishment in the Colony” – (The Illustrated Sydney News 7th June 1884)
In addition to “Rosevale” John Iliffe held 44 acres of land “at Hurstville in the centre of Gannons Forrest” (as referred to in the above publication), where the business of tree propogation was carried on.
This pioneer died on 3rd September 1910 at “Rosevale” and was survived by two daughters, a son and two daughters having pre-deceased him. In due course of time the two nurseries ceased and the land they occupied was subdivided. Part of the above 44 acres was incorporated in the Bexley Golf Links and part in the residential areas in Ada, Hancock, Rose and Iliffe Streets of Bexley. “Rosevale” remained standing until 1962, when it was demolished and the stones which formed the beautiful facade of the home were given to the Rockdale Municipal Council in the hope that they might be incorporated in some significant structure.
William Iliffe, son of John Iliffe a coachman, was born in Northampton, England in or about the year 1811 and at 36 years of age married Harriett Randall in London. Within two or three years after his marriage i.e. some time in 1850 or thereabouts he came to Sydney N.S.W. and took up residence in Crown Street, Woolloomooloo. Waugh & Cox’s Sydney Directory of 1855, lists William Iliffe as a grocer at 19 Crown Street.
In the list of persons qualified to vote for Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Canterbury Electoral District 1859 – 60 appears “William Iliffe Residence Woolloomooloo, Freeholder – Rocky Point Road – House and Land”, so we may assume that he had acquired land and built a residence in that place, but he died at 61 Crown Street, Wooloomooloo on 12th October 1868 survived by his wife Harriett, two sons and two daughters, one son having predeceased him. His wife continued the business at Woolloomooloo until at least 1882 (as appears in Sands Sydney and Suburban Directory) and she died on 31st December 1888.
William Anthony de Jean Iliffe, son of the above, was born in Sydney (presumably Woolloomooloo) in 1851 and married Martha Denning McGill at Balmain when 19 years of age. Sands Directory of 1880 includes William Iliffe a nurserymen at 3/7 Stephen Street and in the directory of 1892, Iliffe & Co., nurserymen appear in Rocky Point Road and William Iliffe on the western side of that road. He took up residence in a stone cottage set in very extensive grounds situated on the western side of the railway line and very close to the present Banksia station. Here he grew many rare plants – importing gerberas from South Africa – streletzias, guava and loquat fruits. He attended Sydney University and especially studied the works of William Shakespeare and arranged the acting of his plays. His was a very attractive character and he was loved by his family. He lived until 30th August 1933, dying in his home in Bowmer Street, Banksia, survived by two daughters and three sons. His grandchildren recall the delight of his garden and home, alas long since gone from scene and taken over by suburban residential development.
The Rosevale Nurseries – Rocky Point Road, Cook’s River.
The Illustrated Sydney News, Saturday June 7, 1884.
About a mile and a half from Cook’s River Dam, and about ten minutes walk from Mrs Clune’s West Botany Hotel, Mr Iliffe’s Nurseries will be seen on the left. The exact spot is indicated by the exquisitely ornate villa facing the road, for beyond this there is no sign of any kind to show that the most extensive nursery and plant establishment in the colony is near at hand.
John Iliffe’s Rosevale Nursery entry in the Rockdale Flower Show, c.1903
In point of fact Mr Iliffe does not seem to court the custom of the casual purchaser, but lays himself out to supply whole-sale buyers – the nurserymen of this and the adjacent colonies. Victoria, which has attained such a lead in horticultural matters, is a most extensive customer; for, though there are large plant establishments in that colony, many varieties are propagated in this climate with greater facility – notably, the camellia, and the whole race of the citrus or orange tribe, and these are, in season, sent to Melbourne in enormous quantities, the supply last year being quite inadequate to the demand.
And then, the growing demand for ornamental plants and fruit-yielding trees as this colony is settled, is very apparent. Every purchaser of land designed for his future home likes to surround it with a wealth of shrubberies and a garden; and, to meet this, the business of the nurseryman must yearly extend in almost geometrical progression. Mr. Iliffe seems to have realised this, and, with the foresight and sagacity of a thoroughly business man, has placed himself in the very foremost position to meet the emergencies of the future. Figures will but faintly convey to the reader the extent to which this probably demand has been provided for; and nothing but a personal visit will realise the enormous work carried on at Rosevale Nurseries and at the Hurstville establishment alluded briefly to at the close of this article. Those who have seen the Jardins de Ville of Paris, where all the plants for the decoration of the reserves of that city are propagated, may form some idea of Mr Iliffe’s place, and the busy work of layering, budding, grafting, insertion of cuttings, re-potting and other processes.
