10 Things You Didn't Know About Waverly.... New South Wales

 

10 Things You May Not Have Known About.... Waverley

1. The First Free Jewish Settler Built His House In Waverley . Barnett Levey Arrived In Sydney In 1821 From London's East End & Was Known As The Father Of The AUstralian Theatre After He Founded Australia's First Permanant Theatre.... Which Was... The Theatre Royal In George Street

 

2. Waverley Gets Its Name From Barnett Levey's Home. Levey Never Lived There, But Named It Waverley House In Honour Of The Book "Waverley" by Scottish Author Sir Walter Scott, Published in 1814 & Often Regarded As The First Historical Novel. 

 

 

3.  The War Memorial Hospital Is Made Up Of A Number Of Victorian Buildings. The Edina, Banksia & Witchagil Buildings Were Built By NSW Politician Ebenezer Vickery in 1884

 

4. Vickery Was One Of The First Politicians To SUpport Divorce. The Waverley Resident Usually Kept His Speeches To Mining But He Stood In Support Of Sir Alfred Stephen's Radical Divorce Bill in 1887

 

5. Australia's First Female Olympic Gold Medalist Is Buried In Waverley Cemetary. Fanny Durack's Grave Was Covered In Weeds and Unmarked Until 1990 When Fundraisers Pulled Together To Buy A Plaque And An Onyx Headstone

 

6. a number Of Catholic Friar's Used To Call Waverley Home.  The Victoria St Friary Was Demolished in 1985 After Sustaining Extensive Damage in 1851

 

7. Waverley Colege Was One Of The First Schools To Add AFL To It's Weekend Sport Program. Year 7 & 8 Students At The School Played Their First Season Of School AUssie Rules in 2013

 

8. Waverley College Opened With 20 Students In 1903. The School Stopped Taking Boarders in 1979 and Counts Tv Personality Scott Cam, Garden Guru Costa Georgiadis & Singer Johnny O'Keefe Among It's Old Boys.

 

9. The Crown Princess Of Albania, Susan Cullen Ward, Came From Waverley. The Australian Born Princess Moved From Waverley Whyen She Married Crown Prince Leka in 1975, But THe Pair Did NBot Live In ALbania As The Country Had Been Named A Communist Republic

 

10. Italian Is The Top Language Spoken In Waverley According To The 2011 Cencus. The Median Income Is $818....  18.2% of Families Are One Parent Families, & 55% of All Residents Live In Apartments. 

 

 

 

 

Australia Day  - 2021 

Monday 18th Jan 2021 

It was 233 Years Today When Arthur Phillip & The First Fleet Finally Sailed Into Botany Bay, So Named After The Discoveries Of Flora & Fauna Sir Joseph Banks Had Discovered On The 1770 Voyage Of Captain Cook On The HMAS Endeavour After Recording The Eclipse Of Saturn In Tahiti. 
By All Records And Accounts Botany Bay Was The New “Eden” As Sir Joseph Banks Had Been Portraying For The 20 Odd Years To The Royal Society In London, As Well As Being In The Ear Of King George III. 
But As Captain Arthur Phillip Sailed In On The HMAS Sirius, The Lead Ship Of The Fleet, What He Found Was Vastly Different To What Had Been Described After The Perilous 8 Month Journey From Portsmouth In May 1787. 
Botany Bay Itself Turned Out To Be Too Shallow For a The Ships To Even Be Able To Come Close To Shore... The Wind That Had Got Them Into The Bay Itself Suddenly Died, And The Fleet Of Ships Were Left Unable To Sail Out Again Until A Southerly Or Coastal Wind Picked Up Again. 
When Arthur Phillip Sailed Ashore, He Found that The Land Was Very Sandy & Swampy All Around, As Well As The Fact There Didn’t Seem To Be Any Fresh Water Supply To Refill. 
He Also Noticed That There Ant Mounds Everywhere & These Black Ants That Had A Sharp Bite Attacked Him, And His Marines Once They Were Ashore.
He Had Been Promised By Sir Joseph Banks And The Royal Society Back In London That There Would Be Plenty Of Wild Game. 
Sir Joseph Banks Had Been Successful Bringing Back Kangaroos 🦘 For The Pleasure Of King George II
 There Was Also Very Little Wildlife So He Questioned If There Would Even Be Enough Food To Feed a The 1700 convicts And 

 

 

Mortuary Station -  Central - Chippendale 

Chippendale station, sandwiched between Sydney’s Central Station and Railway Square, originally opened as Mortuary Station on June 29, 1869, and was used to transport the dead and their grieving relatives to their final resting place, Rookwood Cemetery. 

