Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, Front cover)
SYDNEY HARBOUR PANORAMA
An Illustrated Survey of Points of Scenic and Historic Interest Observed during the
TOURIST HARBOUR TRIPS
ARRANGED BY SYDNEY FERRIES LIMITED
PRICE SIXPENCE
REVISED EDITION
[Handwritten library notation at top right: "JAF p HIST 1394"]
Sydney Harbour Panorama Magazine
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, Title page)
Sydney Harbour Panorama
AS OBSERVED DURING — THE — TOURIST HARBOUR TRIPS . . . ARRANGED BY . . .
SYDNEY FERRIES LIMITED
being a brief account of all points of historic or scenic interest.
THE TOURIST STEAMER LEAVES No. 5 JETTY CIRCULAR QUAY
Every Tuesday and Thursday, 10.15 a.m., 2.15 p.m.
Sunday, 3 p.m. Public Holidays, 2.30 p.m.
— FARES —
Half-day Trip: Adults, 1/6; Children, 6d.
Whole-day Trip: Adults, 2/6; Children, 1/-.
HARBOUR INFORMATION BUREAU
Ring B 5906
for all information.
(Photos by courtesy of the Government Printer.)
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 4)
SYDNEY HARBOUR PANORAMA
As Observed from the Tourist Harbour Trip
Morning Cruise.
MUCH of the charm of Sydney lies in its beautiful Harbour. Peers and Poets have proclaimed its glories. Lord Rosebery, Prime Minister of Britain in the middle nineties of last century, summed it up in a matchless phrase, "Where gates of granite give entrance to a paradise of waters." Henry Lawson, the Australian Poet, toiling out beyond Coolgardie, at the time Lord Rosebery wrote, was heartsick for Sydney and its harbour, as the following lines will show:—
"Oh, there never dawned a morning in the long and lonely days,
But I thought I saw the ferries steaming out across the bays,
And as fresh and fair in fancy did the picture rise again
As the sunrise flushed the city from Woollahra to Balmain."
"And the sunny water frothing round the liners, black and red,
And the coastal steamers working by the loom of Bradley's Head;
And the whistles and the sirens that re-echo far and wide—
All the life and light and beauty that belong to Sydney-side."
"And the dreary cloud-line never veiled the end of one day more.
But the City, set in jewels, rose before me from 'The Shore.'
Round the sea-world shine the beacons of a thousand ports o' call,
But the harbour lights of Sydney are the grandest of them all."
There is no method of exploring Sydney Harbour at once so complete and so cheap as these tourists [sic] trips, arranged every Tuesday and Thursday by the company which has, from the earliest days served this great maritime city with a water transport system second to none in the world, Sydney Ferries Limited. These tours go to waters which the regular ferry services do not reach—spots of hidden beauty which will recommend themselves as much to the Sydney-sider as to the traveller. In the course of the whole day excursion on which we are embarking, you will have covered, if you complete both the morning and afternoon portions, approximately sixty miles of harbour travel, the beauties of which should be so impressed upon your mind that in after days your harbour journey will be one of your happiest memories of Sydney.
Sydney Harbour, famed as one of the most beautiful and commodious in the world, consists of North, Middle and Main Arms, with a coast line of approximately 200 miles, and an area of 22 square miles. It is shown on maps as Port Jackson, for on its discovery by Captain Cook on May 7th, 1770—a fortnight after that great navigator had planted the British flag at Botany Bay and taken possession of the East Coast of Australia on behalf of King George the Third—it was given that name in honour of the then Secretary of the British Admiralty.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 5)
CIRCULAR QUAY
LOOKING round the Quay now, one cannot but be struck by the changes that the last fifty years have brought about. Imagine the gigantic modern liners wiped out, together with a great part of the unbroken lines of wharf on each side. Substitute full-rigged sailing ships, their lofty spars and intricate rigging silhouetted against the sky above the lower buildings of that day, lying head to stern both sides of the Quay, and in places where no wharves existed, boomed off from the rough foreshore road sufficiently to keep them clear of the rocks while heaving their cargoes of wool bales along sixty-foot skids from shore to rail. From a few small and partly uncovered wharves at the head of the Cove, small ferries ply so inadequately that the waterman's steps in the centre still
[Photograph: CIRCULAR QUAY]
do a roaring trade, while on the Quay roadway a few horse-drawn 'buses and hansom cabs take the place of the present trams and motor vehicles. On the eastern point the old convict-built Fort Macquarie was a happy substitute for the present tram depot and the unsightly sheds in front of it, and careful consideration will probably lead us to doubt whether the so-called progress of those fifty years leaves us much for which to be thankful.
A further radical change is now in progress at the Quay, and shortly, electric trains will be running across a viaduct at the Southern end with the mass of an overhead railway station shutting out the view of the buildings in the centre.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, illustration, unnumbered)
[Illustration of a ferry under way]
"The Showboat" — New De Luxe Cruise Steamer for Sydney Harbour.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 6)
SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE
Leaving busy Circular Quay behind us and swinging to the west, we pass under the Harbour Bridge, which may be justifiably claimed as the greatest achievement of its type in the world. The main span of this giant bridge measures 1650 feet, with a total deck width of 160 feet. It carries two railway and two tramway tracks, as well as a broad roadway for vehicular traffic and two footpaths for pedestrians. The accepted contract price was £4,217,721, but the completed cost was much more. A million pounds was spent in special plant designed to carry out the fabrication and erection. Over 137.000 cubic yards of rock and earth had to be removed to excavate the foundations. There are 13,000
[Photograph: THE HARBOUR BRIDGE]
tons of British steel in the approach spans alone, and 54,000 tons in the whole bridge. Each of the great pylons bearing the weight of the structure at Dawes' Point and Milson's Point measures 222 feet by 162 feet, and their finished height is 285 feet above sea level, while the extreme height of the centre of the upper arch is 437 feet 6 inches. Every day during the building of the bridge lifts of over 100 tons were made by the gigantic creeper cranes used in the construction. The excavations for the foundations were begun in 1925, and the bridge was officially opened for traffic on March 19th, 1932. Including the expenditure on the approaches, the total cost was in the neighbourhood of £10,000,000.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 7)
MILSON'S POINT
Milson's Point, immediately opposite Circular Quay, carrying the northern end of the bridge, was called after James Milson, who in 1822 became the lessee of this area for eight years at a rental of £8 per year. Until 1932, it was the terminus of the railway line from Hornsby, whence passengers were transported by ferry to the city.
The erection of Luna Park in 1935 on the ground formerly occupied by the workshops in which the bridge was fabricated, provided Sydney with a new thrill, and Milson's Point became the most brilliantly illuminated portion of the Harbour foreshores. The later addition of the North Sydney Council's olympic swimming pool on the point served to regain for this locality some of the importance which it lost on removal of the railway station.
[Photograph: MILSON'S POINT, 1895]
SYDNEY FERRIES LIMITED
This ferry company, without which the northern shores of the harbour would still have been but a sparsely populated suburban area, grew up with the district until, at the time of the opening of the Bridge in 1932, its activities embraced the transportation of 42 millions of passengers annually across the harbour, besides over two million vehicles, which were carried between Milson's Point and Fort Macquarie in a fleet of modern vehicular vessels. Its beginnings were away back in 1845, when Gerrard Brothers superseded the waterman's boat, which plied between Blue's Point and Windmill Street, Miller's Point, with the "Fairy Queen," towing a punt on either side for the conveyance of vehicles. In 1849 an opposition service was started, but as the paddle-wheel [continues on p. 8]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 8)
[Sydney Ferries Limited, continued] steamer engaged in the business, the "Herald," spent a portion of her time towing vessels to sea, the ferry passengers frequently had long periods of waiting before they could cross the harbour. Eventually the "Herald" was sunk between the Heads, and in 1851 a new and more pretentious service with two vessels, the "Gipsy Queen" and "Victor," was commenced between Blue's and Dawes' Points, and this concern finally absorbed the "Fairy Queen," which at that time was plying to Milson's Point.
The Circular Quay traffic commenced in 1861 with the inauguration of the "North Shore Ferry Co.," which put into commission the "Kirribilli," licensed to carry sixty passengers, and shortly afterwards the traffic increased to proportions
[Photograph: PHOTO TO SCALE, ILLUSTRATING EVOLUTION OF FERRY STEAMERS — S.S. "LOTUS," 1886, AND S.S. "KUTTABUL," 1932.]
which warranted the addition of the "Alexander," carrying seventy-five passengers.
From 1878 to 1886 the bulk of the traffic was landed at Lavender Bay, but on the 22nd of May in the latter year the cable tram line from Milson's Point to Ridge Street was opened, and a separate ferry service was instituted between the Quay and Milson's Point. In the same year the Arcade, now demolished, was built at the Point, and this service rapidly absorbed the major part of the traffic, receiving a fresh impetus when in 1893 the Hornsby-St. Leonards railway line was extended to Milson's Point. Over the whole of this [continues on p. 9]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 10)
[Page 9 of the booklet is not included in the post; this page begins a new paragraph.]
Billy Blue, known as the "Old Commodore," was actually Sydney's original ferryman, for he was the first private individual to carry on the task of conveying passengers between Dawe's Pt. and Blue's Point by means of a number of rowing boats. This service was inaugurated in about 1790 and a particularly undesirable class of men were employed, for in 1803, the magistrates were directed to renew watermen's licenses only on the following terms: "The proprietors to enter into a bond of £50 Stg. and two securities of £25 each for the due performance of the regulations of their employees as well as themselves. The regulations laid down that the boats were always to be kept watertight and were to be provided with four oars in case the passengers might wish to assist in rowing, and also with one mast and sail."
[Photograph: LAVENDER BAY]
It was compulsory that a bell should be rung thirty minutes before the departure of the boat, that they should operate a timetable laid down, and a stop of more than ten minutes at any stopping place "unless for necessity" was looked upon as a serious matter. Fixed fares were enumerated: Those between Sydney and Parramatta being 1/- adults and 6d. children.
GIBRALTAR
The headland on the western side of Lavender Bay, decorated by a dado of ferry steamers laid up as a result of the opening of the bridge, is Gibraltar, and off this point the deepest [continues on p. 11]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 11)
[Gibraltar, continued] water in the Harbour is to be found—26 fathoms, or 156 feet—nearly the height of the bridge roadway above the water.
BERRY'S BAY
Round the point is Berry's Bay, named after a famous colonist of the first half of the nineteenth century, whose drainage and reclamation work at the mouths of the Shoalhaven and Crookhaven Rivers some eighty miles south of Sydney, turned swamps into rich dairy lands. Berry, for years, lived in a cottage on the heights above Wollstonecraft, called "Crow's Nest," whence he could look down on the activities of his whaling fleet in the bay below him. At the head of the bay is the old "Sobraon," once a clipper ship famous in the Australian trade. When steamers displaced sail, the "Sobraon" succeeded the "Vernon" as a reformatory for refractory boys. On the abolition of floating reformatories, the old ship was acquired by the Australian Navy, her name changed to "Tingira," and she was moored at Rose Bay to serve as a training ship for seamen in the Navy. Now, full of years and honor, she awaits her end.
BALL'S HEAD
The prominent headland on the right—Ball's Head—only a few years ago a neglected waste of rock and scrub, is now becoming one of the beauty spots of the Harbour through the persistent efforts of the North Sydney Council, which, after considerable trouble, induced the State Government to dedicate this land as a reserve for public recreation. It was cleared of rubbish and replanted with wattles, flowering gums and other trees indigenous to the locality, the purpose being to preserve the spot as an illustration of Australia's natural beauty.
KEROSENE BAY
On the west side of Ball's Head is a large wharf with the latest apparatus for the rapid coaling of vessels, operated by the Coal and Bunkering Company Ltd. Kerosene Bay and Oyster Cove are havens for forgotten ships. There they lie—steam and sailing craft—once well-known throughout the Seven Seas.
OYSTER COVE
The gasometer, 240 feet high, which shows out so prominently at the head of Oyster Cove, stores the gas supplies for the whole of North Sydney. To the left is the suburb of Wollstonecraft, named after one of the only five landowners on the north shore side of the Harbour in 1826, the partner of Berry, of Berry's Bay, and a cousin of Mary Wollstonecraft the wife of the poet Shelley. The storage plant of the Shell Oil Company gives a neo-decorative effect to the foreshore.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 12)
In 1826 the only landowners on the north side were Robert Ryan, James Robertson, William Blue, Alfred Thripps and Edward Wollstonecraft.
GREENWICH
The point we now approach on the right is Greenwich Point, forming the eastern headland of the entrance to the Lane Cove River—a tidal stream which is really but an arm of the Harbour.