Entering the grounds, the arrangement of which have recently been made to suit the requirements of the new residence, the visitor is first introduced to the plant-houses, of which there are more than a dozen. These are extensive structures, with bamboo wicker work sides, and covered with tea-tree spray, just sufficiently close to break the too free rays of the sun and heavy rains, but to admit of the free circulation of the air. The contents of these houses it is a treat to inspect. Every plant is in the most perfect health, having that deep green foliage and compact habit so rarely witnessed in plant-houses. Camellias in thousands, and of all varieties, first greet the eye; Schinus molle, that ever popular and graceful tree, which seems to revel in all temperate climates; guavas, of several kinds; a splendid collection of pittosporums, embracing Eugenoides nigrescens, Ralphia bicolor, Tobira revolutum, and others; Hibiscus, of varieties; and veronicas. Another house is marked by the presence of a large collection of the tuberous-rooted begonias of popular varieties, and especially so by a large number of seedlings raised by Mr Iliffe, many of which are striking departures from the ordinary type, and will assuredly make their mark in the future. Another house is devoted to the Coleus, and to the specimen plants of Hydrangea, etc. The many varieties of coleus at the time of our visit were beautifully coloured, and like all other plants, in the most robust health. The collection in another house consists chiefly of magnolias, of which Grandiflora fuscata, Glauca purpurea, are the chief favourites, and there are daphnes of several kinds. Climbing and trailing plants occupy another house, where all the popular kinds are represented.
Six wells with an abundant supply of water, and worked by pumps, furnish the tanks from which, by gravitation, the beds are watered, Indeed, it is to this abundant and never-failing source that the stock is kept in a constantly progressive state, and never allowed to flag or wither. The labour of watering, the contents of the sheds and frames during excessive, heat may be better imagined than described. Attached to these bush-houses, and made to do special duty, are several ranges of frames which are covered by calico fixed on rollers. These are devoted to bringing forward the recently struck cuttings for acclimatisation to the open beds; indeed the rationale of the system is: cuttings struck in heat, removal to frame, thence to the bush-house, and from there to the open ground.
In the hot house, on the one hand, are some fine specimens, in perfect health, of the tropical and semi-tropical ferns, a detailed notice of which would extend this article beyond our available space; on the other side is a great collection of cuttings of every choice plant requiring heat; bouvardias, stephanotis, and other plants, being features.
An important department of the Rosevale Nursery is the extensive stool grounds for the camellias, magnolias, daphnes, gardenias etc. Each parent plant is surrounded by scores of layers, which, at the time of our Visit, from their vigorous and erect growth had evidently started life on their own account, and only required to be cut away from the mother plant to form independent members of their respective races.
It should be mentioned that the soil at Rosevale is a good one, yet conducive to fibrous habit in the stock; and it is this feature which probably has given such popularity to the stock raised there.
Perhaps some of the finest examples of holly in the colony are to be seen at Rosevale. Two specimens of the Chines holly (cornuta) are fully 16 feet high, and of compact habit; these annually are cut for their foliage and berries, and seem to stand such treatment well. Other examples are the English, and several variegated varieties, which though thriving, do not equal in vigour the kind above mentioned.
Apart from the mere commercial aspect of the place, Mr Iliffe finds great interest in a botanical and scientific point of view. Engaged as he is in raising plants from seed, he is interested in critically observing the singular departures from the normal type of special plants in a group of seedlings. For example, in raising a lot of seedlings, from the pretty Raphiolipus he noticed one plant of quite phenomenal type, and taking care of this, he was able to announce it was Raphiolipus intermedia a variety of most distinct character, partaking of the form of ovata and indica – a most interesting and desirable shrub, by which an English nurseryman would, have made a fortune.
Recently, too in a batch of seedlings of Pittosphorum Ralphidii, he found a variegated plant, which he has since propagated, and this must prove a most desirable novelty for our nurserymen.