Adorned with angels, cherubs and gargoyles, the Venetian 13th century Gothic-style building was designed by James Barnet as a central stop to pick up the dead and their living families. Those families had to pay for their return tickets on the grave-y train, but the dead — I imagine due to their inability to access their wallet — generously rode free.

Apparently, the train timetable saw two trains leaving a day — one in the morning and one in the afternoon. On board, there were two types of hearse carriages used to transport the dead. The largest could hold up to 30 coffins, while the other could fit 10 at most. Mourners were held in a separate area of the train, and all disembarked at an almost identical station at the other end, aptly named Cemetery Station.

The station and train line were in use until 1947, when the last railway timetable was recorded. It read, “Sydney 2.17pm to Strathfield 2.33pm to Rookwood #1, 2.50pm." By that time, roads were in better shape and cars were a much more popular mode of transport. As such, most funeral processions travelled by car and the need for Mortuary Station was no more. It’s Rockwood sister, Cemetery Station, was dismantled in the '50s and actually rebuilt stone for stone in Canberra to become the All Saints Church. But good ol’ Morty still stands, and if its walls could talk, they’d have a lot to say about its colourful life since those dark early days.

In the 1950s, it became a depot to dispatch animals, namely horses, then moved into a new role as a parcel depot, before taking on its most ambitious role as a pancake restaurant in the '80s. That’s right, from 1986-89, two men by the name of Peter Shield and John McNally had the sweet idea of taking the original railway carriages and turning them into dining areas to eat breakfast. I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me hungrier than thinking about dead people. Know what I mean? Pass the syrup, please.

the restaurant flopped, and by 1989 it was a ghost town once more. Over the last 25 odd years, it’s been refurbished, heritage listed, vandalised and used as a wedding location. Because that’s the other thing thinking about the dead makes me want to do: marry the one I love

JANUARY 2022

The Redfern Mortuary Station, also known as the Mortuary Railway Station, is a historic railway station in Sydney, Australia. It served as a terminal station specifically designed for transporting the deceased and mourners to and from Rookwood Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in the Southern Hemisphere. Here's an overview of the history of the Redfern Mortuary Station:

Origins and Purpose:

• The Redfern Mortuary Station was opened in 1869. It was built to cater to the growing need for a dignified and efficient means of transporting the deceased from Sydney to the more remote Rookwood Cemetery.
• At the time, the state of urban cemeteries was becoming increasingly crowded and unsanitary, leading to the establishment of larger cemeteries outside the city.

Architectural Design:

• The station was designed by colonial architect James Barnet, known for his role in designing many of Sydney's notable buildings.
• The architectural style of the station was Gothic Revival, characterized by pointed arches, ornamental details, and other features reminiscent of medieval architecture.

Functionality:

• The Redfern Mortuary Station featured covered platforms for the arrival and departure of funeral trains. It also included waiting rooms for mourners and facilities for the transfer of coffins.
• The design aimed to provide a dignified and solemn atmosphere for the transportation of the deceased and their families.

Funeral Services:

• The station was primarily used for funeral services and transporting the deceased to Rookwood Cemetery. Special funeral trains would carry coffins and mourners to the cemetery for burial.
• The station's proximity to the main line ensured easy access to the cemetery, which was located a few kilometers away.

Decline and Closure:

• With changes in funeral practices and urban development, the use of the Redfern Mortuary Station declined over the years.
• The station officially closed to funeral services in 1938, as motor hearses became more common and modern transportation methods were preferred.

Preservation and Heritage Status:

• The Redfern Mortuary Station was recognized for its historical and architectural significance. It was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
• The station's distinctive Gothic architecture and its association with Victorian-era funeral practices make it a unique and historically important site.

Modern Use:

• While the Redfern Mortuary Station no longer serves its original purpose, efforts have been made to repurpose and restore the station for various uses.
• The station occasionally hosts cultural events, exhibitions, and tours, allowing visitors to explore its architectural beauty and learn about its history.