WOOLWICH DOCKS
On the left are the Woolwich floating and dry docks, the latter being 850 feet in length, and capable of receiving the largest ocean liners which come to Sydney. It can be emptied at the rate of 4,000,000 gallons per hour. The docks, owned by the Mort's Dock and Engineering Co. Ltd., are a monument to one of the most remarkable of the pioneers of Australia.
MORT
Thomas Sutcliffe Mort was born at Bolton, Lancashire, in 1816, had a commercial training in Manchester, and came to Sydney in 1838, obtaining employment with Aspinall Brown & Co. as a clerk. In 1841 he helped to form the Hunter River Navigation Company, which later became the Australian United Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. The Aspinall firm failed in the financial crisis of 1842, and in the following year Mort set up on his own account as an auctioneer and woolbroker. In 1845 he established the firm of Mort & Co.—now Goldsbrough Mort & Co. Ltd.—whose methods enabled the small grower to realise quickly on his wool. In 1849 he promoted the first railway in the State—from Sydney to Parramatta and on the discovery of gold in 1851 he formed the first Australian gold mining company. In 1854 he commenced the excavation of the largest dock in Australia at Balmain, which we shall view later. In 1856 he took up agriculture and established on the South Coast the model farm of Bodalla, occupying 14,000 acres, later increased to 38.000 acres. In the early sixties he floated the Peak Downs Copper Mining Co. in Queensland, and the Waratah Coal Mining Co. in Newcastle. In 1863 he enlarged the docking business and established a shipyard and works for the manufacture of steam engines, railway carriages and machinery. This developed into Mort's Dock & Engineering Co., and in 1873 he offered his workmen shares in it, of which opportunity all the foremen took advantage. In 1870 he experimented in the freezing and thawing of meat, and in 1875 established a slaughter house and freezing works at Lithgow, also ice works at Darling Harbour. He chartered the first steamer for the frozen meat trade, and invested £80,000 in the venture, squatters con- [continues on p. 13]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 13)
[Mort, continued] tributing £20.000 more. Unfortunately, the refrigerating machinery broke down during the voyage, and the failure prevented further experiments, so he converted his freezing works into ice factories. Just as his cherished ambition to send frozen meat abroad was accomplished he died at Bodalla in 1878. The gratitude of the people of New South Wales, prominent among them being his workmen, erected a statue in Macquarie Place to his memory.
VALENTIA STREET
The wharf to the right of the docks is Valentia Street, where ferry passengers may take motor 'buses to any point in Hunter's Hill or Gladesville. This 'bus route connects with the
[Photograph: ONIONS POINT — LANE COVE]
Ryde tramway, by which it is possible to return over the Gladesville Bridge to Sydney, the circuit making an interesting sight-seeing trip, which may be recommended for another day.
LANE COVE RIVER
On the left we are now rounding Onions Point, fully opening up the Lane Cove River. This is one of the fairest prospects of the Harbour. On the right-hand side are the suburbs of Bay Street and Northwood, and as we sweep round the curving waters of the river, one cannot fail to be enthralled by the sylvan beauty of the scenery and the delightful character of the homes which fringe the banks on either side, with lawns [continues on p. 14]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 14)
[Lane Cove River, continued] sloping to the still water, and gardens where foreign and native trees grow together to enhance each other's loveliness.
NORTHWOOD
From Northwood wharf a 'bus service connects the ferry with the tram at Lane Cove, by which you may return to the city via the bridge, a short trip which can also be recommended to visitors.
LONGUEVILLE
Crossing Woodford Bay, we approach Longueville, and from this wharf also there is a 'bus connection with the tram. Longueville is another pleasant suburb, where conditions are arcadian when compared with an industrial district. Up to
[Photograph: FIG TREE BRIDGE — LANE COVE]
1870 the slopes on either side of the Lane Cove Road, which runs along the crests of the hills in the background, were heavily timbered, and the district from here up to Hornsby was drawn upon for timber for building purposes. The logs were conveyed to Fidden's wharf near the head of the river, and thence transported by water to Market Wharf, Darling Harbour. A few years ago traces of the old saw pits near Fidden's wharf, in use by convict labour as early as 1820, were still visible.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 15)
RIVERVIEW COLLEGE
And now, owing to shallowing water, further exploration of the Lane Cove River is denied to vessels of this size, but before we return look ahead and you will see St. Ignatius College, the huge structure crowning the hill slightly to the right.
FIG TREE
Still higher up is Fig Tree Bridge, until recently the terminus of the ferry service. By the wharf is Fig Tree House, an ancient wooden structure, formerly the residence of Mr. Joubert, the proprietor of the original Lane Cove ferry service before its absorption by Sydney Ferries Ltd. Just below it on the southern bank is the Avenue Pleasure Ground now a film studio. Above the bridge the river wanders through picturesque orchard and farm lands, and is navigable by lighters for about two miles, and by small craft for about twice as far. In 1790 the inaccessible gullies at the head of the Lane Cove River shared with Kissing Point—now Ryde—the doubtful honour of being the greatest producers of illicit spirits. Of all the citizens of Sydney the dwellers on the Lane Cove are most to be envied their daily journey to and from the city. Restful and invigorating is the trip through this sylvan beauty, so utterly unlike the noise and crowded discomfort of a tram or train journey. The decks of the ferries are a recognised social meeting place for the Lane Cove residents, and many a romance has had its birth there.
HUNTER'S HILL
Moving down towards the entrance again, the whole of the promontory on the right, dividing the waters of the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is known as Hunter's Hill. It is one of the earliest residential districts outside the city; in fact, settlement had commenced here before the end of the eighteenth century.
PARRAMATTA RIVER
We are now passing out of the Lane Cove into the Parramatta River, another tidal stream navigable for small vessels nearly to the town of that name, eleven miles away, the country seat of the Government of New South Wales in the first half of the nineteenth century. On the right just beyond Woolwich wharf is the tin-smelting establishment founded by the late Mr. T. H. Kelly, and still controlled by his family.
PULPIT POINT
The succeeding point on the right is Pulpit Point, a storage plant for the Vacuum Oil Company, while the inlet inside it is Fern Bay, once one of the beauty spots of the Harbour and [continues on p. 16]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 16)
[Pulpit Point, continued] a favourite picnic resort. Industry has sacrificed the trees and ferns beloved by a more leisurely generation, as an offering on the altar of Speed and the Car. Beyond Pulpit Point the panorama of the Hunter's Hill shore continues to unfold. This is the last stronghold of serenity in a Sydney suburb, for neither tram nor train runs into the district. Once it could only be reached by water, but now the ubiquitous motor threatens its peace. At Hunter's Hill ferry wharf the peninsula narrows in width to a few hundred yards.
TARBAN CREEK
Above Hunter's Hill wharf the entrance to the narrow estuary of Tarban Creek is seen running far up between Gladesville and Hunter's Hill, and on the hill above the creek the silver dome marks the position of St. Joseph's College, originally the headquarters of a French Mission.
DRUMMOYNE
The wharf and suburb on the left is Drummoyne, and we are now approaching Gladesville Bridge, built in 1883. The ferry that runs as far as the bridge is the survivor of the oldest
[Photograph: THE WALKER HOSPITAL]
ferry service in Australia, that to Parramatta, which was inaugurated in the eighteenth century when George III. was King and Pitt Prime Minister of Great Britain. During the first few months of the Colony, boats from the ships in port were used for ferry service, but in December 1788 the keel of the "Rose Hill Packet" was laid and she was launched on 3rd October, 1789, and immediately put on the Sydney-Rosehill service. She soon acquired the name of "The Lump" from her awkwardness and difficulty in handling. Two days was considered an exceptionally fast passage, and anything under [continues on p. 17]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 17)
[Drummoyne, continued] a week was mentioned with gratitude. These methods of transport gave way in 1832 to the first mechanically-propelled vessel, which derived its motive power from paddle-wheels actuated by horses harnessed to a windlass. This boat was said to have attained a speed of six knots under the most favourable circumstances, and on her maiden trip from Parramatta to the Market Wharf on the 5th October, 1832, covered the distance in three hours including stops.
HENLEY
Passing through the swing-span of the bridge, we enter upon the upper reaches of the river. The tree-covered point on the right marks the suburb of Henley. It was originally called Blandville, but the name was apparently altered to Henley to keep the flavour of the Thames, already introduced at Greenwich, Chiswick and higher up at Putney and Mortlake. Before we reach Henley wharf a broken marble column rises from the water, erected in commemoration of Henry Ernest Searle, champion sculler of the world, who, after triumphantly touring Canada and England, was returning to Australia with his laurels fresh upon him, when he contracted typhoid at Colombo, and died in Melbourne at the age of twenty-one. The Brothers, the rocks upon which the memorial is erected, mark the finish of the championship course, and therefore no more suitable place for the column could have been found. The bay inside Henley Point is backed by the grounds and buildings of Gladesville Mental Hospital, the largest institution of its kind in N.S.W., which nearly a century ago was known as the Tarban Creek Hospital. The other extremity of the bay, Bedlam Point, no doubt derives its name from the Hospital.
GREAT NORTH ROAD
Until the Gladesville Bridge was built in 1883 a punt ran between Abbotsford and Gladesville. Over it all the traffic to the north was carried for the greater part of last century, and the Great North Road, recommencing at the punt landing on Bedlam Point, traces of which may still be seen, crossed the Hawkesbury at Wiseman's Ferry, passing on to Cessnock and Maitland.
"ROCKEND"
Round the point inside the entrance to Looking Glass Bay is the oil mill of Harold Meggitt Limited. In its grounds stands an old stone cottage, "Rockend," once the home of "Banjo" Paterson, the author of several books of verse. Factories have now displaced poetry on the river.
GLADESVILLE
On the next point is Gladesville wharf, at which ferries have been calling for more than a century. The suburb of the [continues on p. 18]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 18)
[Gladesville, continued] same name behind it has grown during the present century from 600 to 10,000, and in the process of expansion most of the old homes have disappeared.
TENNYSON
Next we approach Tennyson, the whole of which suburb was once the estate of James Squire Farnell, who, fifty years ago, was Premier of the State.
PUTNEY
Crossing Morrison's Bay, we come to Putney. The fine old house on the point was built by the Hon. F. A. Wright, once a Minister of the Crown. Now, fallen from its high estate, the grounds have become a public park, and the house a dancing and pleasure resort. Owing to the shoaling of the river
[Photograph: GAS WORKS — MORTLAKE]
it is not possible to proceed further, but before we return you should look up the river to several points of historic interest.
KISSING POINT
The osculation which led to the naming of Kissing Point, opposite the Walker Hospital, occurred about 1809. Lieutenant Governor Paterson organized a picnic to the Point and after a heavy lunch, the gentlemen gallantly fell asleep, leaving the ladies to their own devices. They were awakened by the ladies kissing them and claiming forfeits, and later, on a discussion arising as to what the Point should be called, one of the ladies blushingly suggested the present name, a suggestion carried with acclamation. But Kissing Point's claim to historical [continues on p. 19]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 19)
[Kissing Point, continued] recognition rests upon firmer grounds than this, for it was there that James Squire, holding a grant in 1795 of thirty acres which he gradually increased to 1.500, made the first legal beer in the Colony. His earlier brews at least must have had something of the qualities of the "hooch" of prohibition America, for an ancient tombstone once to be seen in Parramatta is said to have recorded that—
"He who drinks Squire's beer lies here."
However, Squire began to plant hops in 1801, and in five years had succeeded so well that he was mentioned in Government "Orders" as having by experiment grown hops "in no degree inferior to the best imported article."
CONCORD
Concord, the suburb on the left immediately below the Ryde Railway Bridge, which is just visible in the distance, was settled and named in December, 1793. The nearer vehicular bridge was opened in 1936. Grants of land of from 25 to 30 acres each were made to six non-commissioned officers of the New South Wales Corps and to four civilians, but the soil was unsuitable and agriculture did not flourish here. The first recorded grant was made higher up still at Parramatta—thirty acres to James Ruse—who afterwards sold out and settled on the Hawkesbury River. In 1793, Rose Hill, or Parramatta, the earliest agricultural district, had a population of 2,000 of whom 64 were working their own land, the majority of the remainder being assigned labour.
WALKER HOSPITAL
The stately brick edifice on the southern bank is the Thomas Walker Hospital for convalescents, built in memory of the late Thomas Walker. The people of N.S.W. owe a debt of gratitude to this family, for no charge falls upon either patients or public for the services rendered by this institution. Partly hidden in the bay is "Yaralla," said to be the most beautiful home in Sydney, formerly owned and occupied by the late Dame Eadith Walker. No words can describe the beauty of its century-old gardens.