There are at Rosevale some grand specimens of pines, cypresses, grevilleas, and other trees, which only a visit can convey any adequate idea of. Altogether, the visit will be one of unalloyed pleasure to those who care for the beautiful in the vegetable kingdom. Certainly, the collection of dahlias is far and away the best in the colony; the soil, shelter, and degree of moisture seeming exactly to suit them; for, though our visit was the day after a scorching hot wind, with a temperature of over 1000 the flowers were uninjured, and the plants were literally vigorous in growth, and covered with a wealth of bloom, which one is accustomed to associate only with the dahlias of England, when the cool of the declining Autumn makes every blossom a “show flower”. A large trade is done in supplying the Sydney bouquetiers with flowers of all kinds from Rosevale.
About two miles from the old nursery Mr Iliffe has a farm of 44 acres of purchased land. This is situate at Hurstville, in the centre of Gannon’s Forest. A large portion of this has been some years cleared and devoted to nursery purposes. It is here that the business of fruit tree propagation is carried on, under the intelligent direction of Mr Mascord, and to give our readers some faint notion of the extent of the work there, the following figures may be noted: on one bed are 14,000 non-blighting apple-stocks for budding this season; there are stocks of Majetin, or Northern Spy, and these are raised from cuttings of the root. On several other beds of immense stocks of apples of all the best varieties of last season’s grafting; and on another, is the stock of trained trees for the approaching planting season. Throughout the whole collection (and we critically examined it) not a particle of blight is perceptible. One portion of the nursery is devoted to proved varieties of apples, from which scions for the young stock are taken.
But the marvels of the place are the young orange, lemon, and peach collections. Of the first named there are fully 10,000 grafted on the seedling lemon; of the lemon about 5,000; while of peaches there are plants for this next season numbering about 5,000 and one bed of seedlings for budding this year, of fully 15,000. This bed fully illustrates the peculiarly suitable conditions offered by the locality for the growth of the peach; it presents one evenly, dark green mass, as uniform in growth as a field of oats, and there can be no doubt that, on the first fall of rain, the process of budding must be as uniformly successful as was that of last season.
There are also extensive divisions of the place devoted to the plum, apricot, nectarine, mulberry, pear, vine, and a few other fruit-yielding trees; the exceptions being raspberry, gooseberry and currants for which the Sydney district is known to be unsuitable.
In addition to the fruit tree propagation, advantage is taken of this land for the extensive propagation of roses, of which about 500 varieties form the collection. The draughty season and the prevalence of hot winds during the budding season, and especially during the early part of January, has given but poor success to this operation, but still the stock is a very large one from the autumn-struck cuttings. The varieties propagated are simply those which have been found to give general satisfaction; and a visit during the trying months of January and February will show the sorts which resist and bloom well under such adverse conditions. One bed, devoted to recently imported varieties, is extremely interesting, as many display quite a departure from the ordinary type. These have been extensively propagated, and will be offered this season.
We must close this notice of the “Farm Garden” by alluding briefly to the collection of forest trees, camellias, pinus and cypress family, double and single tiger lily, to which large spaces are devoted. But, perhaps, the most noticeable feature, as pointing to future extension, is that of the enormous number of seedling lemon, which are literally as thick as mustard and cress in the seed beds. Many acres will be required for the mere pricking out or transplanting of these seedlings, preparatory to undergoing the grafting process. To those who take an interest in plant propagation a visit to Mr Iliffe’s Hurstville Farm Nursery cannot fail to be highly interesting and instructive. As regards facilities of communication with the Rosevale Nurseries, the Kogarah omnibuses pass the place several times a day, and it is a pleasant walk of twenty minutes from the Cook’s River bus stand, to and from which the vehicles run every half hour from Wynyard Square. It is expected that in a few months the railway will be completed, when the Rockdale station will be within 3 minutes’ walk of Rosevale.
Thomas & Mary Morse
The information to compile this account has been given by Mrs Major of Narwee, a great grand daughter of Thomas and Mary Morse.
It was some time between 1856 and 1859 when Thomas Morse and his wife Mary came to the place now known as Rockdale and took up residence there. Their family was a large one. Their tenth child, James, was born at Pyrmont on the 20th July 1856 and Richard, their eleventh child was born in 1859 at the home they made in Rocky Point Road.
The land they acquired lay between the present site of St. John’s Church of England and the storm water drain south of the present Banksia railway station. It stretched toward the west beyond the railway line which some twenty odd years later was to be laid at the back of their house.