The Redfern Mortuary Station stands as a reminder of a bygone era and provides insight into the customs and practices of the past. Its architectural significance, along with its association with Sydney's funeral history, adds to its cultural and historical value in the city's landscape.

Sydney And The Bubonic Plague In 1901 - Rats Rats Rats And Sub Standard Living Conditions -

 

Sydney & The Bubonic Plague Of 1901

The Rear of 32 Oxford Street, in 1901 When Sydney Was In The Height Of The Bubonic Plague

Day Tripping Round Sydney

 

DAY TRIPPING AROUND SYDNEY 

https://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/story/7068154/daytripper-a-colonial-village-butterflies-karts-and-rare-cats/

Nuetral Bay - Its Beginnings

 

NUETRAL BAY -

Anderson .Park sits over the head of neutral Bay and the creek that runs to it.

In the 1880s the mudflats exposed around his surroundings at low tide were full of residual mangroves as well as sewage and other rubbish that collected that ran it off into the harbour.

The decoration of Sydney Harbour and it’s for Shaws came at a time that coincided with an awareness of harbour music parks Parkland.

Consequently several waterfronts around Sydney were re-claimed or filled in as a Parkland for sure new.

The land he was reclaimed between 1891 and 1895 after much love being by the colonial government by East Saint Leonards council land in 1890, by the new formed North Sydney Council.

The new reserve in neutral Bay he was dedicated in 1898 and was called wearing the park. Later in 1928 it was very named Anderson Park, After former mayor William Anderson.

At the time humans were sharing land tea with horses to pastured in the 1920s. In 1932 residents petition council to build a shock proof Enclosure around the Anderson ParkBeach below the retaining wall.

The park self was given over to organise sports and landscaped with the planting of victories (focus hillii and rubigonusa ) Around the Boundry of the park.

In 1934 these trees with small enough to let the aviator Charles Kingsford Smith, With navigator PG TaylorTo use Anderson Park as a runway for the LockheedOh fair mono plane-Originally called ANZAC and then called Southern Cross, Which he had brought from America by ship.

The aviator knew the park well as he had live nearby in Yeo Street From 1911 to 1915, so when faced with the problem

Getting his aircraft from neutral Bay Anderson Park to mascotAirfield, Kingsford Smith had it transferredFrom the anchored ship in Anderson Park to mascot airfieldWhere he could fly to his destination.

The reserve was, he judged just big enough to be a runway for his aircraft

On 17th of July 1934 word spread that Kingsford Smith had his aircraftAnd he’s playing where in the area spread quicklyAnd a large crowd gathered quickly to see what would happen.

It was several hours before the wind was favourable. Joan Hall was a part of the crowd and remember the tension just before he took off and stayed low over the water.…

It wasn’t until he was well past neutral Bay wharf that he started to take off above the water, And then the people started cheering madly, Talking excitedly.

The following year Charles Kingsford Smith and JT Pethybridge disappeared without a trace find the Southern CrossFrom London to Australia.

Bridge Street - Named Oct 10th 1810 - Proclaimed Dec 31st 1834

 

BRIDGE STREET

NAMED OCTOBER 10TH 1810

PROCLAIMED DECEMBER 31ST - 1834

December 31, 1957 MarkedThe The Centenary Of To Exciting Events In Sydney McIntire History. One was the official opening of the Exchange, now the Royal Exchange. The second was the official operating for the first time in New South Wales of the Telegraph. Only for the unromantic and Uninformed could these be unrelated happenings yet this was no casual liaison but something deliberately planned.
, This was a child every sign of experiencing upsurge following the gold rushes.
What could have integrated the various enterprises are better than the Exchange? What could’ve linked these more startingly than the Telegraph? The tying of the knot between the Exchange and the Telegraph was a consummation of a splendid bit of matchmaking at that. They could not have been more admirable partners. What was the precise nature of the romance? A Small band of merchant princes I gathered together in 1851 to extend bush and Exchange. Among these people were Alexander Campbell, John Gill Christ, David Jones, commander John Lamb, Thomas Wisla Smith, Joshua Young, John Walker, W ascot, John Gosling, George Reese, Jason Willis and George Thorne. These men made up the first directorial. One of the first problems was to find a worthy site for the projected building. Land about the location of the Metropole, a piece at Circular Quay, McQuarrie place-over rejected in favour of the present on down I could Street, Bridge Street, Spring now Gresham Street. To take shape, stone being quarried at the top in way for the purpose of the buildup, Thomas Alston, and to the design of the architect JF difference to nationality gracefully displayed well platform was covered by crimson cloth?‘s The great day itself brought forth the rich pump occasioned by the attendance of the governor general, so William Denison, together with offices of Pacific seventh regiment. The band of the Royal Artillery struck up, gluten of the governor general speech‘ marks three chairs and one over‘ master given, followed by the air few marks rule for Tanya‘ marks.