MORTLAKE GAS WORKS
Now, making down the river again, we pass on the right the huge gasometers and plant of the Australian Gas Light Co., where sixty years ago orchards ran down to the river bank. These gasworks are the seventh in point of size in the British Empire, and serve an area of 200 square miles, the product being distributed along mains over 2,000 miles in length. Two steamers are occupied solely in the transport of coal from Newcastle, the huge amount of 1,200 tons per day being required to provide for the replenishing of the gas supply. Gas was first supplied in Sydney on the 24th May (Queen's Birthday), 1841. In describing this historic event a newspaper of [continues on p. 20]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 20)
[Mortlake Gas Works, continued] the day stated: "The inhabitants have now seen with their own eyes how surpassingly beautiful is the lambent flame of well-purified gas, how soft and pleasing is the refulgence it offers, and with what facility they may control its illuminating powers, causing it, by a simple touch, to burst into a brilliancy, too dazzling to look upon, or to subside into a sober twilight." The gas of those days would seem to have been more effective than the modern product. With the almost universal adoption of electric light, the Gas Company has expanded its activities in the line of heating so effectively that industry is to a great extent dependent upon gas supply now, many large industrial enterprises consuming from 20 to 80 million cubic feet of gas annually. This has resulted in reducing the smoke nuisance to negligible proportions, and even on the Harbour the ferry steamers are almost smokeless by reason of the use of coke fuel, a product of the Gas Company.
[Photograph: COCKATOO ISLAND]
CABARITA
The river between Mortlake and Cabarita was until recently the scene of the Great Public Schools annual rowing championships, now held on the Nepean River. No one who has not witnessed this event can imagine the difference between the peaceful aspect now before us and the pandemonium which reigned on these occasions. Both sides of the river were lined with craft of all descriptions filled with yelling school enthusiasts, and every vantage point on the foreshores was a seething mass of howling humanity, while behind them on any [continues on p. 21]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 21)
[Cabarita, continued] flat space such as Cabarita Park, thousands of parked motor vehicles stretched away as far as eye could see. The noise and movement as the racing craft drew near the finishing line off Cabarita wharf were indescribable.
CORREY'S GARDENS
Immediately behind Cabarita Park lay what was, until a few years ago, the Coney Island of Sydney, known as Correy's Gardens. The advent of the motor car and, more recently, surf bathing, have eliminated this once popular form of week-end recreation. The site of Correy's Gardens is now occupied by the British Australian Lead Manufacturers Pty. Ltd., whose paint producing plant is the largest and most modern in the Southern Hemisphere. Facing this factory across the entrance of Hen and Chicken Bay is the present animal quarantine station.
ABBOTSFORD
At the head of Fig Tree Bay, Abbotsford, stands the factory of Nestle's Ltd., sweets manufacturers. The newer industrial buildings surround a distinctive two-storied house originally built by Sir Arthur Renwick as a replica of "Abbotsford," Sir Walter Scott's home at Melrose, Scotland. Here again poetry gives way to commerce. At one side of the Abbotsford ferry wharf are traces of the old punt which carried traffic across the river to Bedlam Point before the erection of the bridge, and on the other side was the quaint old cottage (now the headquarters of the Sydney Rowing Club), which was once the only place of entertainment for man and beast for many miles, after their safe delivery from the perils of the punt crossing.
BLACKWALL POINT
The enormous stacks of timber on Blackwall Point, Chiswick, are the property of the Co-operative Box Co. of N.S.W., whose plant occupies eleven acres, formerly owned by Dr. Fortesque. The shareholders are the principal Dairy Companies in the State and their interest in this concern is apparent when it is known that the Box Company supplies, among other packing, 1½ million of butter boxes each year.
FIVE DOCK
Once more approaching the bridge, we cross the mouth of Five Dock Bay, deriving its name from what were originally five waterworn indentations on the eastern headland. Of these, two were swallowed up by the bridge foundations, and one has been filled in, but two of the "docks" can still be plainly distinguished.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 22)
SPECTACLE ISLAND
The two small islands to the westward of Cockatoo are Snapper Island, headquarters of the Sea Scouts, and Spectacle Island, which has taken the place of Goat Island as a naval magazine. It will be noticed that the latter bristles with lightning conductors in a manner reminiscent of Mark Twain's famous verses.
COCKATOO ISLAND (WARRIUBAH)
The first buildings on Warriubah, the native name by which the island was originally known, were erected to assist overcrowded prison establishments in 1833, although as early as 1813 there were prison huts guarded by a detachment of Imperial troops. But in 1840, owing to the dedication of
[Photograph: WHITE BAY TERMINAL SILOS]
Goat Island to the purpose of a powder magazine, the expenditure of £4,078 on the establishment of a permanent penal settlement was approved and suitable stone buildings were erected. Though the despatch of convicts from England had ceased at this date, the withdrawal of prisoners from Norfolk Island in 1839 necessitated this step. Military sentries occupied a chain of guard houses round the shore and whenever a fog descended upon the Parramatta River, the number of sentries was doubled. As a consequence of these precautions escapes were rare, although Thunderbolt, the notorious bushranger, successfully evaded the guards in 1863, but was re-cap- [continues on p. 23]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 23)
[Cockatoo Island, continued] tured at Pittwater. In 1854 it was decided that all prisoners sentenced to work on the roads should be received at Cockatoo and its accommodation became heavily overtaxed, for in 1861 500 prisoners were lodged in buildings which had been constructed to provide sleeping quarters for only 328. In 1872 the prisoners were removed and distributed among Darlinghurst and other goals [sic], and the buildings were then used as a reformatory for girls, but later for the worst type of women offenders. The completion of the women's portion of Long Bay Goal [sic] in 1908 marked the end of Cockatoo Island as a penal establishment. Agriculture in Australia is indebted to the Island for the first practical demonstration of the efficacy of storing wheat in silos. In 1839 Governor Gipps caused to be excavated in the solid rock a number of bottle-shaped receptacles capable of holding from 3,000 to 5,000 bushels each, and at one time the amount of grain in storage exceeded 100,000 bushels. An interesting contemporary account of these silos gives the following description: "excavated in the solid rock—shaped like a high bottle 15 or 20 feet deep by 10 feet wide with a narrow neck closed by a stone capsule and luted with plaster." On the opening of a dockyard further use was found for these silos as a reserve fresh water supply.
COCKATOO DOCKYARD
History begins for the dockyard in 1848 when it was decided to excavate a graving dock. This was done by prison labour, and a bronze plate at the entrance to Fitzroy Dock is inscribed "Ceremony of laying keystone of inverted arch forming sill performed in 1853 by Governor Sir Charles Fitzroy. First ship taken into Fitzroy Dock was H.M. surveying brig 'Herald' in December, 1858." Later this dock was lengthened to 495 feet and in 1882, owing to the continual and rapid increase in the size of ships, the sum of £150,000 was voted for a new dock, and the Sutherland dock—the westernmost one of the two basins—was added. It was 720 feet in length, of sufficient dimensions to take any ship then afloat, the British Admiralty having been consulted at every stage of the construction. The bronze tablet near the entrance records: "This dock was contracted for and constructed by Louis Samuel, C.E., who died November 29th, 1887, at the early age of 26 years, a short time before the completion of the work." From inception until 1913 it was a State establishment, but from that date up to the 1st March, 1933, it was under Commonwealth control. During the latter period 25 large vessels, including six warships, were built there, in addition to numerous smaller craft. It is now leased to a private company, with reservations which preserve to the Defence Department all the advantages which it previously enjoyed, while effectively eliminating the evils of political interference in its management.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 24)
BALMAIN COAL MINE
While passing Cockatoo Island, on the east of the channel we get a view of the Balmain chemical works and also of the Balmain Coal Mine, 2,942 feet deep and said to be the second in the world in point of depth. Its tunnels stretch out under the Harbour as far as Cremorne. The main coal seam is believed to extend in a general northerly direction under Ball's Head and to be in fact an extension of the great northern coal seam.
GOAT ISLAND
Passing round Long Nose Point, on the left of the narrow pass for which we are steering, lies Goat Island, now the depot of the Harbour Trust's floating plant and fire-fighting vessels.
[Illustration: MILLER'S POINT, 1838]
Goat Island came early into use, as in 1833 the chain gangs from the convict hulk "Phoenix" were landed for quarry work, and the original buildings were the fruit of their labour completed in 1836 when Major-General Sir Richard Burke was Governor of N.S.W. Its use for penal purposes was discontinued in 1840, as Governor Gipps considered that the completion of the powder magazine made it no longer a desirable place for a large body of convicts. It is seventeen acres in extent and was garrisoned until about 1868 by a detachment of Imperial troops—the last guards being the Royal Irish.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 25)
BALMAIN
The district of Balmain on the right, now the most thickly populated area in the metropolis, was in 1800 a long straggling peninsula covered with dense ti-tree scrub. Not being particularly valuable, 550 acres of it was in that year granted by Governor Hunter to Dr. William Balmain, who, as a mark of appreciation of the generosity of the gift, sold it for ten shillings to Dr. John Gilchrist. As it was extremely well adapted for a kangaroo trap, if for nothing else, "Gilchrist's Place" as it was then called, became the scene of huge kangaroo drives, the animals being driven in from the plains round Ashfield and Leichhardt and slaughtered in large numbers. Dr. Gilchrist apparently made a slight profit on his speculation, for part of the area passed into the hands of an English syndicate, and a considerable slice near the present Birchgrove brought in a barrel of rum, then worth about £4 per gallon, the artificially high price being the result of a monopoly of the sale of the commodity granted to our first military leaders. The first settlement at Balmain was near Peacock Point about 1840 and followed the shipbuilding yards which were already established there, but later many retired mariners settled on the land opposite Goat Island, and some of the tortuous roads of the district were the result of surveys carried out by the wandering cows of these early residents. The advent of the ferry service in about 1842 and the establishment of the dockyard of Messrs. Rowntree and Mort in 1854 gave Balmain an industrial impetus which has not stopped to the present date, when it is still one of the principal engineering districts in the metropolitan area. Many fine old houses still stand, once the residences of prominent citizens, and the older streets of Balmain are full of historic associations.
DARLING HARBOUR
We are now turning into Darling Harbour. Swinging across Johnston's Bay (called after the Major who arrested and deposed Governor Bligh), you get a glimpse of the terminal wheat silos on Glebe Island, and the shipping facilities provided for the vessels of all nations. Skirting the Pyrmont front, with the massive Pyrmont Bridge in view, we turn to make our way out of this, Sydney's Interstate shipping centre.
MILLER'S POINT
We are now passing Miller's Point, on the heights of which was once Sydney's fashionable residential area, as evidenced by the size of some of the houses still to be seen. The locality was much favoured by military officers during the first half of the last century.
WALSH BAY
On our right is Walsh Bay, where, in recent years, modern wharves have been constructed to accommodate some of the [continues on p. 26]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 26)
[Walsh Bay, continued] larger vessels engaged in the oversea trade, and on Flagstaff Hill overlooking it is the Sydney Observatory. Forty years ago the site of the easternmost wharf was occupied by a public swimming bath.
FLAGSTAFF HILL
Lieutenant-Governor Grose, who filled the interregnum between the first two Governors of the colony, employed a man named Baugham to erect a man power flour mill, and on the 10th March, 1794, a trial was carried out in the tile roofed mill near the bank of the Tank Stream, a little south of Bridge Street. It was driven by nine men walking round a capstan, and when all went well it ground fifty-three pounds
[Photograph: OLD GUNS — FORT DENISON]
of wheat in seventeen minutes. In 1797, after several ineffectual attempts to construct windmills, Governor Hunter brought out a small working model together with the necessary mechanical parts, with the result that in that year the first windmill was erected in a small stone tower on Flagstaff Hill, the site of the present observatory. This was more rapid in its action, grinding a bushel of wheat in ten minutes, but settlers had to pay almost half this amount for the service. In 1862 there were at least nine mills of this description in Sydney, of which the last one, on Mill Hill, Waverley, was only demolished in 1878. The first water-driven mill was constructed at Parramatta in 1804 by an ingenious convict who was rewarded with £50.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 27)
DAWES' POINT
This was the first fortified position in Australia, a stone magazine and gun platforms being commenced in 1788. In that year it became necessary to despatch the "Sirius" to the Cape of Good Hope for supplies to relieve the starving population of Sydney, and, to allow of heavier loading, eight of her six-pounder guns were landed and placed in position in the battery under the command of Lieutenant William Dawes of the Royal Marines. The colours were hoisted for the first time on the 1st January, 1789. The garrisoning of the battery was taken over by the New South Wales Corps in 1800. The battery was re-built and augmented in 1856 and 15 guns were mounted, while barracks were erected on the slope above it. The last vestige of its former military
[Photograph: NEUTRAL BAY TO BRADLEY'S HEAD]
character was removed in 1924, during the preliminary construction work for the bridge. Until 1905, the one o'clock signal gun was fired from here, operating automatically on the dropping of the time-ball at the Observatory.