Thomas Morse came from Gloucestershire, England, where he was born on 7th August, 1807. On 20th September 1837 he married Mary Neale, who was born at Denham Court near Liverpool on 12th July 1821. They both had long lives – Thomas died on 13th March 1886 and his wife on 23rd April 1903. They were buried in the church yard of St. Paul’s Church of England, Kogarah.
Mary’s father, John Neale, was one of three men who started the “Fitzroy Iron Mines” near Mittagong, and before coming to Rocky Point Road, Mary and Thomas lived at “Mandemar” and later near the mine.
Mary acquired considerable wealth and she was of a very kindly disposition. It was usual for her to buy provisions such as flour, tea, sugar etc. in large quantities, which she kept in the front rooms of her home. She engaged a maid, who was told to give any tramp who called at the home a good meal and to tell her when he was about to leave. She would then walk to the gate with him, shake hands and slip a sovereign into his hand. Frequently people would call to borrow supplies, as no doubt the nearest shop would be at Newtown, and she would let them have what they asked for, but she did not actually conduct a business.
After the railway was laid, Thomas Morse subdivided his land and named Gloucester Street after his home county in England. He made gifts of blocks to his children and grand children.
There were twelve children in the Morse family. Sarah, who was born on 23rd September 1839, married John Iliffe, whose nursery property was situated on the Other side of Rocky Point Road.. John, who was born in 1841 was of a particularly happy and carefree disposition, but could not settle down. He wandered about the country from place to place, often sleeping in the open air. His younger brothers, James and Arthur, built homes in Rocky Point Road, near their parents’ home. Thomas Jnr. acquired considerable wealth and bought from the builder, Mr. McLeod, the large property in Harrow Road, Bexley, which he called “Esrom”. It is now the Lucy Gullett Hospital. Rev. Richard Morse, the eleventh child, was a well-known resident of Rockdale and Hurstville. He was ordained a minister in America in 1919 and founded the General Church of the New Jerusalem. He had a church erected next to his home in Dudley Street, Hurstville, where he conducted services in an honorary capacity. He lived to be 85 years of age and was survived by his brother Arthur, who then lived at Roseville.
Morse family home, Princes Highway, Rockdale, c.1900
Mary’s grand daughter, Alma, a daughter of James Morse, remembered riding as a child with her grandmother in her coach and pair in Rockdale, and being told she must wear her gloves and be a lady. In spite of her considerable wealth and social position, Mary Morse was always eager to speak to all she met and to be kind and gracious.
This article was first published in the August 1981 edition of our magazine.
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 entrance, was the famous Sir Joseph Banks Hotel and its adjoining pleasure grounds, which attracted vast crowds of holiday makers to splash and swim in the shallow waters of the northern section of Botany Bay, to picnic in the bush surrounded grounds, to ride on the miniature steam train, to patronise its hotel bars, to inspect its zoo and the elephant, and generally make merry.
Thomas Saywell
All these things were keenly observed by Mr. Thomas Saywell who saw a good financial return was to be had in catering for the entertainment of the populace. To this end he commenced to develop the sand dune country at Lady Robinson’s Beach, adjacent to the eastern extremity of Ocean (later Bay) Street, Rockdale. Here a palatial hotel was built, also large swimming baths with separate palisade enclosures to divide the sexes, evidently to protect the defenceless males from the wiles of the designing females, and a most spacious picnic ground where people could loll under the shade of the native trees. This area was aptly named Shady Nook, and its fame spread far and wide. It quickly became popular, specially so with mothers with young children to watch. There were swings, and somewhat ponderous seesaws, made from a heavy plank suspended in the centre of its length between two upright ex-tramway sleepers, an arrangement which called for the careful balancing of the opposing loads of youngsters, as broken arms and legs were not altogether unknown amongst its patrons.
Shady Nook, Brighton-Le-Sands, circa 1915
The Shady Nook enclosure was located at the southern side of Bay Street and its eastern fence line, formed of short stubby lengths of indigenous tea-tree packed tightly between parallel wires, strung between posts, in an endeavour to halt the inroads of wind blown sand, followed the western verge of the present Grand Parade for some little distance. For a portion of its length the southern fence boundary was occupied by a shelter shed, replete with high ungainly seats, more solid than comfortable, and substantial picnic tables of a strength calculated to withstand the assaults of the vandalistic larrikin element which has always existed in our midst. The remaining portion of the southern boundary, together with the western fence line, was enclosed by a rough hewn post and rail fence which prevented livestock from entering the enclosed grounds. At the time it was common practice to permit cattle and horses to roam at will, seeking agistment wherever it could be found.