Bridge Street was named in 1810 for the wooden bridge foot bridge crossing the tank stream, the colonies first water supply.
From the start the town was physically and socially divided by the tank stream.
From the start the town was physically and socially divided by the tank stream.
On the eastern side with the governors house in the tents of the civil establishment. To the west were the makeshift barracks of the military and the convicts. Many signs of the seas social division remain today. I’ll
Along with the high eastern section of Bridge Street, you will notice several impressive early government buildings, including the lands department, the education department and the chief secretaries building.
The western end is more commercial, heading towards the once ravished rocks

Sydney Clocks -

 

SYDNEY CLOCKS 

is hard now to imagine when telling the time was a difficult thing to do. With everyone having a phone or at least a watch, it is easy to forget that not that long ago public time pieces were, for many, the best available option for getting to work on time, making sure they caught the train or made the meeting.

It’s amazing how many of these clocks and timepieces were sited around Sydney, and even more amazing how many survive still. The most prominent of these were the clock towers, which in their day, loomed over the low scale city round them and were visible to all the workers scurrying back and forth to offices and factories.

From the earliest days of the colony time was important. Convicts were sent here to do time, and their days were broken up into timed patterns. In 1797 Governor Hunter erected the first clock tower to the west of the settlement on what is now Church Hill. The tower was 46 metres high with its clock facing the town. The tower was damaged in a storm in 1799 and then collapsed in 1806. The clock itself was salvaged and re-erected in a smaller tower the following year.

The oldest clock still working in Sydney is in the façade of the Hyde Park Barracks. This was installed in 1819 by convict clockmaker James Oatley. Oatley, appointed as Keeper of the Town Clock by Governor Macquarie installed a number of public clocks across Sydney, with clocks in churches at Parramatta, Campbelltown, Windsor and Liverpool amongst others. The suburb Oatley is named after him.

Of the clock towers it is those at the Sydney Town Hall (1884), the Lands Department (c1890, clock 1938), the old General Post Office (1891), and Central Station (1921) that remain as the best examples. Each was built so as their clocks could be seen across the part of the city they stood in or from the approaching ferries to Circular Quay. Workers would check them as they went to their jobs. Their heights hint at the low scale of the nineteenth century metropolis and they could be seen across surrounding suburbs. Central Station, which was visible across the industrial suburbs of Redfern and South Sydney was colloquially known as “The Working Man’s Watch” for this reason. Town Hall Clock was visible from Balmain. Their prominence on the skyline was such that during World War II the GPO clock tower was dismantled for fear it would provide a target for Japanese air raids.  It was not rebuilt until the 1960s.

GPO Clock being removed 1942 (NAA C4078 N1914D)

While the others worked independently, the clock at Central was the centre of an intricate system of integrated clocks around the station and across the Sydney train network. A system of electrical pulses regulated the time across the network so all showed the same time. Correct time is essential to safe and efficient running of railway networks and has been from the start. As such, the adoption of railway time as local time as the network extended across Sydney and NSW was instrumental in the eventual adoption of it as standard time for NSW and later Australia from 1895.

Central Station with its landmark clock tower in 1952. It still towers over the southern end of Sydney. (NAA A 1200 L 14553)

The scale of these clocks is not appreciated from the ground, but some ideas of the size of the mechanism can be taken from the fact that the Central Clock hands are 2.3m and 3m each, with the clock face itself is 4.8m in diameter. Upgraded in 2014 the Central Clock continues to provide accurate time, although fewer notice it these days.