FORT DENISON
Of the many islands with which the waters of the Harbour are studded, none has suffered such a change in outline since the "First Fleet" entered the heads, as Fort Denison, which we are now approaching. It was at that time a conical shaped rocky islet about eighty feet in height covered with bushes [continues on p. 28]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 28)
[Fort Denison, continued] and stunted trees and was christened Rock Island by Governor Phillip, a literal translation of its native name "Mattenwaya." But soon after the inception of the infant colony it was recognized that the shark-infested waters of the harbour would make Rock Island an ideal spot for the safeguarding of refractory convicts, and as its first tenants were fed on a small weekly ration of bread and water it soon became known among the convicts as "Pinchgut," a title which has clung to it to the present day. In 1796 one Francis Morgan was condemned to death in connection with the murder of a man on the North Shore. It was then decided to transplant to these shores the good old British custom of gibbeting malefactors in prominent positions as an encouragement to passers-by, and Morgan was accordingly hung in chains on the top of "Pinchgut" and dangled there for many months. He was the first person who
[Photograph: MOSMAN, 1878]
is recorded as having eulogized the beauty of our Harbour, which he found the only thing worth mentioning when he was asked for a farewell speech at the foot of the gallows. In 1840, shortly after the transportation of convicts to Australia had ceased, Sir George Gipps, recognising the value of "Pinchgut" as a site for fortification, and realizing that the supply of cheap convict labour must soon cease, commenced its transformation by razing the rocky formation almost to water level. The project however, was not sanctioned by the Home Authorities and the work was abandoned in 1842 when the island had assumed the appearance of a flat area of rubble but a few feet above the tide and about an acre in extent.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 29)
[Fort Denison, continued] But the position altered in 1854 when Britain and France found themselves at war with Russia, and Governor Denison decided that with Kirribilli and "Pinchgut" fortified, the Colony could defy invasion. By 1857 the present Martello tower and guard rooms were finished and the impregnability of the fortress was assured by the mounting of modern artillery capable of hitting a very large object at a very short range if the target sat very still. Up to a much later date long range artillery practice was carried out from Kirribilli and "Pinchgut" at a target moored a few hundred yards down the harbour. The tower—one of the finest of its type still in existence—remains as it was when it formed Sydney's main defence. Narrow stairs wind up in the eleven foot thick walls to the gun-room. Here, in perfect order, are three of the old 8in. 32 pounders, weapons now impotent, but regarded
[Photograph: CIRCULAR QUAY, 1878]
as highly efficient at the date they were placed in position. In 1869 the Imperial authorities handed the island over to the care of the Naval Brigade on condition that the light on the top of the tower was attended and that a fog signal was to be sounded in thick weather. The Brigade remained in occupation until 1900 when the island was taken over by the Harbour Trust under whose control it has since remained. The time signal gun is fired from the island at one p.m. simultaneously with the dropping of the ball at the Observatory. For the past sixty years Fort Denison has been the principal station for the observation of tidal phenomena, an [continues on p. 30]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 30)
[Fort Denison, continued] automatic recording gauge having been installed. On the island is a spring of fresh water which has never been known to run dry.
BEN BOYD
To the eastward of Kirribilli lie Neutral and Mosman Bays, with the early history of which the name of Ben Boyd was closely connected. He was a man of great ideas without that faculty for taking infinite pains which has stood so many men of lesser calibre in good stead. In business in London as a stockbroker, Boyd in 1840 decided that New South Wales was a favourable stage for his operations, and in pursuance of this object he formed the Royal Bank of Australia with a capital of £200,000. Sending in advance the steamers "Seahorse," "Jane" and "Cornubia" with the schooner "Velocity" under the command of Captain S. Browning, Boyd arrived in Sydney in 1842 in his yacht "Wanderer." He immediately plunged into a multiplicty [sic] of financial dealings, erecting his bank building on Church Hill, on the site of the present Wentworth Hotel, and whaling at that time being the industry which gave promise of immediate monetary return, he purchased and fitted out nine whaling ships. Not waiting to consolidate any of his somewhat speculative ventures, he took up large tracts of land in the Monaro, Riverina and Western districts, which he stocked with cattle and sheep. As headquarters for his whaling fleet, he spent tremendous sums in the building and establishment of a town known as Boyd Town in Twofold Bay, even erecting a lighthouse which, owing to a quarrel with the Government of the day, was never lighted. Twofold Bay, discovered by Bass in 1798, became after Sydney the most important port on the coast, a regular port of call for all coasting vessels, and a place of shipment for Boyd's livestock for Port Phillip and Van Diemen's Land. From here his wool was shipped to his scouring establishment at the head of Neutral Bay, where a three-storied stone warehouse on the waterfront had been built near Boyd's own residence. Fresh water was brought to his wool-scouring plant from the heights above by a creek near the present Ben Boyd Road. His whalers landed the oil and stored it for shipment at Mosman Bay, which was then the principal ship-repairing depot in the Colony, and where London-bound ships loaded whale-oil prior to completing their cargoes in Sydney Cove. But the activities of this vigorous old pioneer came to an end in 1849, when the Royal Bank of Australia was wound up after losing £420,000. Boyd left in his yacht for the newly discovered Californian goldfields, but, again unsuccessful, boarded the "Wanderer" in San Francisco to return to Australia in 1851. Landing in the Solomon Islands with a native boy as guide he disappeared, and nothing is known of his end to this day. His yacht was afterwards wrecked at the entrance to Port Macquarie.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 31)
SYDNEY HARBOUR PANORAMA
As Observed by the Tourist Harbour Trip—Afternoon Cruise.
CIRCULAR QUAY
At the South-west corner of Circular Quay stands the oldest Government building in the State, built on the first block of land selected by Captain Phillip as a site for an official building. Commenced in 1809, and completed in 1813, it was erected by convict labour for use as commissariat stores and close
[Illustration: THE TANK STREAM]
examination will reveal on each stone the sign of its convict mason, though the precise significance of these marks is unknown. The foundation stone carries the inscription.
"Erected in the year 1812, L. Macquarie, Esq., Governor, G.R."
To a much later date deep water extended right to the doors, allowing the shallow-draft vessels of that period to discharge their cargoes directly into the building. The present wide roadway in front of it is the result of reclamation.
THE TANK STREAM
At the time of the original occupation of the Colony the waters of Sydney Cove reached as far as Dalley Street, and a watercourse, fed from swamps situated on the site of Hyde Park, and also from a spring in what is now Spring Street, entered [continues on p. 32]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 32)
[The Tank Stream, continued] the Cove at its south west corner. For many years it was possible to row in a small boat along what are now Pitt and Hamilton Streets, as far as Hunter Street, passing under the bridge, built in 1811, from which the present Bridge Street derives its name. The creek, in the rocky bed of which a tank fifteen feet deep, with a capacity of about 8,000 gallons was excavated, became known in 1792 as the Tank Stream for that reason. As late as June, 1837, it constituted the sole water supply of the town, as a tunnel, commenced in 1827 to bring water from Lachlan swamp to near the head of King Street, was not completed for ten years. Carriers at this time and for many years subsequently, filled their carts at these sources, and peddled the water throughout the City.
HARBOUR BRIDGE
For the benefit of those who were not with us this morning, before proceeding on the eastern portion of our cruise, we will again pass under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which may be justifiably claimed as the greatest achievement of its kind in the world. The first suggestion to link Sydney with the North Shore was put forward in 1815—the year that brought the Napoleonic wars to an end at Waterloo. Mr. F. M. Greenway, Government Architect, suggested the feasibility of a bridge in a report made to the then Governor, Macquarie, but it was not until 42 years later that a similar suggestion was mooted, and a drawing was made of a proposed bridge from Dawes' Point to Milson's Point, the site occupied by the present structure. In 1903, under the See-O'Sullivan Administration, competitive designs were called for throughout the world, and the appointed Advisory Committee recommended the acceptance of a tender for construction amounting to £1,940,000, but the succeeding Government did not give effect to this recommendation.
BENELONG POINT
Leaving the Quay we round on our right Benelong Point, named after an aboriginal who was very useful to Governor Phillip as interpreter during the whole of his term of office from 1790. Benelong was one of two natives captured by the first lieutenant of the "Sirius" in 1789, but though kindly treated by Phillip he escaped a fortnight later. He was located again at Manly in the following year, and on this occasion the Governor was speared through the neck by one of Benelong's companions. Benelong accompanied the Governor to England on the latter's retirement in 1792, but evidently acquired habits there which failed to endear him to his native friends, for on his return with Governor Hunter, he apparently had many misunderstandings with his relatives, culminating in his being seriously wounded in a tribal fight in 1798. He recovered, however, for it is recorded that he was buried on [continues on p. 33]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 33)
[Benelong Point, continued] James Squire's property at Kissing Point on the 3rd January, 1813. The first building on Benelong Point was a brick hut twelve feet square and roofed with tiles, which Governor Phillip built for his aboriginal friend. Guns were mounted there in 1788, but Fort Macquarie, which was demolished to make way for the tram depot, was not commenced until 1817. A signal gun was fired from this battery when a convict escaped.
FARM COVE
The gently sloping foreshore of Farm Cove, the bay immediately beyond Benelong Point, has some historical importance from the fact that Australia's first farm, "nine acres in wheat, barley and rice," was established here in 1788. The little rill
[Photograph: FARM COVE]
of water which flowed through it still runs, though widened to form the ornamental ponds of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now occupying the site of the original holding.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Overlooking the cove on the right stands Government House, erection of which commenced in 1837, though eight years elapsed before the Governor, Sir George Gipps, took possession. The structure behind it, now the Conservatorium of Music, is much older, having been built in 1817 as the vice-regal stables.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 34)
THE DOMAIN
Surrounding the Botanic Gardens and running out to the point, forming the eastern side of the Cove is the "Domain," a public recreation reserve where our Royal visitors of recent years, the late King George and Queen Mary (then Duke and Duchess of York), and later the present Duke of Windsor, landed for their official welcome to Sydney, while in 1934 Prince Henry, in Australia to grace the Melbourne Centenary celebrations with his presence also entered the State by this Royal gateway. The object of the late King's visit in 1901 was to proclaim the constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia, and to preside at the opening of the first Federal Parliament in Melbourne. The Duke of Windsor visited Sydney in H.M.S. "Renown" in 1920, while the Duke and Duchess of York, now the reigning Sovereigns, also in H.M.S. "Renown," arrived in 1927 to open the first session of the Federal Parliament at Canberra.
MRS. MACQUARIE'S CHAIR
The eastern end of the Cove is Lady Macquarie Point, and there can be seen the rock which, nearly a century ago, was carved into the form of a great chair. This is known as Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, and bears this quaint inscription:—
"Be it thus recorded that the road round the inside of the Government Domain called
MRS. MACQUARIE'S ROAD,
so named by the Governor on account of her having originally planned it, measuring 3 miles and 37 yards, was finally completed in the 13th day of June, 1816."
The distance was doubtless measured from the Obelisk in Macquarie Place. The point, before Mrs. Macquarie's advent, was part of an eleven acre farm and orchard belonging to an early settler named John Anson. It was known in those days as Anson's Point, while the Aboriginals called it Yurong. It was advertised for sale or to let in 1809, the advertisement in the "Sydney Gazette" describing it as a truly valuable leasehold.
GARDEN ISLAND
Directly opposite to this historic point is Garden Island, taken over by the British Government for the establishment of naval stores. For utilitarian reasons, a large portion of the island was levelled, destroying all its original claim to the designation of "garden" that still clings to it. A year or two before the war, the island was transferred to the Commonwealth Naval Forces as a base. Garden Island was actually Australia's first vegetable garden. It was used as such for the ship's company of the "Sirius," the story being told by Daniel Southwell as follows:— [continues on p. 35]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 35)
[Garden Island, continued] "'When we left Port Jackson we left a man to look after a kind of kitchen garden situated on a small island on the Harbour, and appropriated to the service of H.M.S. "Sirius." Should this succeed, and the yield increase, it will prove of good use, and worth the labour it has cost."