The western section of Shady Nook was left, to a large extent, in its virgin state as far as the larger trees were concerned. This growth was intermixed with small-leafed coastal Banksia trees, and gnarled, grotesque shaped Saw-leafed Honeysuckles (Banksia Serrata), which were once so common to the sand dune district bordering the western shore of Botany Bay. There were the bright green Geebungs (Persoonia), the Woody-pears (Xylomelum Pyriforme), and a host of other wildlings which have fascinated generations of naturalists.
To cater for the ice-cream, lolly buying, and tea and scone needs of the picnic crowds a small shop was erected at the north-eastern corner of Shady Nook. This was housed in a long weatherboard building, a single room in width, and extended for some distance along the eastern frontage of Shady Nook in a southerly direction from Bay Street, the tea-room and buy shop being located at the northern end and a separate post office, together with the single room which formed living accommodation for Miss Ward, the post mistress, were placed at the southern end. On the western side of this building, running for its full length, was a narrow side verandah sheltering the various doorways and also a series of attractive bay windows which displayed an excellent wealth of ferns and exotic pot plants.
The northern facade of the shop premises, abutting on to Bay Street, was largely devoted to window space, the lower section of the wall being divided into three glazed sections for confectionery display purposes. Immediately above these windows was an intricate panel made up of small panes of coloured glass, reds, greens, and yellows, said to be of German manufacture, This panel looked most attractive at night when illuminated from within by the mellow gleams of the gaslight. The separate lettering of “CADBURY’S CHOCOLATE”, in white glass, now a historic feature of advertising, was affixed in semi-circular fashion, across the three panels of the display window. Beneath the eaves the upper section of the facade was enclosed with redwood shingles painted an ochraceous shade of green, a covering which looked most attractive. The fascia boards were decorated at their ends by semi-circular drops and also midway in their length. The roof was of corrugated iron, painted Indian Red, as a protection against the inroads of sea air and rust. Surmounted above the ridging was a crest board of pierced metal as an ornamentation, the sharp upper edges of which were not appreciated as a potential landing place by the local sea-gull population.
The tea-room was a friendly little place given over to dainty morning and afternoon teas served at small round tables with polished marble tops, around each of which were can-seated “Austrian” chairs. Behind the counter were shelves displaying a wondrous array of chocolate boxes depicting scenes from the Swiss Alps, or flowering gems such as roses, corn-flowers, or red poppies, each box being tied with rich coloured ribbon, the products of old established firms such as Cadburys, Frys, Kailers, MacRobertson, and Nestles, amongst others. For the younger clientele with a penny to spend the stock in trade ranged from gingerbread rabbits to pink and also white sugar pigs, plus a tremendous variety of sticky toffees, milk-poles, licorice telephone wires, also straps, and blocks (at four a penny) of the same black laxative material. There were pink musk sticks, sherbet bags with a licorice tube to suck up the contents, fizzoes (round balls of sherbet encased in white toffee) at half-penny each, and many other tempting comestibles for the juvenile palate.
The post office catered for the then rather limited postal needs of Brighton- le-Sands and had the usual counter, stamp drawers, and delicate brass letter weighing scales. Letters in New South Wales needed one penny stamps, red in colour and issued by the New South Wales Government, and interstate letters were two-pence, a blue stamp. Newspapers, irrespective of their destination were sent at one half-penny each, the stamps of this denomination being green in colour. It may be of interest to give details appertaining to the furnishing of the bedsitting room occupied by the postmistress. The dividing walls of the room were of vertically fixed match-boarding and the ceiling, of the same material, followed the apex shape of the roof timbers. A large table, fully covered with a cloth of elaborate floral design, occupied the central position, whilst a sideboard, with a longitudinal mirror and shelves loaded with vases, ornaments, and trinkets, lay against a wall. There was a natty single bed of iron construction, adorned with spherical brass knobs, one on top of each bed-post, together with a multitude of brass and china fittings. Framed pictures added colour and interest to each wall, and at night a golden glow was shed by an ornate centrally hung gas bracket which, per medium of a pair of oval-shaped brass-sheathed balance weights dangling at the end of chains, could be raised or lowered at will. It was certainly a wonderful cosy little room.