WOOLLOOMOOLOO
Passing Lady Macquarie Point, we open up Woolloomooloo Bay, with its accommodation for overseas shipping. Among the trees in the Domain on the right the National Art Gallery is visible, while behind it show the square towers of St. Mary's Cathedral, the finished structure of that St. Mary's Chapel of which Governor Macquarie laid the foundation stone in 1819. It was then in the bush, overlooking Commissary Palmer's farm on the shore of Woolloomooloo Bay. The mass of tall buildings which break the skyline on the left marks the position of King's Cross, a locality originally called Henrietta Town, after Mrs. Macquarie, whose maiden name was Henrietta Elizabeth Campbell. Potts' Point, the headland
[Illustration: WOOLLOOMOOLOO, 1838.]
on the eastern side of Woolloomooloo Bay, was also named after Mrs. Macquarie as Point Campbell, and while we are on this subject it may be mentioned that Point Piper, which we will pass shortly, was first known as Eliza Point, after the same ubiquitous lady. As to the name of Woolloomooloo Bay itself, an extract from a letter written by a resident of that locality in 1910 will prove of interest. He says that:—
"Woolloomooloo was long the gathering place of the blacks, and I can recollect, on their festive occasions, seeing 200 or 300 of the original owners of the soil camped about the bay. The sight . . . was a happy one, for then the civil- [continues on p. 36]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 36)
[Woolloomooloo, continued] isation of the white man had not thinned the ranks of our sable brothers, and in their chatter one would often hear the word "Wallamullah," from which the present name is derived."
ELIZABETH BAY—RUSHCUTTERS' BAY
Rounding Potts' Point the shallow indentation of Elizabeth Bay is seen, with the deeper Rushcutters' Bay beyond it, so called from the numerous rushes which grew there, and which were used extensively by the early settlers and convicts for thatching purposes.
DARLING POINT
Darling Point, the aboriginal name of which is Yarrandabby, was called after the wife of Sir Ralph Darling, Governor in 1825. It is, and always has been associated with Sydney's finest homes.
DOUBLE BAY
Double Bay was first known as Keltic Cove, after James Keltic, a Master of the Royal Navy, who came to Sydney in the First Fleet as mate of the store ship, "Fishburn." Why this name was dropped for Double Bay is not known; probably because in the sweep of the shore there are two distinct indentations.
POINT PIPER
Point Piper is the memorial of genial Captain Piper, whose beautiful home on this headland has long since been demolished. He was the soul of hospitality, and during his residence there much of Sydney's gaiety and festivity took place on Point Piper. To use the words of Admiral Gambier in 1822:—
"Piper's hospitality commenced with the moment you entered the Harbour, and did not cease till you left it."
The native name of Point Piper was "Willara," or, as Southwell spells it, "Woolara," and from this the Municipality of Woollahra derives its name. The point at the western end of Rose Bay, beyond Lady Martin Beach, is known as Woollahra Point. Rose Bay was called after Mr. George Rose, Under-Secretary to the Treasurer, by Governor Phillip, who also applied the name to Rose Hill, Parramatta.
CLARKE ISLAND
The island on our left is Clarke Island, a recreation reserve, beautifully maintained by the Harbour Trust, and well worth a visit. It was named after a marine who served in the "First Fleet," and is principally used in the summer time as a splendid vantage point from which to view the sailing races, which start and finish near here. If you have time, we would recommend a trip on Saturday and Sunday after- [continues on p. 37]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 37)
[Clarke Island, continued] noons to follow the races by steamer, leaving Circular Quay, between 2.0 and 3.0, and returning a little after 5 o'clock.
SAILING RACES
Probably no other community in the world is so enthusiastically given to open boat sailing, for large regattas are held in the harbour every week-end for six months of the year, and a class of amateur yachtsmen has been evolved who cannot be equalled at small boat sailing. This wonderfully favoured stretch of water has been the scene of innumerable sailing contests since the first regatta was held on the 28th of April, 1827, arranged by Captain Stirling, of H.M.S. "Success," and Captain Rous of H.M.S. "Rainbow." The programme included a rowing match for twenty Spanish dollars, won by the "Mercury," belonging to Capt. Rous; a second rowing match for twenty dollars from Dawes' Point round Pinchgut and back, won by a boat called "Black Boy," and the event of the day—
[Photograph: NIELSEN PARK]
a sailing race for fifty dollars with a sweepstake of five dollars added, given by the officers of the warships. This was won by Lieutenant Preston's "Black Swan," the course being from the flagship in Sydney Cove, round the Sow and Pigs shoal, and back. What those ancient mariners would have thought of the eighteen footers is hard to imagine. Small though the stakes may seem to the present generation, they were munificent for an age when the principal currency was locally manufactured rum.
SHARK ISLAND
On the left, opposite Rose Bay, is Shark Island, formerly a quarantine ground for animals, now a recreation reserve main- [continues on p. 38]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 38)
[Shark Island, continued] tained by the Government, and also a favourite spot from which to watch the sailing races. We are now cruising round the eastern shore of Sydney Harbour, the point immediately on our right being known as Shark Point, and the reserve beyond as Nielsen Park.
NIELSEN PARK
Nielsen Park is considered to have the finest bathing beach in the harbour, and the enclosure of a large area of water has rendered it perfectly safe for the many thousands of bathers who may be seen here in the water during any summer holiday. The beautiful reserve behind the beach makes it one of Sydney's favourite public resorts, and the attractions of the spot have been augmented by the recent construction of large modern dressing sheds. The building among the
[Photograph: WENTWORTH HOUSE]
trees, crowning the gentle slope, is the Lady Edeline hospital for babies. Easy communication with the city in the summer is provided by ferry steamers from Circular Quay. The rocky formation off the north-east extremity of the park gave the name of Bottle and Glass to this headland, and though the resemblance to these vessels appears to be slight, it is said that the similarity was striking until a warship, leaving the harbour many years ago, used the bottle as a target for her guns.
WENTWORTH HOUSE
At the head of Vaucluse Bay, the inlet immediately inside Bottle and Glass Point, glimpses of Wentworth House are [continues on p. 39]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 39)
[Wentworth House, continued] visible among the trees. This was the home of William Charles Wentworth, to whom we are indebted for the foundations of the Australian Constitution. The house, originally known as Vaucluse House, with the twenty-two acres of ground in which it stands, was resumed by the Government in 1910, and proclaimed a public park on the 24th April, 1911. Relics illustrating the social and domestic life of early Sydney, which have been collected here, make Wentworth House well worth a visit, and if you are fortunate enough to be able to make the pilgrimage in the early days of October, the wistaria, for which the gardens are celebrated, will be a glorious mass of blossom, in itself a sufficient reason for the trip. The white tower on the eastern headland of Vaucluse Bay, when brought in line with its counterpart on the higher ground to
[Photograph: PARSLEY BAY]
the south, indicates the centre line of the eastern channel along which we now proceed.
PARSLEY BAY
The bay spanned by the bridge is Parsley Bay, a safe and favourite bathing place for children, enclosed by a protective net.
WATSON'S BAY
Passing the pilot steamer's mooring, we now approach Watson's Bay, called after the first keeper of Macquarie Light, where medical examination of all inward-bound vessels takes place. At the head of the ferry wharf stands a stone monu- [continues on p. 40]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 40)
[Watson's Bay, continued] ment indicating the point at which the Old South Head Road finished in March, 1811, at a distance of eight miles from the City. The public park behind the beach was originally the grounds of "Clovelly," the residence of Sir John Robertson, Premier of the Colony in the sixties of last century. Within a short distance, on the other side of the narrow peninsula, the waves of the Pacific Ocean are beating against the perpendicular cliffs.
[Photograph: MACQUARIE LIGHTHOUSE]
MACQUARIE LIGHTHOUSE
The white tower on the heights is Macquarie Lighthouse, 344 feet above sea level and visible for twenty-five miles. Originally the light showed all round the horizon, but the beams of its 12,000 candle-power lamp proved so disconcerting to navigators within the port that the western arc of visibility was screened. The first lighthouse was built by Governor Macquarie to the north of the present position, and a light was first exhibited on 11th July, 1816.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 41)
THE GAP
The low neck of land immediately behind the beach is the Gap, the scene of the wreck of the "Dunbar" in 1857, with the loss of 121 lives and only one survivor. The supposition was that on the dark and stormy night the low lying Gap was mistaken for the entrance to the Harbour, until it was too late for the ill-fated vessel to draw off shore in the teeth of the easterly gale. The survivor was washed up to safety on a ledge on the face of the cliff, from which position he was rescued two days later, and for many years afterwards was signal master at the Port of Newcastle.
SOW AND PIGS
Passing up the Eastern Channel we have on our left, marked by the pile light off George's Head, together with a number of gas buoys, a shoal known as the Sow and Pigs, which
[Photograph: THE HEADS]
divides the western channel from the one along which we are now passing. Like many of the fanciful names adopted in the harbour, it is difficult to see any reason for the title, even when the northern end of the reef uncovers at low water, but there can be no doubt that this awkward shoal has been called a "Cow" by many navigators in the old sailing ship days, beating up the harbour with a S.W. wind. The Hornby Lighthouse on Inner South Head stands on the end of the military reserve, and serves as a leading light to the port. The name of the cove just inside it, Camp Cove, commemorates the spot where Captain Phillip's party landed and cooked their first meal on shore.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 42)
THE HEADS
Between the Hornby Light and the huge bulk of North Head opposite is the entrance to Port Jackson, nearly a mile wide and eighty feet deep. Inside the channel bifurcates, each passage having a width of 700 feet and a depth of 40 feet at low water, and being capable of navigation by the largest vessels at any state of tide. Between the Heads is an appropriate spot to recall an extract from the log-book of the "Endeavour," written by Captain Cook on the 5th May, 1770—"This day we were abreast of a bay or harbour, in which there appears to be good anchorage, and which I called Port Jackson."
THE FIRST FLEET
Eighteen years more were to elapse before the silent waters of the Harbour were ruffled by the stems of the "First Fleet,"
[Photograph: MANLY]
under Captain Phillip, the "Sirius," a frigate of 450 tons and 20 guns; the tender "Supply," six transports and three store ships. Finding that Botany Bay afforded no shelter from easterly winds, that its waters were shallow, and that there was but a scanty supply of fresh water, Capt. Phillip set out on the 21st January, 1788, with a small party in rowing boats, to seek a more favourable position for his new settlement, and early in the afternoon of the same day entered Port Jackson. In selecting the Harbour as a site for the colony, Captain Phillip was influenced by the facts that in Sydney [continues on p. 43]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 43)
[The First Fleet, continued] Cove, now Circular Quay, he found a good spring of fresh water, that ships could anchor close in shore, and that at small expense wharves could be constructed at which his vessels could unload. He named the Cove after Lord Sydney, the then Secretary of State for the colonies and by 26th January the whole fleet was brought round from Botany Bay and snugly anchored. For this reason that date is now celebrated as Anniversary Day.
MANLY
Turning towards Middle Harbour, we pass on our right North Harbour, at the head of which lies Manly. This suburb derived its name from what Governor Phillip considered to be the manly bearing of the aborigines of the locality, which characteristic culminated in one of the local natives pushing
[Photograph: MIDDLE HARBOUR]
a spear into the Governor's neck in 1790. The popular pastime of surfing is catered for extensively on the ocean beach, which is only separated from the waters of the Harbour by a low and narrow neck of land across which, some seventy years ago, planks were laid to obviate the fatigue of walking in soft sand. A magnificent protected swimming area is also provided on the harbour beach, for which steamers leave Circular Quay at frequent intervals. On the heights to the south of the beach the huge masses of the Cardinal's Palace and St. Patrick's College are to be observed.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 44)
MIDDLE HARBOUR
We now enter that arm of Port Jackson known as Middle Harbour, the eastern limit of which is marked by Grotto Point, surmounted by a white tower—one of the leading lights for entering the port.
CLONTARF
Passing Castle Rock, Clontarf comes into view, once a very popular pleasure ground. During the visit of H.R.H. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, to the Colonies in 1868, two pistol shots were fired at him during a picnic here on the 12th March which had been arranged in his honour, one of which wounded him slightly in the back, the second bullet striking a bystander. The spot where the attempted assassination took place is marked by a pine tree opposite the wharf.
[Photograph: THE SPIT 1920]
SPIT BRIDGE
The Spit Bridge, through which we are about to pass, was rendered necessary by the abnormal growth of motor traffic which had, up to that time, been catered for by a most inadequate punt, dragged from side to side of the narrow passage by a wire rope. In 1925, after much agitation, the Manly Municipal Council decided to erect a bridge, an Act of Parliament allowing them to recoup themselves by instituting a toll. As it was doubtful whether the toll charges would be sufficient to cover the capital cost of a more substantial bridge, the present temporary structure was erected, and whatever [continues on p. 45]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 45)
[Spit Bridge, continued] may be said for its utility, nothing can be urged in its favour on the score of beauty. The toll proved such a money-spinner that on the completion of payment of the capital cost in 1930, Ministerial action became necessary to force the Council to forgo the revenue, and the balance over and above the cost was funded to provide for the maintenance of the bridge.
THE BLUFF
On the cliffs to the right is the suburb of Seaforth, the point being called The Bluff, and again off this point there is very deep water. Middle Harbour here splits up into three arms, one running to the left, a short middle arm known as Sailor Bay, and the main arm, into which we now turn. This arm is navigable for small boats for a distance of 8 miles from this point.
POWDER HULK BAY
The inlet on the right just round Bluff Head is called Powder Hulk Bay, from the fact that years ago the Powder storage hulk used to lie there. Those who have made a study of the history of the stage in this country will be interested in the old stone cottage overlooking the bay, once the home of George Rignold, the Irving of Australia. The farther headland is called Green Point.
BANTRY BAY
As we turn to the westward, the bay on the right is Bantry Bay, now used as a storage for explosives in place of the hulk formerly mentioned. Although we are less than six miles in a direct line from a metropolis of a million inhabitants, the flora and fauna hereabouts are much as they were before the advent of the white settler. The locality on the right opposite the small wharf is known as Flat Rock, and before the advent of surf bathing, was one of the city's most popular Sunday resorts. The steps up from the wharf are worn hollow by the footsteps of innumerable picnickers of the past, but the bush is now reclaiming its own.
KILLARNEY
Further on is the picnic resort of Killarney, formerly known as Cockfighters' Point, from the fact that many citizens used to indulge in this fascinating but illegal pastime here. The rapid shallowing up of the Harbour at this point limits any further exploration for a steamer of this size, and we accordingly commence our return.
LONG BAY
We are now back again in the main arm. On the right is Sugar Loaf Bay, and the turrets peeping over the trees indicate the position of Willis Castle, the owner and occupier being Mr. Henry Willis. The next inlet is Sailor Bay, with [continues on p. 46]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 46)
[Long Bay, continued] an outskirt of the suburb of Willoughby, known as Castlecrag, showing over the hills in the distance. Proceeding up the left arm of Middle Harbour, called Long Bay, we pass on the left Quaker's Hat Point, and on the right Fig Tree Point. The suburb on the left is Mosman, and the bay on the right is the maritime boneyard of the State, as wrecks were towed there and burnt for the sake of the metal contents.
FOLLY POINT
On the left is Folly Point, said to be so called owing to a settler who built his house there with the kitchen in the top of a tower, as he had an objection to the smell of cooking, the result being that everything had to be carried up to the kitchen and down again. Another anecdote related to account for the name is that one of the earliest settlers, in building a stone house, mixed the lime with salt water, and on arrival
[Photograph: SUSPENSION BRIDGE]
one morning found that the building had collapsed: unconvinced of his folly he repeated the experiment, with a similar result. But the name may have been derived from quite a different source, for high up on the hill stands the old building which forty years ago was an hotel, the rendezvous of the young "bloods" of that period. Horses were kept, and three or four turn-outs were available to bring patrons up, the charge being 3/6 per trip. The old dancing hall has been put to utilitarian uses by a dairy company, and the lights which once shone "o'er fair women and brave men" now illuminate the patient backs of "Strawberry" and "Jersey Belle." A former Minister of Works, Mr. E. W. O'Sullivan, conceived the idea of making Folly Point a public recreation centre, and went so far as to survey a tram route right out, but [continues on p. 47]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 47)
[Folly Point, continued] we were eventually spared this expenditure on alleged reproductive work. Altogether there seems to have been a number of excellent reasons for the name.
SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Further progress is again impossible owing to the shoaling of the water, but before leaving Long Bay, attention is directed to the lofty suspension bridge spanning the head of the inlet, which connects the suburbs of North Sydney and Willoughby. It is 1,010 feet in length, with a breadth of 30 feet, the deck being 186 feet above high water level. Built by an English syndicate during the vice-regency of Lord Carrington in an endeavour to create a land boom, a toll of 3d. was imposed on pedestrians to recoup the outlay. But the call of the land was apparently no more popular at that time than
[Photograph: THE SPIT TRAMWAY]
it is at present, and the scheme resulted in the syndicate going into liquidation. Following the growth of the northern suburbs, the bridge was purchased by the Government in 1911, and after considerable reconditioning, the tram service was continued over it to the heights of Northbridge. In 1936 the bridge was closed owing to its dangerous condition, but it is now being reconstructed.
THE SPIT
On the right we pass The Spit, named obviously from the configuration of the land by some unimaginative genius in the [continues on p. 48]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 48)
[The Spit, continued] past, who has left us in the name a legacy of vulgarity hard to live down. The sight of tram passengers passing a coin to the conductor with the request, "Spit, please," should be a convincing warning against careless nomenclature. The square towers on either shore mark the terminals of the under water syphon, which carries the sewer from the nothern [sic] suburbs to the outlet at Manly. On the hillside above Shell Cove (better known as Chinaman's Beach), stands a leading light tower which, in line with that on Grotto Point opposite, indicates the centre of the channel between the Heads. We are now passing over one of the shallowest parts of the navigable area of the Harbour, having a depth of about nine feet at low water, which, however, immediately deepens to twenty feet on passing Grotto Point.
[Photograph: BALMORAL]
BALMORAL
Rounding on the right Wyargine Point, we open up Edwards' Beach, Balmoral, and at its northern end, bring into view the "Amphitheatre"—the large white building surmounted by a row of pillars. This was erected by The Order of the Star in the East, a Theosophical organisation, but, its original purpose now forgotten, an open air vaudeville entertainment spasmodically occupies its upper story. Other prominent erections on the beach are the surf club and the municipal dressing sheds. Part of the beach is now protected by a net making it a very popular bathing resort. Balmoral is easily accessible by steamer from the Quay to Taronga, whence a connecting [continues on p. 49]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 49)
[Balmoral, continued] tram service lands passengers right on the beach promenade. Fifty years ago not a house was visible this side of the Military Road, which runs along the crest of the hills in the background, with the exception of a fisherman's shack standing just inside the Peninsula which separates Edwards' from Hunter Beach. The jetty visible towards the south end of the latter was the calling place of a regular ferry service, but the length of the trip by water made competition with trams and motor vehicles impossible. Far back on the skyline a memorial column is visible, erected in Rawson Park to the memory of Keith Anderson, the airman who lost his life in the search for the "Southern Cross." We are now rounding Middle Head, a military reserve, portion of which is
[Photograph: CLIFTON GARDENS]
now open to the public. This is the Mosman Golf Links and Recreation Grounds.
CLIFTON GARDENS
We next pass George's Head, and open up Chowder Bay, better known as Clifton Gardens Beach. The building on the hillside is Clifton Gardens Hotel, where excellent accommodation can be obtained at a moderate tariff, and where wonderful swimming facilities are provided by the baths and protected enclosure.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 50)
BRADLEY'S HEAD
The inlet on the right is Taylor Bay, backed by Ashton Park reserve, and terminating in Bradley's Head, which commemorates Lieutenant Bradley of H.M.S. "Sirius," Flagship of the First Fleet. The fort, completed after Fort Denison, may still be seen, with its pyramids of round-shot, old ordnance, stone communication trenches and gun-pits. From Bradley's Head to Clifton the whole waterfront is reserved, and one of the most delightful walks imaginable may be enjoyed from Clifton right round to Taronga. The pillar on the point beside the lighthouse was one of the columns of the first post office in Sydney, and now marks the eastern limit of the measured nautical mile between this point and Fort Denison, while the tripod mast is a relic of H.M.A.S. "Sydney," which sank the raiding German cruiser "Emden" off the Cocos Islands during the Great War.
[Photograph: BRADLEY'S HEAD]
TARONGA ZOOLOGICAL PARK
The Zoo, or to give it its full title, Taronga Zoological Park, was originally established at Moore Park in the year 1880, where it was conducted by the Royal Zoological Society, which was in receipt of a Government subsidy to assist this object. Early in the century, however, owing to lack of space, steps were taken to find another site, and in 1912 the present area of forty-three acres, then practically virgin country, was dedicated by the Crown for the purpose, the Moore Park establishment being moved to the new site in 1916. Since [continues on p. 51]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 51)
[Taronga Zoological Park, continued] then the Sydney Zoo has become world famous, many other countries adopting the plan of allowing the animals the utmost liberty consistent with safety, and of exhibiting them, as far as possible, in their natural surroundings. The addition of an aquarium at a cost of £18,000 widens its appeal to the public, and the Zoo has become a very popular resort, easily accessible from the Quay by ferry, which run practically to the gates. Combined Zoo and ferry tickets are issued by the Ferry Company at Circular Quay. Taronga is a native word signifying "sea-view."
MOSMAN
In June, 1789, the flagship of the First Fleet, the twenty gun frigate "Sirius," was careened in Mosman Bay. The inlet which derived its original name—Great Sirius Cove—from this circumstance, was then virgin forest, heavy timber and scrub clothing the hills to the water's edge. So thick were
[Photograph: TARONGA PARK ZOO]
the wooded slopes that several of the men were bushed, and midshipman Francis Hill disappeared and was never heard of again. From the departure of the "Sirius" the bay again relapsed into slumber for forty years, until in 1831 John Bell and Archibald Mossman received adjoining grants of land of four acres each in the area now occupied by the ferry wharf and the adjacent boat sheds. Mossman subsequently purchased Bell's grant and other land, until in 1838 he was the possessor of 108 acres, extending from the ferry wharf to the Military Road. On securing the original grants, clearing [continues on p. 52]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 52)
[Mosman, continued] of land and building of stone wharves was commenced by Mossman, and apparently occupied about two years, for it was not until 6th June, 1833, that the "Sarah" hauled into Mossman's Wharf, North Sydney, for the purpose of heaving down and undergoing repairs previous to proceeding to London. It was not long before the bay became a centre of shipping activity, especially for whalers which berthed there for the purpose of trying down the full cargoes of reeking, half putrid blubber with which their holds were packed after a cruise. They then careened and re-fitted before their next voyage. In its palmy days, as many as nine whalers lay off Mossman's waiting their turn for heaving down. There was no ferry, and the coopers, shipwrights and others employed went to the Bay on Monday, and were
[Photograph: MOSMAN BAY]
quartered in the old building afterwards occupied as a store by Mrs. Lewis until they returned home on Saturday. The stone building behind the store, now the headquarters of the local Boy Scouts, was constructed to store 3,000 barrels of whale-oil. But from 1840 whaling rapidly declined, and Great Sirius Cove again assumed the rural atmosphere of the days before the advent of Mossman. Mossman disposed of the property in 1838, and almost immediately it was put up for auction again and bought for £1,190. In 1859 Mr. R. H. Harnett purchased it for £3,500, and with his advent Mosman Bay once more woke to new life, but on quite different lines to the roaring days of the whalers. It changed hands several times at prices varying from £3,000 to £3,200, until in 1876 [continues on p. 53]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 53)
[Mosman, continued] Mr. Harnett once more acquired it for £1,500, and proceeded to cut it up for sale, establishing the first ferry service to carry out this purpose. In 1877 Shiply Chapman & Co. took over the ferry service, and in 1881 Mr. C. E. Jeanneret acquired it, and was still conducting it when the North Shore Ferry Co. entered the field in 1884 as a rival. About 1878 Mr. Harnett started 'buses from Milson's Point to Middle Head, and these, apart from the ferries, were the only means of transport between the City and Mosman until 20th September, 1881, when the Ridge Street-Spit Junction tram line was opened. On March 1st, 1897, this was continued to Mosman Bay.
CREMORNE
Cremorne Point separating Mosman Bay from Shell Cove was originally known as Careening Point, but was re-named when Clark & Woolcott endeavoured to reproduce there the Cremorne Pleasure Grounds of London. "Cremorne Gardens," soon became the liveliest spot in Sydney, with all night "bal masqués" and free ferries from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. But frequent scandals caused the place to be closed in 1856, though the remains of the old walks were still visible in 1895.
NEUTRAL BAY
Neutral Bay follows, so named in 1790, from the fact that it was set aside as a place of anchorage for foreign ships by Governor Phillip. A small sandy arm of this bay is still known as Careening Cove, where ships, in the absence of dry docks, were hove down on the beach for the purpose of cleaning their hulls.