The eastern half of the fence along the Bay Street frontage of Shady Nook was formed with white-painted pickets, a double gate being placed therein to admit vehicular traffic. The main pedestrian entrance was adjacent to the tea-room verandah where a number of vertical posts, each about four feet in height, arranged in two alternatively positioned rows, afforded a maximum of discomfort to obese persons and a wonderment to members of the canine family. Side by side, to admit perambulators and go-carts, was another entrance protected by a revolving cross-bar arrangement, pivoted in a central round post. These protective facilities effectually kept out the roving larger animals, and the revolving cross-bar gave endless pleasure to the smaller children as they were pushed round and round, hanging on for dear life, by their excited mates. The long verandah was paved with brown glazed bricks and the children spent much time gazing at the ferns displayed in the several bay windows and trying to pry through the fronds into the rooms beyond. The grassy sward of the eastern portion of the enclosed grounds was planted, at about twenty foot intervals, with Norfolk Island Pines, each tree being protected by rectangular shaped guards of wooden palings and several guards had seats arranged around their outer sides.
Perhaps the principal feature of Shady Nook was the large ornate Merry-Go- Round, placed near the north-eastern corner of the pleasure ground. This appurtenance was constructed about the beginning of the present century by Messrs. Stewart and Cropp, a local firm of contractors, and was electrically driven per medium of a winch, several idling pulleys, and an endless rope, the latter, after leaving the winch, being coiled around and immediately below the rotating wooden floor of the machine. A circular single railed track, concentric with the main pivot, was traversed by railway type wheels, each revolving on separate radiating axles. A large electrically operated organ played strident “mechanical” music which was clearly audible more than half a mile away, amongst which one vividly remembers the rendition of the “Blue Danube” in particular. The Merry-Go-Round was housed in a many-sided wooden building with a conical roof, above which a small cupola gave a sense of adornment. The entrance doorways were closed with wooden shutters When the machine was not in use to prevent unauthorised intrusion and acts of vandalism. The wooden horses, three abreast, moved up and down on vertical brass covered rods, each dappled steed bore a distinctive name on its neck relative to some well known racehorse of the period. There were at least four wheel-less chariots, equally spaced, which gave a measure of comfort to the younger children who were too frightened to ride the bouncing nags ahead. There was also a razzle-dazzle nearby. This contrivance consisted of a large diameter circular seat, suspended by stout iron rods from a metal cap mounted on top of a high and stout post. By the strenuous efforts of the more able participants, the circular seat rotated around its post in a rising and falling fashion. As this machine was on the free list it was a prime favourite with its many and often shrieking patrons.
About the period of 1908 a couple of discarded de-wheeled tramcar bodies, complete with glazed windows, were placed in Shady Nook west of and in the vicinity of the Merry-Go-Round. These erstwhile vehicles had end doors and side seats facing inwards and were popular with picnic parties. They also provided shelter should a thunder-storm arise. Another arrival about the same period was a “Dummy” (or driving) cable car formerly in use on the then abandoned King Street Cable Tramway in Sydney. This open-sided vehicle, minus its wheels, had seats facing outwards and towards each end, the space between the raised backs of the seats once provided standage for the former tram-car “Grip-man” where he manipulated his control levers. This unit found great favour with boys playing at “Trammies” but did not remain at Shady Nook for very long. Its ultimate fate is not known.
Shady Nook tram stop
With the expiration in 1914 of the thirty years franchise granted to Thomas Saywell by the original Act of Parliament, a move was made by the Rockdale Municipal Council to acquire Shady Nook as a public park. Two years later the Government was urged to purchase the area for recreation purposes, but to no avail. In 1920 the local Council had the option of taking over the property at a cost of £10,000 but could not arrange the finance, and as late as 1928 agitation for its purchase was still proceeding. However, the developers took over and, after the ruthless destruction of the lovely trees had taken its course, they erected the row of shops which face Bay Street and Grand Parade. Trafalgar Street, The Boulevarde, and Duke Street were eventually constructed to serve the needs of the residential area spread over the southern and western portion of the once so beautiful and popular Shady Nook.
This article was first published in the August 1971 edition of our magazine.