KIRRIBILLI
Kirribilli Point, immediately opposite Benelong Point, was originally portion of a grant in the year 1800 of 120 acres, embracing the whole of the promontory from Careening Cove to the head of Lavender Bay, to one Robert Ryan for services in the Marine and New South Wales Corps, at a quit-rent of 2/- per annum. How he was dispossessed is not known, but in 1806 the grant was held by Robert Campbell, who, in 1822 leased it to James Milson for eight years at £8 a year. In 1842 the five acres on Kirribilli Point was rented to Lieutenant-Colonel Gibbes at £30 per annum, and eventually became his property for £700, but, after again changing hands, this area came into the possession of Adolphe Feez about 1848, who built the residence which still crowns the point. During the Crimean War in 1855 portions of this land were resumed for defence purposes, and the fortifications at the water's edge were constructed; the rest of the area, after several further changes of ownership, becoming the property of the State in 1883 for use as the residence of the Naval Commander-in-Chief. In 1913 it was valued at £46,000, [continues on p. 54]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, p. 54)
[Kirribilli, continued] having increased to this figure from the original £700 in 70 years. Recently litigation occurred between the Commonwealth and State Governments as to ownership, a final settlement being reached in 1930 by a judgment in favour of the State. It is now the Sydney home of the Governor General of the Commonwealth.
SYDNEY COVE
Approaching Sydney Cove on the completion of our trip, it is interesting to attempt to visualize the scene that met the eye of Captain Phillip when the fleet under his command anchored here on the 26th of January, 1788. High land on the right, sloping steeply down to a boulder-strewn foreshore was faced across the Cove, by a rocky eminence terminating in a low stony spit, which projected well out into the waters of the Harbour. The dark monotonous green of the eucalyptus clothed the higher land on either hand, while the low barren shores were sparsely covered with ti-tree and scrub. At the head of the Cove, the water then ran farther up into the land, the shore extending along what is now Macquarie Place, and on the western side the tide reached Bridge Street, there meeting a limpid brook which had its source in the marshes about Hyde Park. The whole of this area was thickly overgrown with large timber and undergrowth, the forest along the course of the stream being extraordinarily heavy. A gently shelving white beach lined the shore from the Customs House to the mouth of the creek, on which the boats of the landing party grounded sufficiently far out to necessitate the carrying ashore of Captain Phillip and his officers. Less than a century and a half ago! and now a metropolis of more than a million inhabitants covers the site which then afforded but a scant living for a few hundred aboriginals.
JOURNEY'S END
The sight-seeing tour of Sydney's foreshores, which you are now concluding, takes place on every Tuesday and Thursday, Sunday and Holiday throughout the year, and we trust that your experience has been sufficiently enjoyable and interesting to induce you to recommend the trip to relations and friends, especially visitors from overseas.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays the vessel leaves No. 5 Jetty, Circular Quay, at 10.15 a.m., and returns at 2 p.m., leaving again on the afternoon cruise at 2,15 [sic], to finish about 4.45 p.m. On Sunday only a half-day cruise is carried out, leaving the Quay at 3 p.m. and touring the main and middle Harbours. The Holiday cruises are prominently advertised in the daily press. Fares remain the same on Sundays and Holidays as on week-days, being 2/6 for adults and 1/- for children for the all day trip, and for half day trips, either morning or afternoon, they are 1/6 for adults, and 6d. for children.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, inside back pages, unnumbered)
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
[Photograph: interior of the Sydney Harbour Information Bureau]
SYDNEY HARBOUR INFORMATION BUREAU
Photograph above shows interior of this modern Bureau, where visitors and residents may obtain, entirely free, all information about Harbour attractions, ferry services, fares and time-tables. You are cordially invited to call at the Bureau, situated at No. 5 Jetty, Circular Quay. (Telephone: B 5906).
VISITORS' 5/- HARBOUR CONCESSION TICKET
Ask about this Ticket at the Harbour Information Bureau. Ticket includes:—(1) Return Ferry Trip and admission to Taronga Zoo Park. (2) Return Ferry Trip to Manly Beach. (3) Round the Harbour Tourist Cruise (morning or afternoon). (4) Luna Park, Milson's Point, free admission and return trip. (5) A Pass entitling you to 7 days' free travel on all other ferry services of Sydney Ferries Limited—10/- worth of Harbour travel for 5/-.
SUNDAY NIGHT CONCERT CRUISES
Every Sunday night at 7.45 and 7.50 from No. 5 Jetty, and at 8 from No. 8 Jetty, Circular Quay, returning at 10.15 p.m. Excellent programme by first-class artists broadcast throughout steamers. Tickets: Adults 2/-, 1/6, 1/-; Children 1/6, 1/-, 6d. For reservations Telephone: B 5906.
For Information service apply to:
SYDNEY HARBOUR INFORMATION BUREAU
No. 5 Jetty, Circular Quay
Tel. B 5906.
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, back page, unnumbered)
NEW DE LUXE CRUISE STEAMER FOR SYDNEY HARBOUR.
Sydney Ferries Limited Announces the "SHOWBOAT"
A new chapter in Sydney's harbour entertainment opens with the entry into service of the "Showboat," the beautiful, stream-lined cruise steamer illustrated in colour on page one. In designing and equipping the "Showboat" Sydney Ferries Ltd. has combined in one vessel the facilities appreciated by cruise passengers, concert audiences, and guests at modern dancing functions.
HARBOUR CRUISING
Low bulwarks on the Main Deck allow unimpeded vision on either hand to passengers seated in comfort. Observation windows in the glazed ends of the vessel ensure a clear view directly ahead and astern. The wonderful Promenade Deck presents the everchanging harbour panorama with only a low protective railing interposed, and with ample deck-space for exhilarating promenades.
CONCERT CRUISES
The Main Deck is equipped with a Concert Stage situated so that an audience approaching six hundred passengers may be seated with a full view of the performers. A complete system of amplifiers will enable a further three hundred passengers to hear the entertainment perfectly on the Promenade Deck. The interior of the "Showboat" is illuminated by modern concealed lighting, creating a beautiful and restful effect, and the stage can also be flood-lighted. The "Showboat" will form one unit of the squadron required for the increasingly popular Sunday Night Concert Cruises. All seats on the main deck may be reserved in advance at the Harbour Information Bureau.
DANCING AFLOAT
On the "Showboat" is Sydney's most delightful ballroom, spacious, specially constructed dancing deck, in the star-lit setting of Sydney Harbour by night.
Private charter of the "Showboat" offers a new way of entertaining guests in incomparable surroundings. Decoration and lighting have been completed on a lavish scale, and the vessel is practically unsinkable. The Company will undertake catering arrangements, and all equipment for a cabaret entertainment will be provided. Private hostesses, and secretaries of clubs and organisations are invited to enquire about reservations at—
Sydney Harbour Information Bureau
No. 5 Jetty, Circular Quay — Tel. B 5906
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, fold-out map, unnumbered)
SYDNEY HARBOUR
SHOWING RESORTS AND FERRY SERVICES.
DAILY SERVICES ———
WHARVES ▬
TOURIST HARBOUR CRUISE - - - - - -
[Map of Port Jackson, Middle Harbour, the Lane Cove River and the Parramatta River as far as Mortlake and Putney, with resorts, wharves and ferry routes; place names not transcribed.]
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, inside cover fold-out, unnumbered)
SOUVENIR
OF THE
TOURIST HARBOUR TRIP
DATE ..........
Signatures of Party: ..........
INCLUSIVE HOLIDAY TOURS TO SYDNEY
From Victoria and South Australia
Under direction of Sydney Ferries Ltd. in association with the Government Tourist Bureaux of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, a series of Inclusive Holiday Tours is offered to visitors from Victoria and South Australia.
Visitors travelling under these tours are met at Central Station, Sydney by a representative of the Harbour Information Bureau, and the staff of the Bureau provides free information service during the visitors' stay in Sydney. If you travel by one of the tours listed below, your holiday is already planned for you, and includes: (1) Return rail travel with meals en route. (2) Return taxi transport between Central Station and Hotel. (3) 7 days' accommodation at the beautifully situated Clifton Gardens Hotel, or at Wallaringa Mansions, Private Hotel, Neutral Bay. (4) The freedom of Sydney Harbour (Visitors' Harbour Concession Ticket) available 7 days. (5) Motor tours around Sydney in luxurious sedan cars.
SYDNEY HARBOUR SUNSHINE TOURS
(VICTORIA)
10 days tour from Melbourne for £13/5/- including first class rail travel and first class Hotel accommodation at Clifton Gardens Hotel or Wallaringa Mansions. Same tour, second class rail travel, £11.
INCLUSIVE HOLIDAY TOURS
(SOUTH AUSTRALIA)
Inclusive cost for 12 days' tour, £13/19/-, with second class return rail travel. Same tour with first class return rail travel, £17/12/6.
Monthly Escorted Winter Sunshine Tours
(VICTORIA and SOUTH AUSTRALIA)
These tours will operate at the above rates and will leave Adelaide and Melbourne monthly as advertised. Accommodation included is in Beach House at Clifton Gardens Hotel, or at Wallaringa Mansions, Private Hotel, Neutral Bay, and special motor tours have been arranged.
Where a party numbers twenty or more an experienced guide will accompany it from Melbourne.
These escorted Tours will be despatched monthly.
Ask for dates and full information at SYDNEY HARBOUR INFORMATION BUREAU, No. 5 Jetty, Circular Quay. Telephone B 5906, or,
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT TOURIST BUREAU, Queen's Walk, Melbourne.
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT TOURIST BUREAU, King William Street, Adelaide.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TOURIST BUREAU, King William Street, Adelaide.
[Photographs] (At left) Spotted Cheetah from India. (Below) Bearded Lizard, Australia. Photo: J. N. Boberg
VISITORS
Spend a day at beautiful
TARONGA PARK
You will enjoy every minute of the day at Sydney's Wonder Zoo. Visit "Sammy" the Chimp, Orangs and Gibbons, Baby Hippo and Baby Elephant.
See Native Bears (Koalas) in gum-tree enclosures, kangaroos, wallabies, cockatoos, and gorgeous Paradise Birds, and in the Aquarium beautiful coloured fish from tropical waters. Children love the Miniature Train, Elephant Rides, Merry-go-round, Animal Kindergarten, and Monkey Circus (2.30 daily). Refreshments obtainable at modern Kiosk. Combined return ferry and Zoo admission tickets available.
TAKE ZOO FERRY
No. 1 Jetty, Circular Quay
(Past Manly Jetty)
Transcription (Sydney Harbour Panorama, Revised Edition, undated, back cover, unnumbered)
[Small vignette of a ferry steamer passing a headland]
WHOLLY SET UP AND PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA BY
WINN & CO., PRINTERS, [illegible] BALFOUR STREET, SYDNEY.
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Tourist Harbour Trips” (S.S. Kookooburra), undated, Afternoon page, unnumbered)
Brief Description of Places and Points of Interest en route
Luncheon at 1 o'clock. Adults 2s.; Children 1s.
.. AFTERNOON ..
Returning to the entrance to Lane Cove River, the Steamer passes Greenwich, Gore Bay, Kerosene Bay, Ball's Head, Goat Island to the right, Berry's Bay, Gibraltar, Lavender Bay, Blue's Point, McMahon's Point (the Terminus of the Blue's Point Road Tramway), Milson's Point. Then crossing to the southern shore: Farm Cove, Warships, the Botanical Gardens, Lady Macquarie's Chair, Garden Island, Woolloomooloo Bay, Potts' Point, Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters' Bay, Darling Point, Double Bay, Point Piper, Rose Bay, Australian Naval Training Ship "Tingira."
Clark Island and Shark Island Reserves, Hermit Point, Shark Point, Bottle and Glass, Vaucluse Bay, Parsley Bay, Watson's Bay, Camp Cove; the Lighthouses; the Gap and Military Reserve.
Crossing Sydney Heads.
Quarantine Station; Manly; North Harbour; Dobroyd.
Balmoral Beach, with Baths.
Entrance to Middle Harbour; The Spit, Tram on side of hill; Clontarf, where the Duke of Edinburgh was shot, March 12th, 1868 (the tree fenced round marks the spot).
The Spit, Middle Harbour, showing tram to Manly; Pearl Bay; Seaforth Estate; Long Bay; Willis's Castle; Powder Magazine; Bantry Bay; Flat Rock; Killarney Picnic Reserve.
A visit is paid to Long Bay, passing on the left the point known as Quaker's Hat; then opening up Long Bay is seen the Suspension Bridge.
The return journey to Sydney is now begun, and passing Middle Head, where the Military Reserve is, the guns for defence of the port can be seen; then comes Obelisk Bay; Clifton Gardens, with its Amphitheatre Baths, the largest in the Commonwealth; Bradley's Head; Athol Bight and Athol Gardens; Little Sirius Cove; Mosman Bay; Cremorne; Cremorne to Spit Tram; Neutral Bay; Fort Denison; Kirribilli Point, with the Admiral's residence; and then Fort Macquarie, arriving about 5.0 p.m.
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Tourist Harbour Trips” (S.S. Kookooburra), undated, front page, unnumbered)
Tourist Harbour Trips.
The up-to-date Steamer, "KOOKOOBURRA," licensed to carry 800 passengers, departs from
FORT MACQUARIE
(Eastern side of Circular Quay and on the east of Tram Depôt)
AT 10 A.M. AND 2.15 P.M. EVERY
THURSDAY
(WET OR FINE, throughout the year.
Covering about 60 miles of Harbour Scenery, returning to Fort Macquarie about 5 p.m.
[Photograph] CIRCULAR QUAY.
FARES:— (Adults / Children)
All Day, from 10 a.m. ... 2/6 / 1/-
Half-Day Trips, Morning or Afternoon ... 1/6 / 6d.
LUNCHEON EXTRA ... 2/- / 1/-
AFTERNOON TEA ON BOARD ... 6d.
NOTE.—The "Kookooburra" has been so constructed that Tourists can view the different points or interest [sic] under all kinds of weather conditions.
John Sands Ltd., Sydney
[Handwritten library notation at top right: "JAF p HIST 1394"; microfilm target at foot: "DISREGARD PREVIOUS FRAME"]
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Tourist Harbour Trips” (S.S. Kookooburra), undated, Morning page, unnumbered)
Brief Description of Places and Points of Interest en route
.. MORNING ..
Circular Quay: Ferry Services and Royal Mail Steamers, etc.
Dawes Point, formerly a Military Barracks; New Wharves for Deep Sea Steamers. The Observatory in the distance.
Miller's Point: Berths of Tyser Line and French Mail Steamers.
Darling Harbour: White Star Liners' Berth at Miller's Point; Australian Gas-Light Co.'s Works; New Zealand, Interstate and Coastal Shipping Berths; Pyrmont Bridge; Railway Wharfs; Coaling Depôts; Wheat and Grain Wharfs, with solid cement fronts; Grain Elevators.
Johnston's Bay: Imperial Navy's King Edward Victualling Store; Pyrmont Point Baths; Goodlet & Smith's Timber Yards; Colonial Sugar Co. Refinery Works; Brown & Brown's Iron Yards; Glebe Island Bridge; Abattoirs; McKenzie's Timber Sawmills; Drake's Dock; Lever Bros. Sunlight Soap Works; Morrison & Sinclair's Shipbuilding Yards; Jubilee Floating Dock; Peacock's Point, Goat Island, with Harbour Master's Residence; and where formerly powder was stored for military purposes.
Waterview Bay: Adelaide Co.'s Repair Yard; Rowntree's Floating Dock; B.N. Ferry Co.'s Works; Mort's Dock and Engineering Co.'s Works and Docks, covering 15 acres of land; Perkins' Point; Birchgrove Reserve; Longnose Point.
Balmain Coal Mine, 2,942 feet deep; Elliott Bros.' Chemical Works; Iron Cove Bridge; Rodd Island Reserve; Perdriau's Rubber Works.
Schnapper Island; Spectacle Island; Cockatoo Island, with Government Workshops and Large Docks.
Lane Cove River, with its Residential Sites and Lovely Bays and Inlets; Riverview College; Lane Cove Bridge.
Woolwich Docks and Repair Sheds of Mort's Dock and Engineering Co., Ltd.; Kelly's Smelting Works; Colonial Oil Co.'s Kerosene Stores.
Parramatta River: Drummoyne on the left and Hunter's Hill on the right; Gladesville Bridge; Five Dock Bay; Searl's Monument and The Brothers; A. E. Grace's Mansion; Abbotsford Estate and Baths; Gladesville Asylum; Cabarita Park; Mortlake Gas Works; Walker's Convalescent Hospital, Ryde; Ryde Railway Bridge, the starting point of all Champion Sculling Races. Returning from here to Correy's Gardens for Lunch.
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Tourist Harbour Trips” (S.S. Kookooburra), undated, back page, unnumbered)
[Photograph] THE SPIT, MIDDLE HARBOUR.
Be sure and avail yourself of this delightful Trip. No pen can describe the Beauties of this Excursion. They must be viewed to be appreciated.
Officers are employed each Trip to explain to Tourists the Points of Interest en route.
Tourists when procuring tickets will please notify if they require Luncheon.
Hot and Cold Water provided on board the Steamer free of charge.
TICKETS and all information obtainable at the GOVERNMENT TOURIST BUREAU, MARTIN PLACE, SYDNEY
And at Offices of SYDNEY FERRIES LTD., CIRCULAR QUAY,
Or AT THE STEAMER.
Sydney Ferries Limited, Circular Quay.
W. G. TODD, Manager.
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Tourist Harbour Trips” (S.S. Kookooburra), undated, fold-out map across two images, heading panel)
With Compliments of Sydney Ferries Limited,
MAP
SHOWING ROUTE OF
TOURIST HARBOUR TRIP
Covering about 60 Miles of Harbour Scenery.
EVERY THURSDAY
S.S. KOOKOOBURRA. Leaves Fort Macquarie at 10 A.M. and 2.15 P.M.
Returning to Fort Macquarie about 5.0 p.m.
FARES:
All Day Trip .. Adults 2/6; Children 1/-
Half-Day Trips, Morning or Afternoon ,, 1/6; ,, 6d.
Luncheon, Extra .. .. 2/-; ,, 1/-
[Photograph] S.S. KOOKOOBURRA. LICENSED TO CARRY 800 PASSENGERS.
[The rest of the two images is a map of Port Jackson and the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers from Parramatta to the Heads, with place names; not transcribed.]
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Showboat Cruises by Day and Night”, undated, front panel, unnumbered)
SHOWBOAT Cruises
BY DAY AND NIGHT
AND OTHER HARBOUR ATTRACTIONS
[Illustration of two showboats]
No. 4 JETTY, CIRCULAR QUAY
[Badge: SYDNEY HARBOUR INFORMATION BUREAU]
[Handwritten library notation at top right: "JAF p HIST 1394"]
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Showboat Cruises by Day and Night”, undated, inside panel, unnumbered)
[Photograph] Koala with Baby Bear at the Park.
KOALA PARK TOURS BY FERRY AND MOTOR
One of the most interesting and entertaining excursions conducted by Sydney Ferries is the combined boat and 'bus trip to Koala Park, which has the largest captive Koala and 'Roo population in the world. But it is a very mild form of captivity, and visitors can see the Bears under ideal conditions. Kangaroos, Wallabies and Emus are added attractions.
Boats leave No. 8 Jetty, Circular Quay, every Sunday afternoon at 2.30 p.m. A run of 35 minutes is made up the Parramatta River to Putney, where passengers take 'buses for a 25-minute trip through scenic country to Koala Park. The boat returns to the Quay by 5.40 p.m.
By Ferry and 'Bus: Return fare, including admission, 3/-.
Tickets are available at the Harbour Information Bureau or from No. 8 Jetty, whence the steamer sails, and from the Tourist Bureau, Martin Place, and Wynyard Railway Station. Afternoon tea, soft drinks, etc. obtainable on board the steamer. Why not come next Sunday?
EVERY SUNDAY
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Showboat Cruises by Day and Night”, undated, inside panel, unnumbered)
SHOWBOAT TOURIST HARBOUR CRUISES
[Photograph] Showboats "Kalang" and "Koondooloo" at the Spit, Middle Harbour.
Every visitor to Sydney goes on the Tourist Harbour Cruise, on the three-deck Showboat "Kalang". Observation windows. Promenade deck. Amplifiers for popular music, and scenic commentary by experienced guide. Morning Route, Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers. Afternoon, Main and Middle Harbour.
FROM NO. 4 JETTY, CIRCULAR QUAY
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10.15 a.m. and 2.15 p.m.; Public Holidays as advertised.
Sunday Afternoon Tourist Cruise with Charles Lawrence, radio personality, commenting on the harbour scenery, 3 p.m.
Maggie Foster's Personality Girls' Band entertains on all afternoon cruises.
FARES:
MORNING TRIP—Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers. Adults 1/6.
AFTERNOON TRIP—(Week-days only) Main and Middle Harbour. Adults 2/-.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON—Main and Middle Harbour. Adults 1/6.
ALL-DAY TRIP—Adults 3/- CHILDREN'S FARES—All Day 1/-, Half Day 6d.
Luncheon at Clifton Gardens Hotel, Adults 2/6, Children 1/6.
Light luncheon, morning or afternoon tea also obtainable at Buffet on board.
EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND
PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Showboat Cruises by Day and Night”, undated, inside panel, unnumbered)
[Photograph] Historic St. John's Church, Parramatta
DISCOVER OLD PARRAMATTA
FERRY AND MOTOR TOUR
PARRAMATTA, 18 miles by water and 15 miles by road, is the oldest settlement in Australia next to Sydney. For many years it was more important than Sydney, and to-day is a city in its own right, with a population of approximately 18,000 people. At Parramatta and vicinity are found Australia's first farm, first Government House, first school, old St. John's Church, and many other original sites and buildings of the old colony.
Every Sunday afternoon, old Parramatta can be explored by boat and 'bus. The trip includes a return boat trip up and down the Parramatta River from Circular Quay, a mile ride on Australia's oldest steam tram, and a 15-mile motor trip visiting all the major points of scenic and historic interest in Parramatta.
The cost for the full return trip, including boat, steam tram and bus, is 3/- for adults and 1/- for children. Ask for free descriptive booklet. Boats leave Circular Quay every Sunday at 2.30 p.m. returning at 5.40 p.m. Afternoon tea, soft drinks, etc. obtainable on board the steamer. Bring a friend with you, next Sunday.
EVERY SUNDAY
[Banner running across the three inside panels (images 72–74): "SEE SYDNEY . . . THE HARBOUR WAY"]
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Showboat Cruises by Day and Night”, undated, panel, unnumbered)
CONCERT CRUISES: SUNDAYS, 3 & 8 p.m.
DANCE CRUISES: MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS
[Photograph] Happy smiles on a Concert Cruise
SHOWBOAT CONCERT AND DANCE CRUISES
Every Sunday evening, at 8 p.m., the Showboats "Kalang" and "Koondooloo" and the concert steamer "Koompartoo" leave Circular Quay for a two hours' moonlight harbour concert cruise featuring popular and well-known musicians, entertainers and concert artists in continuous, catchy programmes, interspersed with community singing led by popular song-leaders.
Bring your friends and make a party. Light refreshments obtainable on board. Tickets on Showboats "Kalang" and "Koondooloo" 2/- reserved; telephone reservations will be held up to 7.30 p.m. Tickets for Concert Cruiser "Koompartoo", 1/6 reserved; 1/- unreserved. Tickets obtainable at Harbour Information Bureau, Circular Quay, and Tourist Bureau, Challis House, Martin Place.
If you wonder where to go on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday night, remember the Showboat Popular Dance Cruises, leaving at 8.30 p.m. from No. 8 Jetty, Circular Quay (calling in at 9.30) and returning at 11.30. Oldtime and jazz music by Miss Maggie Foster's Orchestra. Refreshment Buffet on board. Sydney's brightest dancing! Tickets 2/-, at Jetty or in advance at Harbour Information Bureau.
CONCERT CRUISE RESERVATIONS
TELEPHONE: B5906
Transcription (Sydney Ferries Ltd leaflet “Showboat Cruises by Day and Night”, undated, back panel, unnumbered)
[Illustration of bathers on a beach]
SWIM AND PICNIC
AT BEAUTIFUL
HARBOUR BEACHES
To enjoy Sydney's three most delightfully situated harbour resorts, take ferry from No. 2 Jetty, at eastern end of Promenade, Circular Quay. Each one is protected for safe swimming, and ideal for children. Acres of grassy picnic spots and attractive natural bushland encircle the foreshores. If you live in Sydney, come regularly for Sunday picnics.
Balmoral is reached by short ferry trip, then scenic bushland route to the beach. Fares—ferry 4d., tram 3d. each way; children 1d. each way on ferry and tram. (30 minutes from Quay to beach).
Clifton Gardens and Nielsen Park are reached by ferry alone (25 minutes). Visit Vaucluse House, historic home of William Charles Wentworth, set in beautiful gardens, a few minutes walk from Nielsen Park wharf.
BALMORAL BEACH
CLIFTON GARDENS
NIELSEN PARK
H. CLARK PTY. LTD., Printers, Sydney
